SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICLE REPAIR COST ESTIMATE VERIFICATION

• US 20150317739A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawlor, Michael John, Siddall, Bethany
• Granted Patent: US 10,453,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer system for processing data for verification of vehicle repair estimates in connection with insurance claims includes an insurance claims database having data relating to insurance claims. One or more computer processors are configured to receive claim identifying data from a repair facility computer system; determine, based on the claim identifying data, an insurance claim associated with the claim identifying data; establish secure communication with the repair facility computer system; receive data indicative of a repair estimate associated with the insurance claim from the repair facility computer system; access an evaluation of the estimate based on a plurality of rules, compare the estimate to one or more thresholds, and forward the estimate to a claim handler system.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing data for processing data associated with vehicle repair estimates in connection with insurance claims, comprising:

one or more data storage devices storing;

an insurance claims database having data relating to a plurality of insurance claims;

one or more computer processors;

a data communications device in communication with the one or more computer processors;

a memory device in communication with the one or more computer processors, and storing computer-readable instructions, which instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to;

access, via the data communications device, a vehicle repair rules database storing data indicative of a plurality of vehicle repair rules;

receive claim identifying data from a repair facility computer system;

determine, based on the claim identifying data, an insurance claim associated with the claim identifying data;

receive data indicative of a repair estimate associated with the insurance claim from the repair facility computer system;

access data indicative of an evaluation of the received repair estimate, the evaluation being based on an application of a plurality of rules to the repair estimate; and

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being below a first threshold, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval;

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being at least the first threshold, and the evaluation being indicative of one or more rules being triggered, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate to a claim handler device for review; and

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being at least the first threshold, and the evaluation being indicative of no rules being triggered, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising the claim handler device in communication with the one or more computer processors.

3. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising a payment system in communication with the claim handler device, the payment system being configured to effect payment responsive to instructions received from the claim handler device.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the claim handler device is configured to, responsive to receiving the estimate for review, display claim information including a listing of triggered ones of the plurality of rules.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the claim handler device is further configured to receive claim handler instructions to provide a modified estimate to the repair facility computer system, and to provide data indicative of the modified estimate to the one or more computer processors, and wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to, responsive to receipt of the data indicative of the modified estimate, provide the modified estimate to the repair facility computer system.

6. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a communications device in communication with the one or more processors, the communications device being configured to provide estimate data to a claimant device.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to establish secure communications with the repair facility computer system by providing code for creation of a virtual drive on the repair facility computer system.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the accessing data indicative of an evaluation associated with the repair estimate comprises receiving the evaluation from an intermediary computer system.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to apply the plurality of rules to the estimate data prior to the accessing the data indicative of an evaluation.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the repair facility is a network facility or a non-network facility,

responsive to determining that the repair facility is a network facility, and the estimate amount being below a second threshold, higher than the first threshold, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval; and

responsive to determining that the repair facility is a non-network facility, or that the estimate amount is not below the second threshold, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate to a claim handler device for review.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to communicate modifications to a rules database for use in generating the evaluation.

12. A computer-implemented method of processing data relating to vehicle repair estimates associated with insurance claims, comprising:

storing in one or more data storage devices an insurance claims database having data relating to a plurality of insurance claims;

receiving, by one or more computer processors, claim identifying data from a repair facility computer system;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, based on the claim identifying data, an insurance claim associated with the claim identifying data;

receiving, by the one or more computer processors, data indicative of a repair estimate associated with the insurance claim, including data indicative of an amount, from the repair facility computer system;

accessing, by the one or more computer processors, an evaluation of the received repair estimate, the evaluation being based on an application of a plurality of rules to the repair estimate;

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being below a first threshold, determining, by the one or more computer processors, an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval;

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being at least the first threshold, and the evaluation being indicative of one or more rules being triggered, determining, by the one or more computer processors, an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate to a claim handler device for review; and

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being at least the first threshold, and the evaluation being indicative of no rules being triggered, determining, by the one or more computer processors, an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the accessing the evaluation of the received repair estimate comprises receiving the evaluation from an intermediary computer system.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising applying the plurality of rules to the estimate data prior to the accessing the data indicative of an evaluation.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising, by a claim handler system, responsive to receiving the estimate for review, displaying claim information including a listing of one or more of the plurality of rules determined to be triggered in the evaluation.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising, receiving, by the claim handler system, claim handler instructions to provide a modified estimate to the repair facility computer system, and providing data indicative of the modified estimate to the one or more computer processors, and, by the one or more computer processors, responsive to receipt of the data indicative of the modified estimate, providing the modified estimate to the repair facility computer system.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising, by a web system in communication with the one or more computer processors, providing estimate data to a claimant device for display.

18. A computer system for processing data for verification of vehicle repair estimates in connection with insurance claims, comprising:

a claim handler computer system configured to receive estimate data and display estimate data, including data indicative of rules triggered by an estimate; and

an insurance data system in communication with the claim handler computer system via a local area network, and comprising;

one or more data storage devices storing;

an insurance claims database storing data relating to a plurality of insurance claims and repair estimates, including at least one field for storing data indicative of status of vehicle repair estimates in a vehicle repair estimate workflow;

one or more computer processors in communication with the insurance claims database;

a communications device in communication with the one or more computer processors and in communication with a network;

a memory device in communication with the one or more computer processors, and storing computer-readable instructions, which instructions, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to;

receive claim identifying data via the communications device and the network from a repair facility computer system;

determine, based on the claim identifying data, an insurance claim associated with the claim identifying data;

receive data indicative of a repair estimate associated with the insurance claim from the repair facility computer system;

access data indicative of an evaluation of the repair estimate, the evaluation being based on application of a plurality of estimate rules to the repair estimate;

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being below a first threshold, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval;

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being at least the first threshold, and the evaluation being indicative of one or more rules being triggered, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate to a claim handler device for review; and

responsive to the data indicative of an amount of the repair estimate being at least the first threshold, and the evaluation being indicative of no rules being triggered, determine an insurance workflow to include forwarding the estimate for approval.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the claim handler system is further configured to receive claim handler instructions to approve the estimate.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the claim handler system is further configured to receive claim handler instructions to provide a modified estimate to the repair facility computer system, and to provide data indicative of the modified estimate to the one or more computer processors, and wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to, responsive to receipt of the data indicative of the modified estimate, provide the modified estimate to the repair facility computer system.