Pandemic prompts claims rethink | Business Insurance
The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent labor policy upheaval caused claims professionals to scramble to keep their operations going. From affiliation to advancing health policies to crippling travel restrictions, insurers, adjusters, third-party administrators, and others have found themselves in unprecedented circumstances. While many claims handlers were already working remotely, companies had to move almost all of their activities to all-remote for an extended period of time and relied heavily on technology to make this transition possible. Many of the changes in technology use are expected to persist after the pandemic ends, but it remains unclear what changes will be permanent after the return of personal injury assessments, experts say. "Our first priority was getting people to work from home quickly," said Pat Van Bakel, president of Toronto, North America Loss Adjustment at Crawford & Co. Adjusters and other claims professionals are often on-site, and many...