If you’re managing any part of a liability claims department, you will be confident that your team is capable enough to handle the most complex cases that come across your desk. And you should be! It’s essential to have a staff of desk adjusters who are professional and knowledgeable enough to manage all the claims that arise in a given year. However, like at other insurance companies across the insurance industry, a general liability adjuster or claims examiner on your team may need to take leave for personal reasons such as illness or significant life events. Additionally, it’s not unusual for staff members to leave for other reasons, potentially leaving your claims department understaffed. Replacing staff members isn’t the only way. Engaging an independent insurance adjuster can save the day.
Understanding Liability Claims Adjusting
We understand the process of handling liability claims and know the areas where we can provide the most help. We serve as your boots on the ground, offering scene inspections, photographs, and interviews that can’t be conducted from a desk. Today’s technology, including Google Street View and internet searches, offers many advantages, allowing identification of people from the comfort of your desk. However, there’s no substitute for actually entering a neighborhood and knocking on doors to speak with people and discover what really happened. This traditional method of adjusting maintains its value even today.
Liability claims investigations are crucial for determining the final value of a claim and developing robust defenses, ensuring that you do not overpay your indemnity dollars. These field investigations that exceed industry standards are paramount to success in this area. We also work closely with a claimant’s personal injury attorney to secure facts and documentation as early in the process as possible, so that your file reflects the full facts.
Why Choose Auten Claims Management
Our company, founded by William Auten in 2019, was born from years of experience. Mr. Auten has been an insurance claims professional since 1996. He has worked for several independent adjusting firms and insurance carriers and spent 10 years as vice president of claims at Ontario Insurance Company. Not only is he an expert at handling claims, but in his role as vice president, he was also responsible for developing training materials and the company’s claims manual. This expertise has blossomed into ACM, a versatile liability claims adjustment company with expertly trained staff led by Mr. Auten. We excel in creating an environment of trust and expertise that our clients rely on every day.
When you choose ACM to assist with your liability claims, you’re not just assigning a task to an independent adjuster; you are engaging a business partner who will quickly become an integral part of your team and help you make the right decisions regarding your claims.
Regional Expertise Across the Tri-State Area
Auten Claims Management (ACM) has demonstrated a robust pattern of growth and expansion since our inception. Initially, we focused our efforts in Rochester, NY, and its surrounding areas, gradually extending our reach to major cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany. Our strategic expansion to every major city in New York reflects our commitment to providing comprehensive liability claims adjustment services across New York State, including the Adirondack region, the Catskill region, down to New York City. Today, our growth trajectory continues as we extend our expertise into New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with plans to move further into Ohio, Connecticut, and Vermont. Our future will include expansion into other regions of the United States.
Service Offerings in the Tri-State Area
Our service offerings cater to a variety of liability claims, including slip and falls, trip and falls, dog bites, construction site accidents, and other types of bodily injury and property damage incidents initiated by third parties against policyholders. These services are critical in densely populated areas of the Tri-State region where such incidents are more frequent. Our adjusters are not only skilled in handling these specific types of claims but also bring a nuanced understanding of the local legal landscapes, which can significantly vary from one state to another.
Future Strategic Goals
Looking ahead, ACM is poised for further expansion along the East Coast. Our strategic goals include entering new markets in states such as Ohio, Connecticut, and Vermont. This expansion is driven by our recognition of the demand for high-quality independent adjusting services that can adeptly handle the complexities of liability claims in various regional contexts.
Local Teams and Expertise
In each state where we operate, ACM has dedicated teams that bring local knowledge and expertise to our service offerings. This local presence is not only about geographic coverage but also about deep integration into the community and understanding of state-specific regulations and environments. Such localized expertise allows us to offer tailored services that meet the unique requirements of each market, enhancing our overall effectiveness and client satisfaction.
Commitment to Regulatory Compliance
To ensure the highest standards of service, ACM rigorously adheres to regulatory requirements in each state, and ACM currently holds a New York Adjuster License. Our adjusters are licensed in the states they operate, and ACM holds all necessary business licenses for claims adjusting where required. This compliance not only safeguards our operations but also ensures that we maintain trust and reliability in every interaction with our clients.
Professional Team and Customizable Services
Our team comprises licensed insurance adjusters, each with many years of experience, who can expertly navigate your claim. We offer specialized expertise in coverage and liability. Need a simple inspection with photographs? We can assist with that as well. Our team possesses a diverse range of skills, and we are eager to assist you at whatever level of expertise you require.
Consider our bundled services. We offer “one-and-done” package services that provide an easy way to communicate the assignment and a simplified cost structure to help manage your investigation budget. This “one-and-done” service offering is designed for instances when a claim has been thoroughly investigated but may have one outstanding issue that you would like to resolve before proceeding to settlement negotiations on either personal injury claims or property damage liability claims.
Examples of our One and Done services include:
Securing police reports Securing witness statements Securing land records Canvasing for witnesses Secure photos of a car accident scene Obtain signatures on a settlement agreement Prepare estimates in the property damage claim process And many other services Many clients benefit from these services, and even more take advantage of our full claim handling investigation package, where a claim is managed by us from inception to settlement offer. We regularly work with a claimant’s personal injury lawyer to obtain initial facts about the allegations, and to secure medical authorizations and medical reports to initiate the evaluation process. Often, the claims we handle will enter a litigation phase during our management. When this occurs, we work closely with defense attorneys for legal advice across New York State and are pleased to work alongside your trusted defense counsel toward the settlement of claims.
Client-Centric Approach and Commitment
Focusing on our client’s best interests is our top priority. For insurance carriers, this involves alerting them to obvious coverage issues, events that may exceed policy limits, or unidentified risk issues they may not be aware of. During our on-site inspections, we document any site conditions that would render the risk uninsurable under normal circumstances. We recognize that not all information is provided to the underwriting department during the submission of new business. Therefore, we are prepared to supplement the information your underwriting department needs during a claim investigation.
We also understand when investigations need to be prioritized. For example, in New York State, the time frames associated with coverage disclaimers are stringent, and these investigations must be completed as soon as possible. We are equally mindful of the time constraints associated with litigation and discovery, and we prioritize these critical issues for our clients as needed.
When tasked with full investigations, we offer a good faith approach, taking the interests of all involved parties into consideration in the settlement of a claim.
Let’s Work Together
A simple first step in collaborating with ACM is to reach out through our contact page. We will be pleased to schedule a time for a free consultation to discuss the services we can provide. Alternatively, please explore the one-and-done services available on our website. If you have a need, simply select the service, and the assignment will be routed to our offices immediately. We thank you for the opportunity to serve you and look forward to working with you in the future.