How our claims management team helps drivers get back on the road
After an accident or a collision, TLC drivers need to be able to get back out on the road and earning again as quickly as possible. If you need to make a claim, you want to speak to a real person, and then know the process is being dealt with.
At INSHUR, we understand this. To share a bit more about the people supporting drivers after an incident, we spoke to our Head of Claims Brandon Littles to talk about the work his team does and what drivers can expect if they unfortunately find they need to make a claim on their insurance.
He says the first thing to be aware of is although INSHUR provides insurance protection for TLC drivers digitally, there is that human touch point as well behind the scenes.
Along with the driver support team, there is a total of 12 people waiting in the wings to talk to drivers if they need to let us know something’s happened, and to handle claims.
Brandon says: “I think for a lot of our drivers, being able to actually speak with someone has been a huge help. This is especially true in New York, where English might not be the first language. We’ve heard from customers directly that we are easy to get hold of and speak to, and that’s one of the things they really appreciate.”
Our approach to claims
When INSHUR started out, claims were passed to another company to handle. It was more of an old-fashioned way of doing things, with lots of paperwork and form-filling.
“We wanted to change up the claims experience for drivers and be involved in handling claims ourselves. We wanted to have full control, to make sure we gave our customers the product and the service they’re paying for.”
In 2019, it was decided that INSHUR would take over claims, with a new process built from scratch. At the end of 2020, INSHUR took responsibility for the claims process from start to finish.
The result has been quicker investigations of driver incidents, with faster payouts. In the case of collisions, it used to take an average of 30-35 days for drivers to get a payment. Since then, the target for making payments is seven days or less.
The claims team
To join INSHUR’s claims team, people need to have specific experience handling New York claims and be fully licensed. Brandon says while it can be tricky to find people that meet both those requirements, the claims management team has an average of 15 years of industry experience and everyone on the team is properly licensed in New York state.
If drivers need to claim, they can contact the team 24/7 and you can choose how to get in touch, whether by phone, email or text. Once you’ve made contact, a claim file will be set up and updated instantly.
What can drivers expect when they make a claim?
There are a couple of approaches when it comes to making a claim. A partnership with a dashcam company means if drivers sign up for a camera, they can choose to send footage of an accident directly to INSHUR.
Brandon says: “If drivers select this option, if they’re involved in an accident the video footage automatically comes to us, and we proactively open up that claim for our customer.
“We’ll reach out to them and say: ‘Hey, we can see you’ve been involved in an accident. Are you okay?’ Then we can explain the coverage that’s available, and ask if they want to pursue a claim.
“Some of our drivers have been a little shocked, it still happens even now, that their insurance company actually called them to get a claim.”
Another way of filing a claim is to go through the INSHUR app and call the team, who can take things from there. In future, drivers will be able to report the claim from within the app itself if they want, though there will also be people there to answer any questions.
Brandon adds: “Our approach is digital first. But from the claims perspective, it’s customer first. Period. It’s all about making sure our drivers are covered and are able to get back on the road as quickly as possible.”
For more on how we can help, visit INSHUR today.
