COVID-19 Has Accelerated Changes In Auto Claims

Auto insurance customers should enjoy a shorter claims journey if pandemic-related changes stick around, insurance pros told Canadian Underwriter recently.

Social distancing rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced the insurance industry, along with its customers, to adopt technology for insurance-related services.

Once existing on the fringes, a fully digital claims environment is now one step closer to fruition. One benefit, which is often touted by insurers as a differentiator between them and their competitors, is that the claims process has sped up.

Take digital appraisals as an example. Even though it was available to customers before the COVID-19 pandemic, the current climate has pushed the technology to become commonplace.

“The pandemic environment only advanced the introduction of this application more quickly,” said John Lockwood, vice president of insurance relations at CSN Collision Centres. Photo-based appraisals “are certainly here to stay, and we are likely to see its utilization expanded and perfected over time.”