Allianz Cornhill to study influence of rehabilitation on claims costs
Allianz Cornhill is to begin a review of its claims files to determine how effective rehabilitation is.
The review will assess whether there is a business case for using rehabilitation and to identify the injuries where rehabilitation is most appropriate.
The insurer has been supporting developments in rehabilitation for the past two years, but until now has not had sufficient data to undertake a meaningful review.
Allianz Cornhill technical claims manager Bob Rabbits said: "We will look at the overall effect on claims costs, rather than the impact on individual cases where it would be difficult to tell whether or not rehabilitation has had a beneficial effect. "
He added that minor injuries such as whiplash would present the most difficulty. "The jury is out on whether rehabilitation has a positive effect on these cases. It is difficult to tell whether the injury would have cleared up anyway without the intervention. In the case of more serious injuries, the case for rehabilitation is clearer."
l Allianz Cornhill is to begin using an in-house team of claims inspectors on non-property liability investigations, removing the need for loss adjusters.
The team will have 17 people and will have a national remit.
Rabbits said: "This is the second part of our claims process review announced last September.
"Previously, our own claims handlers had to deal with the investigation, or we would outsource the work to loss adjusters. Inevitably, some of our panel adjusters will lose out."
Allianz Cornhill's adjusting panel comprises GAB Robins, Davies Group and Cunningham Lindsey.
