How to File a Damage Claim Against a Moving Company

By Plain Money Guide · Researched from official sources · Checked 2026-07-23 · Editorial standards

📚 This article is part of our Travel, Shipping & Moving Claims series. See the full overview: Travel, Shipping & Moving Claims: The Complete Guide.

You open the last box and there it is: a cracked table leg, a gouged dresser, a TV that won't turn on. The crew is gone, the truck is gone, and the moving company's phone line goes to voicemail. Here's the part most people don't know — you have real, federally protected rights here, and a written claim carries far more weight than any phone call. This guide walks through exactly how to file one, what the mover owes you, and what to do when they go quiet.

Table of Contents

• First, figure out which rules apply to your move
• Step 1: Document the damage before you unpack anything else
• Understand what the mover actually owes you
• Step 2: File the written claim
• Step 3: Watch the clock — deadlines are strict
• If the mover denies, lowballs, or ignores you
• FAQ
• Which route to take depends on two lines in your paperwork

First, figure out which rules apply to your move

This single question determines who can help you if the mover stonewalls.

• Interstate move (crossed a state line): regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Federal claim rules apply, and you get access to a required arbitration program.
• Intrastate move (started and ended in the same state): FMCSA has no authority. Your state regulates it — usually the state public utilities commission, department of transportation, or attorney general's office. Find yours through USA.gov's state consumer protection directory.

For an interstate move, look up the company's USDOT number on your paperwork and verify it in FMCSA's company snapshot tool. If the mover isn't registered, that's important information for your complaint later.

Step 1: Document the damage before you unpack anything else

Your claim is only as strong as your evidence. Do this now, not next weekend:

• Photograph everything — wide shots showing the item in the room, plus close-ups of each scratch, dent, or break. Photos carry a timestamp, which helps.
• Keep the damaged item and its packaging. Don't throw out the box or repair the item yet. Movers frequently ask to inspect before paying, and a repaired or discarded item is a denied claim.
• Find your inventory sheet. On a long-distance move the crew tagged each item and noted pre-existing condition. If the sheet says "dresser — good condition" at pickup and it arrived split down the side, you've made most of your case.
• Note damage on the delivery paperwork if you still can. Writing "box 42 crushed, dresser damaged" before signing helps a lot. If you already signed clean, don't panic — signing does not waive your right to file a claim for damage you discovered while unpacking.
• Price out the loss. Get a written repair estimate from a furniture restorer, or document the replacement cost of a comparable item. Vague numbers get lowball offers.

Understand what the mover actually owes you

This is where most people are surprised. The payout depends on the valuation option you selected when you booked — and it is not insurance, it is the mover's level of liability. There are two standard choices on interstate moves:

	Full Value Protection	Released Value
Cost	A premium added to your bill, priced off the declared value of the shipment and the deductible you pick	$0 — it's the no-cost default option
What you get	Repair, replacement with a like item, or a cash settlement for the current market value	60 cents per pound of the damaged article, regardless of what it was worth
Real-world example	A destroyed 50-pound TV is repaired or replaced	A destroyed 50-pound TV pays $30 (50 lbs × $0.60), even if you paid $1,200 for it
How you got it	Applies automatically unless you signed away from it	Only if you signed a specific waiver choosing it

Full Value Protection is the default under federal rules; released value applies only if you specifically agreed to it in writing. The released-value rate is set federally at 60 cents per pound per article (49 CFR 375.701), and that is still the figure as of August 2026 — FMCSA's liability and valuation options page has the full explanation. Note that the weight that matters is the weight of the damaged item, not what it was worth: a 6-pound laptop maxes out at $3.60. Pull out your bill of lading and read which box was checked before you decide what to ask for.

Also check two other possible sources of recovery: your homeowners or renters policy (some cover property in transit) and any third-party moving insurance you bought separately. Those are true insurance policies with their own claim process, separate from the mover's liability.

Step 2: File the written claim

Call or email the mover and ask for their claim form and the mailing address for claims. If they don't provide one, you can still file — a written claim doesn't require a special form, it just has to identify the shipment, describe the loss or damage, and ask for a specific dollar amount.

Your claim letter should include:

1. Your name, the move dates, origin and destination addresses, and the bill of lading or job number.
2. An itemized list: each damaged or missing item, its inventory tag number, what happened to it, and the amount you're claiming for it.
3. The valuation option on your contract, stated plainly ("my bill of lading shows Full Value Protection").
4. Attached photos, repair estimates, and receipts.
5. A clear ask and a date — for example, a written response within 30 days.

Send it by a method that creates a record: certified mail with return receipt, or email with a read receipt and a saved copy. Then log every phone call afterward with the date, the name of the person, and what they said.

