Challenging Process
A key core value is to challenge the process. We want to challenge the natural order , to show that things can be done differently, and to offer alternative options to the traditional approach to claim management. We also expect our staff and customers to challenge us...in fact some of our best initiatives have come from customer or employee ideas.
- We have countless examples of liability claims where we have advocated and adopted a co-operative model between defendants. After all, common sense would dictate that the defendants are collectively fighting the claimant , and that a united defence has a far better prospect of successful outcome for defendants. We remain at the forefront of advocating a co-operation model that minimises costs and maximises results for our clients.
- Evie had a claim in which the claimant tripped going down some broken stairs. He claims to have a Right shoulder injury and head injury as a result. This claim appeared questionable and on viewing of the CCTV footage Evie believed that the fall was manufactured. This was a view that our legal representatives did not agree with at first. They believed the fall to be genuine despite Evie’s concerns. Evie continued to push for an expert to look at the evidence. An engineers report confirmed that the claimant does seem to in fact put his arm out and lower himself to the ground rather than trip down the broken stair (shown by frame-by-frame pictures); and that he falls on his Left side (therefore a Right shoulder injury is very unlikely) and never in fact hits his head (rather the footage shows he put his hand behind his head). The claim was successfully resisted.
- We exist because we believe we understand the key drivers of claims costs and how to minimise them. We continue to challenge the industry to come up with a set of objective metrics around claim costs. In the meantime, we are developing our own data so our clients can be informed of key trends and developments. We have several examples where we have challenged conventional wisdom and supported our findings with statistical evidence.
a. We have always been advocates of early intervention despite opposition from some brokers and insurers. In the face of opposition from an insurer to our key strategies around rapid notification and early intervention, we developed data to show that claims notified earlier achieve better results.
Learn more – see our brochure on the benefits or early intervention (PDF)
b.In late 2007 we warned our clients and several insurers that claims were escalating in costs and that the legacy of tort reform was limited to 2 to 3 years that were already behind us. Since 2005 we have been collecting data to monitor trends within our client base and this has formed the basis of our conclusions that since the back half of 2007 claims have been escalating rapidly, some 15% or more per year. Only now is the industry acknowledging this trend.
RICKY SWALLOW |