Accident Investigation Policies and Procedures

OSHA and Worker's Comp Policies

• There are no hard and fast rules about investigating accidents. An investigation will depend upon the institution or place in which the accident occurred. The investigation is governed by state or federal laws if an accident happens in the workplace or on federally owned or governed lands and property. Some are covered under federal worker's compensation law. The U.S. Department of Labor oversees the guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), particularly when those accidents involve hazardous materials or damage to the environment. Overall, accident investigation policies and procedures are mandated by the insurers, who also answer to the state in which the accident happened.
  
  

Auto and Transportation Accident Procedures

• Auto and transport accident investigations routinely consist of forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony. Police officers and lawyers employ experts to help reconstruct an accident scene. Those experts work to determine a probable scenario that led to the accident. Operator or mechanical factors cause about 90 percent of auto accidents. Procedures of investigation may include taking witness statements, taking pictures, surveying skid marks and examining possible hazard factors, as well as diagramming ("best guess" drawings) how the accident happened.
  
  

Recreational Hazards and Procedures

• Procedures for investigating recreational accidents, such as boating, skiing, diving, fishing, rappelling and bungee jumping, include efforts directed towards determining visibility, control station design, wind and noise factors and any other outdoor factors that may have caused the accident. In making reports, a synopsis of the accident is given, along with the methods used to determine how the accident occurred. This information is not only used to determine ways to prevent future accidents, but also to help an insurance company decide whether or not it has any apparent and not-so-apparent liability or duty to cover it. The data gathered is also used for statistical and actuarial purposes to help determine policy pricing and risk management procedures.
  
  

Air Traffic, Product Accidents, and "Acts of God"

• Many people, processes and procedures are involved in investigating air traffic and product safety accidents, and the policies regarding these are far too numerous to list here. Whether by human fault or mechanical failure, these accidents have routine investigations that rely on finding out the root cause of the accident more so than the many causes and effects that may occur afterward. The root cause of an accident determines how insurance coverage will be handled, as well as looks at ways to prevent future disasters. "Acts of God" pertain to the types of accidents that are considered "freaks of nature" rather than true accidents, such as some fire mishaps, shark attacks, flooding, wind storms, hail and falling trees---things that occur from living on the earth that no one can control. Though most "acts of God" are not typically covered under regular insurance, there are some special (marine-type) policies that may be issued for such circumstances.
  
  

In-Home and ADL Accidents

• In-home and activities of daily living (ADL) accidents are seldom covered by hazard insurance policies of any kind, but informal investigations may take place to determine insurance benefits and methods of future prevention. Most likely, these types of accidents may be covered by medical, life and health policies and, sometimes, as in the case of medical malpractice accidents, by professional errors and omissions policies. Many thousands of procedures for diagnostics, treatment and patient care and handling have been put in place to keep medical accidents from occurring, but they still do.