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US 2022/0188939 A1Published application
Communication of insurance claim data
AssigneeAllstate Insurance Company
InventorsRandall M. Hanson, James A. Ledder, Charles Ronald O'halloran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the invention are directed to methods and systems for efficiently communicating data between an insurer and a non-referral repair shop, e.g., vehicle repair shops that are normally not preapproved by the insurer to perform the estimating and repair work. The methods and systems described herein are particularly useful for insurers utilizing non-referral repair shops for servicing vehicles involved in insurance claims. According to aspects of this invention, the insured may be able to select a non-referral repair shop, not delegated or preapproved by the insurer, thereby generally allowing the insured to select any available vehicle repair shop.
Claims20
An insurance claim system for improved interoperability between an insurance company data server and a vehicle repair shop system of a non-referral vehicle repair shop to efficiently communicate data between an insurer and a non-referral vehicle repair shop, the insurance claim system comprising:
- the insurance company data server at an insurance company, the insurance company data server comprising at least one first computer processor and a user interface and coupled to a network;
- and
- a vehicle insurance claim management application communicatively coupled to the insurance company data server and the vehicle repair shop system of the non-referral vehicle repair shop, the vehicle insurance claim management application configured to execute a specific sequence of steps with the insurance company data server and the vehicle repair shop system to cause the insurance claim system to:
- receive a work request and assignment data relating to a vehicle from the insurance company data server,
- communicate the assignment data to the vehicle repair shop system;
- determine, if the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in a staffed market or a non-staffed market, the staffed market associated with a market in which field adjusters are available and the non-staffed market associated with a market in which no field adjusters are available,
- determine a time period in which a vehicle repair estimate must be received from the vehicle repair shop system,
- determine, if the vehicle repair estimate was received before expiration of the time period,
- responsive, at least in part to, not receiving the vehicle repair estimate before the expiration of the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in the staffed market, assign a field estimate assignment to a field adjuster in the staffed market, and
- responsive, at least in part, to not receiving the vehicle repair estimate before the expiration of the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in the non-staffed market, contact the non-referral vehicle repair shop.
7 more elements
An insurance claim system for improved interoperability between an insurance company data server and a vehicle repair shop system to efficiently communicate data between an insurer and a non-referral vehicle repair shop, the insurance claim system comprising:
- the insurance company data server at an insurance company comprising at least one first computer processor and a user interface and coupled to a network;
- and
- a vehicle insurance claim management application communicatively coupled to the insurance company data server, a first vehicle repair shop system of a direct repair vehicle repair shop, and a second vehicle repair shop system of the non-referral vehicle repair shop, the vehicle insurance claim management application configured to execute a specific sequence of steps with the insurance company data server, the first vehicle repair shop system, and the second vehicle repair shop system to cause the insurance claim system to:
- receive a first work request including first assignment data relating to a first vehicle from the insurance company data server;
- translate and change the first assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
- transfer the translated first assignment data to the first vehicle repair shop system;
- receive a first vehicle repair estimate with a first estimate data corresponding to the first vehicle from the first vehicle repair shop system;
- translate and change the first estimate data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
- review the translated first estimate data for compliance with contract-based conditions;
- receive a second work request and second assignment data relating to a second vehicle from the insurance company data server;
- translate and change the second assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
- transfer the translated second assignment data to the second vehicle repair shop system;
- determine, if the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in a staffed market or a non-staffed market, the staffed market associated with a market in which field adjusters are available and the non-staffed market associated with a market in which no field adjusters are available;
- determine a time period in which a second vehicle repair estimate with second estimate data corresponding to the second vehicle must be received;
- determine, if the second vehicle repair estimate was received before an expiration of a time period;
- responsive, at least in part to, not receiving the second vehicle repair estimate before the expiration of the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in the staffed market, assign a field estimate assignment to a filed adjuster in the staffed market;
- and
- responsive, at least in part, to not receiving the second vehicle repair estimate before the expiration of the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in the non-staffed market, contact the non-referral vehicle repair shop.
15 more elements
An insurance claim system for improved interoperability between an insurance company data server and a vehicle repair shop system to efficiently communicate data between an insurer and a non-referral vehicle repair shop, the insurance claim system comprising:
- the insurance company data server comprising at least one first computer processor and a user interface and coupled to a network;
- a vehicle insurance claim management application in communication with the insurance company data server and a vehicle repair shop system that causes the insurance claim system to:
- receive a first work request and first assignment data relating to a first vehicle from the insurance company data server;
- translate and change the first assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
- transfer the translated first assignment data to the vehicle repair shop system;
- receive a first vehicle repair estimate with a first estimate data of the corresponding to the first vehicle from the vehicle repair shop system;
- translate and change the first estimate data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
- review the translated first estimate data for compliance with contract-based conditions;
- receive a second work request and second assignment data corresponding to the first vehicle from the insurance company data server;
- translate and change the second assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
- transfer the translated second assignment data to the vehicle repair shop system;
- determine, if the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in a staffed market or a non-staffed market, the staffed market associated with a market in which field adjusters are available and the non-staffed market associated with a market in which no field adjusters are available;
- determine a time period in which a second vehicle repair estimate with a second estimate data must be received;
- determine, if the second vehicle repair estimate was received before expiration of the time period;
- responsive, at least in part to, not receiving the second vehicle repair estimate within the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in the staffed market, assign a field estimate assignment to a filed adjuster in the staffed market;
- and
- responsive, at least in part, to not receiving the second vehicle repair estimate within the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in a unstaffed market, contact the non-referral vehicle repair shop.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.