Reporting a Claim
Current as of August 2014
Reporting a Claim
Notification of Claims and Incidents
Early notification of a claim or an incident that is likely to give rise to a claim is crucial to Comcover’s
ability to protect the Fund Members’ interests and minimise subsequent loss. Fund Members should
take the following action when they have information that there is a claim against them or that an
incident has occurred that might give rise to a claim:
• notify Comcover ;
• preserve any evidence;
• do not engage legal or any other advisers without advice and approval from Comcover;
• complete claim form documentation;
• provide supporting documentation and information; and
• refer all communication concerning the matter to Comcover.
Early notification of claims and incidents allows Comcover to manage the claim from the outset and
assists to contain the costs associated with the claim. Notification in the first instance can be by
telephone, e-mail, in person, by post or online via the Comcover Gateway. A claim form should also be
completed and forwarded immediately to Comcover, or at least within 5 days of an incident occurring,
a claim being made against the Fund Member or the Fund Member becoming aware of an incident that
might give rise to a claim. This will assist Comcover to effectively manage the claim. Claim forms can be
found on the Comcover website or the Comcover Gateway.
The claim form will require you to provide the following information:
• the name and contact details of your Fund Member insurance contact officer;
• the policy number;
• the name and address, if known, of the third party (or parties) involved in the incident;
• a full description of the incident including the time, date and location of the incident;
• the name of the Fund Member employee or other persons involved in the incident;
• details of the claim made, or likely to be made against the Fund Member (in the case of liability claims) or
details of the property destroyed, damaged or stolen (in the case of property claims); and
• the names and addresses of witnesses.
At the time of lodging the claim, further supporting information (and supporting documentation)
should also be provided where available, including:
• any originating application, writ, summons, demand or other correspondence from third party(s) and file
notes of any telephone conversations with third party (parties);
• witness statements;
• employee statements. These statements should be confined to the facts and not express an opinion
on negligence/liability;
• photographs of the incident site (if relevant);
• quotations or invoices for repairs to, or replacement of, damaged or lost property;
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• details of any other party(s) (other than employees or affected third parties) who may have
contributed to the incident;
• police incident report details; and
• any other relevant information.
The Fund Member should retain copies of all of the above documents and open its own file in relation
to the claim.
What is a Claim and what is an Incident?
A claim is defined under the Statement of Cover 2014-15 as:
 any demand by a third party against a Fund Member for compensation; or
 a request by you for indemnity in accordance with your Schedule of Cover and this Statement of
Cover.
An incident on the other hand is an event that constitutes facts or circumstances that may be capable
of leading to a claim under the policy.
An incident may later become a claim, and therefore all facts should be notified to Comcover as soon
as possible after the incident occurs. Incidents are also important to record for your entitie’s risk
management purposes. By recording all incidents your entitiy will have an accurate record of potential
risks that arise during the course of your operations so that strategies to manage those risks can be
considered.
Some useful tips
• Do not make any statement to possible claimants or witnesses to an incident, or taking any
action, that could be construed as an admission of liability. Refer all communication to Comcover.
comcover@comcover.com.au or call us 1800 651 540 (option 3).
• Where possible and appropriate, take all necessary steps to prevent further public access to the site
where the incident took place (or any other actions to prevent further loss) until the site is made safe
and an assessor can attend.
• Request all staff or other persons associated with your agency, such as contractors who witnessed
the incident, to prepare statements detailing the facts of the incident as observed by them. No
attempt should be made to attribute blame.
• Where property is lost or stolen take all reasonable steps to recover the property. If the loss is
caused by theft, report the loss to the police immediately.
For incidents involving a motor vehicle:
• Report details to Comcover of any motor vehicle accident that damages the motor vehicle or property
belonging to another party, or injures people.
• Report the motor vehicle accident to the police as required by State and Territory motor traffic
legislation.
• Report the theft of a motor vehicle or its contents to both the police and Comcover.
• If the vehicle is damaged, take the vehicle to the premises of a repairer of your choice where it will be
examined by an assessor.
If you have any questions regarding the reporting process for claims please visit our website at
www.finance.gov.au/comcover or contact your Relationship Manager 1800 651 540 (option 3) or
email: comcover@comcover.com.au.
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