by Talei Morgan, head of liability – Australia An increasing number of advertisements have surfaced across some states in Australia for personal injury claims as a result of slip and fall incidents in supermarkets. A recent ACT Court of Appeal decision may explain this development. A look back In 2022, the ACT Supreme Court ruled against a […]

by Leah Cooper, managing director, global consumer technology Against the backdrop of a tight labor market and consumer expectations of instant gratification, many customers are eagerly looking for ways to bring greater efficiency to the claims process without sacrificing the end-user experience. Oftentimes, automation — having technology tools perform tasks normally done by humans — is presumed to be the answer they’ve […]

By Andrew Cavan, director, head of major and complex loss (North) As reported in the Financial Times, on 31 August 2022, the head of one of the world’s largest building materials companies confirmed that he’s seeing a ‘second wave of cost increases’ following the surge in gas prices. Spiralling energy prices are just the latest addition […]

By Max Koonce, chief claims officer, and David Guaragna, SVP, operations Price increases can be seen across all industries — from food and fuel to construction and manufacturing. When we look at the claims industry, these same factors are influencing costs in workers’ compensation, auto and property claims. Inflation squeezes workers’ compensation Price inflation in both medical care and […]

By David Gear, director, head of major and complex loss (Scotland and Northern Ireland) In the last five years, cover for claim preparation costs has been written into policies more frequently. Prior to this policy cover expansion, the cost of the appointed loss assessor or brokers’ in-house claims specialist would be paid for by the […]

By David Gear, director, head of major and complex loss (Scotland and Northern Ireland) In the last five years, cover for claim preparation costs has been written into policies more frequently. Prior to this policy cover expansion, the cost of the appointed loss assessor or brokers’ in-house claims specialist would be paid for by the […]

By Beau Bishop, SVP, catastrophe operations, Mark Della Giustina, VP, building consulting services, and John Gragson, SVP, operations After plowing through the Caribbean, Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida on Sept. 28 as a dangerous Category 4 storm. The catastrophic event took the lives of nearly 150 people and caused an estimated $70 billion in property damage in the U.S.; […]

By David Gear, director, head of major and complex loss (Scotland and Northern Ireland) Many adjusters have found themselves in a common situation: whilst building sums insured and/or declared values are initially considered adequate, after testing, they are ultimately found to be insufficient. This is often due to adverse factors and unexpected issues. Now what? […]

By Mason Bartleson, VP, process design and operational excellence; Christopher Baldwin, VP specialty operations, temporary housing; Gail Oliver, SVP, sales The COVID-19 pandemic compelled the insurance industry to move quickly and adopt digital, tech-based solutions that could be creatively applied to existing claims processes. While much of this tech – self-service forms, video chat, etc. […]

By Scott Carroll – director of client services, large complex loss, EFI Global, a Sedgwick company and Paul Gilbert – director of client relations, EFI Global, a Sedgwick company In the aftermath of a disaster event like Hurricane Ian, organizations tend to think about damage in terms of drying carpet, removing drywall, mitigating mold, and […]

by Peter Farrelly, managing director – commercial claims services The ‘war for talent’ has become one of the most talked-about topics for organisations in every sector. As loss adjusting firms seek to replace top talent who have left due to retirement, higher pay, or a change in career altogether — the questions remain: where will […]

By Lisa Dalbeth, loss adjuster On 15 January 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai submarine volcano erupted in the South Pacific. It produced one of the largest atmospheric explosions in recorded history, sending a plume of ash into the upper atmosphere. The eruption triggered a tsunami with waves up to 18 metres high washing over nearby […]

By Mark Canthal, B.Sc. (Agr.), CR – manager, building consulting services, Western Canada RIA Certified Restorer and Gary Gardner, BA CIP – senior vice president, national sales, Canada Lisez ceci en français During the RIMS Canada conference, an array of risk managers will come together to discuss potential exposures and upcoming trends. Whether a full transfer […]

By Laura Delpiano – VP of operations, temporary housing and Mark Della Giustina – VP specialty services, principal building consultant After experiencing a property loss — especially during hurricane season — homeowners have difficulties finding temporary housing that doesn’t impact their normal daily routines. The short-term crunch of finding housing in an area with widespread impact means […]

By Carol ETCHEBARNE, managing director, France Lisez ceci en français. What if the answer to more sustainable practices in the property industry was as simple as repairing and reusing? New technology, when combined with trained experts, could in fact reduce the amount of waste following a claim by refurbishing instead of replacing deteriorated property. Damaged […]

By Tai Batchelor, head of liability, New Zealand For loss adjusters handling service and repairs claims, how relevant are terms and conditions (T&C) when enquiring with an insured? In NZ, loss adjusters involved in service and repair liability claims typically come from a mechanical or motor vehicle assessment/claims background. Whilst mechanical knowledge and an understanding of […]

By Andrew Price, director, staffing solutions When an individual or organization faces a loss, finding the right local expert at a moment’s notice can be challenging. For daily claims and catastrophe (CAT) deployments, our colleagues work hand-in-hand with our network of independent field and desk adjusters (IAs) to manage the resulting claim surge and show […]

By Stephen Elliott, MBA, JD, CISSP, CSM, SVP, IT innovation and decision optimization Sometimes new technology comes along that does not directly replace old technology, but instead integrates with it and enhances it. The claims process is still filled with legacy applications held together with manual tasks, so tremendous opportunity remains for automation without building […]

By Ben Price, head of operations, MCL Global Since early 2020, organisations in every sphere of business have felt the pressure of an unforeseen, unprecedented global pandemic — it has continuously tested our resourcefulness and ingenuity. Even as our ability to meet, talk and interact with one another diminished — and challenges around how best […]