Storm clouds have silver lining for claims adjusters

RA-AM.com Article

In preparing for the anticipated destruction from tropical-storm Sandy as it blew through Connecticut in late October, State Farm Insurance asked state regulators to approve more than 450 emergency licenses for claims adjusters it planned to bring in from out of state.

State Farm was not the only insurer to bring in an army of adjusters to help with the high volume of claims in the aftermath of Sandy -- according to the state Department of Insurance, more than 6,000 emergency adjuster licenses were approved for more than 90 insurance companies.

Last week, state Insurance Commissioner Thomas B. Leonardi announced the department would automatically grant 90-day license extensions for those out-of-state adjusters because of the recent blizzard.

The snow storm dumped more than 30 inches of snow in some sections of Connecticut.

"We know carriers will be busy in the coming weeks with claims on hundreds of vehicle accidents, roof collapses and other property damage in the wake of this historic blizzard, and we want them to be able to serve customers as quickly as possible," Leonardi said Wednesday in announcing the extension.

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