Computerized method and system for estimating an effect on liability using claim data accessed from claim reporting software

• US 7,702,529 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Wiesman, Kimberly, Rourke, Kathleen E., Wahlbin, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Koppikar; Vivek D
• Application Number:
  US10/306,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,701 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and systems for estimating liability for a vehicle accident are provided. In an embodiment, claim data may be accessed for one or more claims relating to a vehicle accident from a first database on a computer system. In some embodiments, the claim data may be accessed if the claim data is not stored on a second database. In other embodiments, the accessed claim data may be stored on a second database on the computer system. The second database may be associated with a method and system for estimating liability in the vehicle accident. In further embodiments, the stored claim data for one or more of the claims may be accessed on the second database for use by the method and system for estimating liability in the vehicle accident.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating, in a memory of a computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with one or more values of a speed factor, wherein the value of the speed factor is based on a comparison between a specified speed of a reacting vehicle with a speed for avoiding, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit for an accident, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed that allows a reacting vehicle to avoid an accident;

storing claim data for one or more claims relating to a vehicle accident under consideration in a claims reporting database in a first data memory, wherein the claims reporting database is associated with claims reporting software;

copying the claim data from the claims reporting database in the first data memory associated with claims reporting software to a liability estimation database in a second data memory associated with a system for estimating liability in a vehicle accident, the second data memory being located on a computer system for estimating liability;

accessing the claim data on the liability estimation database associated with the system for estimating liability in a vehicle accident;

assessing an opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein assessing the opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration comprises;

estimating a speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed of the reacting vehicle that would allow the reacting vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident;

the computer system comparing a specified speed of a reacting vehicle in a the vehicle accident under consideration with the estimated speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit; and

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, a value of a speed factor; and

estimating liability for at least one party in the vehicle accident under consideration using the accessed claim data, wherein estimating liability comprises the computer system applying, to a base liability for the party, at least one of the one or more numerical factor shifts in the memory, wherein the applied at one factor shift is associated with a value of the speed factor that matches the value determined for the speed factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein copying comprises copying after a defined time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defined time period comprises a day, a week, a month, or a year.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the claim data comprises a location, a date, and a time of the vehicle accident.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the claim data comprises who reported the vehicle accident, to whom the vehicle accident was reported, and whether police were called.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the claim data comprises a jurisdiction in which the vehicle accident occurred.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the claim data from the claims reporting database to the liability estimation database comprises:

accessing claim data on the claims reporting database; and

storing the claim data on the liability estimation database associated with the system for estimating liability in the vehicle accident.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein accessing the claim data from the claims reporting database comprises accessing, by a communications software program, the claim data from the claims reporting database.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein storing the claim data on the liability estimation database comprises storing, by a communications software program, the claim data on the liability estimation database associated with the system for estimating liability in the vehicle accident.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving a request for the claim data, wherein copying comprises copying after receiving the request for the claim data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating liability in the vehicle accident comprises estimating a monetary amount of damages suffered by a claimant that was the fault of an insured party.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating liability in the vehicle accident comprises estimating liability of a party involved in the accident as a proportion of the total liability for the vehicle accident using the accessed claim data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating liability in the vehicle accident comprises estimating liability of a party involved in the vehicle accident as a proportion of the total liability for the vehicle accident using the accessed claim data, wherein estimating the liability of the party involved in the vehicle accident as a proportion of the total liability for the vehicle accident comprises comparing a speed for avoiding the accident to a specified speed and assessing an opportunity to avoid the accident based on the comparison.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, in a memory of the computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with one or more values of each of;

a braking factor, wherein the value of the braking factor is based on whether or not the reacting vehicle attempted to avoid the accident by braking; and

an outcome factor, wherein each value of the outcome factor is based on a manner by which an accident may have been avoided, wherein the manner of avoiding the accident is one of;

stopping, delaying at a specified speed, or maintaining a specified speed;

wherein assessing an opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration further comprises;

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, whether the reacting vehicle in the accident attempted to avoid the accident by braking or not;

