Technology shapes insurance companies’ response to wildfires
Real-time data and technology that were unavailable to property-casualty companies even a few years ago have shaped the industry's response to the
By overlaying the data on maps marking its customers' locations, the company can quickly identify those who are likely to have been affected, said
"That allows us to deploy people and resources where they are needed most," he said.
The same data also can be used to determine risk and pricing for insurance in any given area, said
"Does it seem intrusive? It can be," he said. "They have a lot more information on all of us, on our properties than they had two, five, 10 years ago. That's a major issue and that's something regulators are going to have to talk about."
During the wildfires, Travelers said the information has been used to expedite claims, even in areas that are still inaccessible to inspectors.
Workers were able to see what roads were open and map out spots in
The glassed-in Travelers National Catastrophe Center is located in
In some cases, even before adjusters arrive on scene, claims experts can assess damage from the fires and cut checks by using before-and-after images taken by drones, aircraft or satellites as well as videos or photos uploaded by customers from their phones. Employees have tools and smart phone apps that can convert those photos into instant measurements, to help quantify the damage.
"We're able to virtually interact with customers much more easily than we could even in the recent past," Wucherpfennig said. "We're also able to monitor all forms of social media in real time. That helps us create an event footprint, which helps us understand how the event is tracking and what type of damages we're seeing."
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