Incident and Accident Reporting*

Incident and accident reports are valuable because:

• They capture complaints, accidents and incidents before they become claims.
• They help establish a defense for claims that may be presented years after an incident/accident.
• They serve as the basis for analyzing the causes of incidents and accidents and for recommending risk improvements to prevent similar events in the future.
• They help identify weaknesses in your current risk management policies and procedures to prevent more serious losses from occurring.

Risk Management: Incidents

1. If an incident occurs, attend to those involved to ensure there are no injuries.

2. Complete an incident report (click here for a sample). Incident reports should include at least:

• names and contact information of the reporter and witnesses;
• a detailed description of the incident; and
• recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

3. Contact your insurance representative for advice on whether an incident should be reported to the insurer. Incidents are often reported even if a claim may not come out of them.

4. Keep the report on file:

• Documentation should be kept for as long as necessary to defend against potential claims. The length of time that legal action may be taken by law is called the Statute of Limitations.
• If the reporter is an adult, keep the incident documentation on file for at least three to five years after the Statute of Limitations passes for that type of claim. Your lawyer should be able to advise how long this is.
• If the reporter is a minor keep the incident documentation on file for at least three to five years after the Statute of Limitations passes for that type of claim once the minor has reached the age of majority. Your lawyer should be able to advise how long this is.
• An efficient method of organizing and storing incident reports is in an electronic database where they can be sorted and retrieved based on a number of factors.

5. Review the report to determine the cause of the incident and any loss prevention measures that could be implemented.