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, a value of a braking factor and a value of an outcome factor;

wherein estimating the liability for the at least one party in the vehicle accident under consideration comprises applying, to a base liability for the party, at least one of the one or more numerical factor shifts in the memory, wherein the at least one applied numerical factor shift comprises at least one numerical factor shift that matches the value of the determined speed factor, the determined braking factor, and the determined outcome factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a numerical factor shift is associated in the memory of the computer system with each of a plurality of cases, wherein each of at least two of the plurality of cases corresponds to a combination of values for a speed factor, a braking factor, and an outcome factor.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein associating, in the memory of the computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with the one or more values comprises:

associating, in the memory of the computer system;

a numerical factor shift with each of at least two of a plurality of cases, wherein each of at least two of the cases includes;

a comparison between a specified speed of a reacting vehicle with a speed for avoiding, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed of the reacting vehicle that would allow the reacting vehicle to avoid the accident;

whether or not a reacting vehicle attempt to avoid the accident by braking; and

a manner by which an accident may have been avoided, wherein the manner of avoiding the accident is one of;

stopping, delaying at a specified speed, or maintaining at specified speed; and

wherein determining the estimate of liability for the at least one party comprises applying, to the base liability, a numerical factor shift in the memory that is associated with a case, from among the plurality of cases, that matches the values of a speed factor, a braking factor, and an outcome factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, for at least one of the cases, the speed for avoiding is a calculated maintain-to-delay speed.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein, for at least one of the cases, the speed for avoiding is a calculated brake-to-delay speed.

7. A system configured to estimate liability, comprising:

a CPU;

a data memory coupled to the CPU; and

a system memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the system memory is configured to store one or more computer programs executable by the CPU, and wherein the computer programs are executable to implement a method comprising;

associating, in a memory of a computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with one or more values of a speed factor, wherein the value of the speed factor is based on a comparison between a specified speed of a reacting vehicle with a speed for avoiding, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit for an accident, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed that allows a reacting vehicle to avoid an accident;

storing claim data for one or more claims relating to a vehicle accident under consideration in a claims reporting database, wherein the claims reporting database is associated with a claims reporting software;

copying the claim data from the claims reporting database associated with the claims reporting software to a liability estimation database associated with a system for estimating liability in a vehicle accident;

accessing the claim data on the liability estimation database associated with the system for estimating liability in a vehicle accident;

assessing an opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein assessing the opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration comprises;

estimating a speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed of the reacting vehicle that would allow the reacting vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident;

the computer system comparing a specified speed of a reacting vehicle in a the vehicle accident under consideration with the estimated speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit; and

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, a value of a steed factor; and

estimating liability for at least one party in the vehicle accident under consideration using the accessed claim data, wherein estimating liability comprises the computer system applying, to a base liability for the party, at least one of the one or more numerical factor shifts in the memory, wherein the applied at one factor shift is associated with a value of the speed factor that matches the value determined for the speed factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement a method comprising:

associating, in a memory of a computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with one or more values of a speed factor, wherein the value of the speed factor is based on a comparison between a specified speed of a reacting vehicle with a speed for avoiding, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit for an accident, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed that allows a reacting vehicle to avoid an accident;

storing claim data for one or more claims relating to a vehicle accident under consideration in a claims reporting database, wherein the claims reporting database is associated with claims reporting software;

copying the claim data from the claims reporting database associated with the claims reporting software to a liability estimation database associated with a system for estimating liability in a vehicle accident;

accessing the claim data on the liability estimation database associated with the system for estimating liability in a vehicle accident;

assessing an opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein assessing the opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration comprises;

estimating a speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed of the reacting vehicle that would allow the reacting vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident;

the computer system comparing a specified speed of a reacting vehicle in a the vehicle accident under consideration with the estimated speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit; and

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, a value of a speed factor; and

estimating liability for at least one party in the vehicle accident under consideration using the accessed claim data, wherein estimating liability comprises the applying, to a base liability for the party, at least one of the one or more numerical factor shifts in the memory, wherein the applied at one factor shift is associated with a value of the speed factor that matches the value determined for the speed factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.