Collateral damage coverage

• US 7,953,616 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruce Bradford Thomas, Lester Ware Preston
• Original Assignee: Bruce Bradford Thomas, Lester Ware Preston
• Inventors: Thomas, Bruce Bradford, Preston, Lester Ware
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US12/075,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0216 Investment accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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

A method for marketing, underwriting, and adjusting damages that are associated with insured loss events but that are not covered by traditional insurance policies. This method permits the marketing of loss expense coverage, underwriting, and claim adjustment processes of insurance to be performed by reference to the loss payments that are made by a specified insurance policy. By referencing insured loss payments, which both a buyer and a seller understand, this method provides an easy way to communicate and transact something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to define or measure.

Claims

1. An information system, comprising:

a data storage device; and

a computer linked to the data storage device configured to;

receive and store in the data storage device contractual information for a plurality of valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreements, wherein the contractual information for each said valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement includes a referenced insurance policy and a payment function that increases payment under the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement as a function of an increase in losses paid under the referenced insurance policy;

receive and store in the data storage device information for a valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim that includes a payment that was made under the referenced insurance policy of a valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement; and

calculate a payment amount for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement by applying the payment function of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement to the payment that was made under the referenced insurance policy that was included in the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim.

2. The information system of claim 1, where the computer performs the step of calculating the payment amount of the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim by applying a proportional function to the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

3. The information system of claim 1, where the computer performs the step of calculating the payment amount of the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim by applying a nonproportional function to the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

4. The information system of claim 1, where the computer performs the step of calculating the payment amount of the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim by applying the function to a qualitative coverage subset of the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

5. The information system of claim 1, where the computer performs the step of calculating the payment amount of the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim by applying the function to a quantitative coverage subset of the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

6. The information system of claim 1, where the computer performs the further step of generating a claim payment notice for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim.

7. The information system of claim 1, where the computer performs the further step of transmitting information for the valid Collateral Damages Coverage agreement claim to a payment system.

8. The information system of claim 1, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a health insurance policy.

9. The information system of claim 1, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a personal property insurance policy or personal casualty insurance policy.

10. The information system of claim 1, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a commercial casualty insurance policy.

11. The information system of claim 1, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is an all-risks commercial property insurance policy.

12. The information system of claim 1, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a commercial property and casualty insurance policy.

13. The information system of claim 1, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a workers'"'"' compensation insurance policy.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing in a data storage device contractual information for a plurality of valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreements, wherein the contractual information for each said valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement includes a referenced insurance policy and a payment function that increases payment under the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement as a function of an increase in losses paid under the referenced insurance policy;

receiving and storing in the data storage device information for a valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim that includes a payment that was made under the referenced insurance policy of a valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement; and

a computer linked to the data storage device calculating a payment amount for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement by applying the payment function of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement to the payment that was made under the referenced insurance policy that was included in the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the calculating step performed by the computer comprises calculating a payment amount for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement by applying a proportional function to the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the calculating step performed by the computer comprises calculating a payment amount for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement by applying a nonproportional function to the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the calculating step performed by the computer comprises calculating a payment amount for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement by applying the function to a qualitative coverage subset of the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the calculating step performed by the computer comprises calculating a payment amount for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement by applying the function to a quantitative coverage subset of the losses paid under the referenced insurance policy.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the computer performs the further step of generating a claim payment notice for the Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the computer performs the further step of transmitting information for the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement claim to a payment system.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a health insurance policy.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a personal property insurance policy or personal casualty insurance policy.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a commercial casualty insurance policy.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is an all-risks commercial property insurance policy.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, where the referenced insurance policy of the valid Collateral Damage Coverage agreement is a commercial property and casualty insurance policy.