Claims

Sempra’s Southern California Gas Co. utility said it reached a $1.8 billion settlement for individual claims for the 2015 leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility near Los Angeles, according to a statement Monday. The company reached separate agreements to settle property and business claims for about $40 million.

In other news: Amerisure implements One Inc ClaimsPay tech; California drivers report distracted driving is getting worse; HSB adds social media income to home cyber protection.

“Spot,” created by Boston Dynamics, known for its viral robot videos, and customized for Farmers, a P&C insurer, is the first collaboration of its kind.

The pandemic has served as a catalyst for putting digital transformation across insurance on the fast track, and claims is one of the focus areas that is primed for implementing digital capabilities. As more claims information is captured and managed digitally, new opportunities to leverage artificial intelligent technologies arise. This leads to a vision of full automation, high levels of straight-through processing, and (logically) a diminishing role for claims professionals.

Forrester research finds that even the most tech-savvy claimants want the reassurance of a human voice handling their claim.

Touchless digital insurance has become a base requirement for business as people demand touchless transactions.

Insurers’ use of photos and videos for estimation increased during 2020.

Tom Wilson spoke after the insurer posted fourth-quarter adjusted earnings.

Claims costs went up despite fewer miles driven, and other surprising results.

Tractable's computer-vision offering can appraise user-submitted photos for most claims, the companies say.