Are You Prepared for Catastrophic Claims?

When you have a lot of claims from a single event, finding an assessment partner who can keep up with demand is probably one of your top priorities. How much do you know about when and how to find experts for your catastrophe (CAT) claims? Test your CAT savvy below, and learn how Donan’s licensed engineers are positioned to meet your claims needs during high-volume periods.

CAT or Not CAT

Which of these situations is most likely to trigger a CAT response from Donan’s engineering team?

Click the boxes to reveal the answers.

Licensure Matters

Question: Which region of the United States is most likely to see high claim volumes from a hurricane?

A.  New England

A.  New England

B.  The Pacific Coast

B. The Pacific Coast

C.  The Southeast

C.  The Southeast

D.  The Great Lakes

D.  The Great Lakes

Answer: C. The Southeast


Donan has engineers licensed in all 50 states, so we’re able to handle your claims nationwide, but many engineers are licensed in multiple states. We focus on getting experts licensed in regions that are apt to experience hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes, so experts can be reallocated where the need is greatest.

Hurricanes are most likely to strike the Southeast from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, so Donan has many engineers with licenses in states like Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and others that may find themselves in a hurricane’s path.

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Preparation Is Key

Much of the efficacy of handling a high-volume period depends upon having processes in place before disaster strikes. Try to guess whether each preparation below is one the carrier, their assessment partner, or both should have in place – then click the description to see if its color matches your answer.*

Carrier 
Property Assessor
Both

Storm
monitoring 

Storm
monitoring 

Knowledge of who is equipped to handle hundreds of property assessments 

Knowledge of who is equipped to handle hundreds of property assessments 

Hotel reservations and transportation plans for reallocated personnel 

Hotel reservations and transportation plans for reallocated personnel 

Licensure maintained in at-risk states and a reallocation plan for personnel 

Licensure maintained in at-risk states and a reallocation plan for personnel 

Safety gear, vehicles, and other necessary equipment delivered to the site 

Safety gear, vehicles, and other necessary equipment delivered to the site 

Ongoing training for professionals likely to handle CAT events 

Ongoing training for professionals likely to handle CAT events 

An established relationship with policyholders for a compassionate response in a stressful time 

An established relationship with policyholders for a compassionate response in a stressful time 

Special customer service team for handling assignments from this
area 

Special customer service team for handling assignments from this
area 

A plan to cycle team members to avoid burnout while continuing to serve clients and homeowners 

A plan to cycle team members to avoid burnout while continuing to serve clients and homeowners 

*Every CAT claim is unique. These are general descriptions of what might be needed, but needs will vary depending on carrier and policy.

Why Inspect CAT Claims at All?

When faced with hundreds, even thousands, of claims from a destructive natural event, it may seem easy to simply settle for the claimed damages – but this decision could cost carriers. An assessment from a professional engineer has several benefits:

  • Distinguishing between damages related to the CAT event and those from another cause of loss

  • Ensuring all damages are identified, allowing the policyholder to feel confident about a return to pre-loss condition

  • Repair recommendations upon request

  • Consistency and compassion for all policyholders affected by the event

  • Peer-reviewed reports outlining the scientific inspection process, key concepts, and the cause of loss for all damages

  • Ongoing litigation support as necessary

CAT Team

Delivering a full-service response to carriers during high-volume periods requires cooperation from multiple departments within Donan. Our CAT team includes:
  • Engineers licensed in at-risk states
  • Coordinators to arrange equipment deliveries, reservations, and other logistics
  • Regional managers to reallocate experts as needed to cover the affected area without neglecting clients in other parts of the country
  • A designated customer service team to manage new assignments and project manager workloads for the affected area
  • Sales representatives assigned to specific carriers to tailor Donan’s contributions to your expectations
Donan’s CAT protocol is constantly evolving to meet your needs as they grow and change after catastrophic events. To find out how preparation, scheduling, inspections, compassion, and communication can help you with your claims, submit an assignment today.