Step 3: Watch the clock — deadlines are strict

On interstate moves, federal law requires the mover's contract to give you at least nine months from the delivery date to file a loss or damage claim. Many people assume they have years. They don't — file as soon as you have your evidence together.

Once the mover receives your claim, 49 CFR Part 370 puts their side on a clock too. As of August 2026 the regulation requires the carrier to acknowledge your claim in writing within 30 days of receiving it, and then to pay it, deny it in writing, or make a firm settlement offer within 120 days of receipt. If it isn't resolved inside those 120 days, the carrier must send you a written status update every 60 days after that, stating why it's still open. Those three numbers — 30, 120, 60 — are worth quoting back to them in an email if they stop responding.

If the mover denies, lowballs, or ignores you

You have several escalation paths, and they work better in this order:

1. Request arbitration

This is the most underused option. Interstate household goods movers are required by federal law to offer a neutral arbitration program for disputes over lost or damaged goods, and the details must appear in the paperwork they gave you at booking. Arbitration is usually far cheaper and faster than court. Ask the company in writing: "Please provide the details of your neutral arbitration program as required for household goods carriers." FMCSA explains the process on its loss and damage page.

2. File a federal complaint

Submit a complaint to FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database. FMCSA won't recover your money directly, but complaints feed enforcement action against problem carriers, and companies do notice when one lands.

3. Go to your state and the FTC

For an in-state move, file with your state attorney general or the agency that licenses movers there. You can also report deceptive practices to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

4. Small claims court

If the amount is within your state's small claims limit, this is a realistic option — no lawyer needed, and the documentation you already assembled is exactly what a judge wants to see. The dollar limit is set by state statute, and as of August 2026 it runs from roughly $2,500 at the low end (Kentucky) to $25,000 at the high end (Tennessee); California allows $12,500 for individual plaintiffs, Texas justice courts hear claims up to $20,000, and New York City's small claims part goes to $10,000. Filing fees in most states are tiered by how much you're claiming rather than being one flat number — California, for instance, charges $30 for claims up to $1,500, $50 for $1,500 to $5,000, and $75 above that. Since a typical furniture-damage claim lands in the $500–$3,000 range, almost every state's limit will cover it; the number to actually look up on your own court's site is the fee tier for your exact claim amount.

One caution: do not withhold payment of the moving bill to pressure the mover. A mover can hold your goods for nonpayment of lawful charges, and an unpaid balance gives them an easy counter-argument. Pay what's owed, then pursue the claim separately.

FAQ

I signed the delivery paperwork without noting any damage. Is my claim dead?

No. Signing at delivery confirms the shipment arrived, not that everything inside is undamaged — which is why damage discovered while unpacking is still claimable within the nine-month filing window. It does make your claim harder to prove, so lean heavily on the pickup inventory sheet, photos, and the condition of the packing materials.

What if the mover says the damage was caused by how I packed the box myself?

Movers commonly limit liability for cartons the customer packed (often marked "PBO" — packed by owner) unless there's visible external damage to the box showing rough handling. That's exactly why you should keep the crushed box and photograph it. If the carton is caved in or punctured, say so explicitly in your claim.

Can I claim for items that never showed up at all?

Yes — missing items are handled under the same claim process as damaged ones. Reference the inventory tag numbers for the items that weren't delivered, and ask the mover in writing to search their warehouse before you finalize the amount. Items sometimes surface on a later truck, which is one more reason to file early rather than waiting.

Which route to take depends on two lines in your paperwork

Pull the bill of lading and answer two questions — interstate or intrastate, and Full Value Protection or released value. Every sensible next move follows from those two answers.

Interstate with Full Value Protection. File the written claim now and hold the carrier to the 30/120/60 clock. If they deny, lowball, or go silent, request arbitration before anything else — it is required of interstate household goods movers and is cheaper and faster than court. Small claims is the weaker move while arbitration is still available, because you would pay a tiered filing fee (California charges $50 on a claim between $1,500 and $5,000) to redo what a required program already covers.

Interstate with released value signed. Do the arithmetic before spending effort. At 60 cents per pound, a destroyed 50-pound TV pays $30 and a 6-pound laptop $3.60 — often less than the filing fee to chase it. Send the written claim anyway, then treat your homeowners or renters policy and any third-party moving insurance as the real source of recovery.

Intrastate move. FMCSA has no authority, so the federal complaint database and the guaranteed arbitration program are both off the table. Your state regulator plus small claims is the entire toolkit, and since a typical furniture-damage claim lands in the $500–$3,000 range, almost every state's limit will cover it.

More than nine months past delivery. The mover can refuse to pay anything, so put the effort into your own insurance instead.

This article is general information, not financial, legal, or medical advice. Rules and amounts change — verify with official sources or a licensed professional before acting.