GIC Collection of Hurricane Ian Helps Combat Fraud
As Citizens and other insurers continue to assess and address the massive need for rebuilding and restoration of their policyholders, they will need reliable data and valuable information to help determine if a claim is valid. In fact, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) even recently stated they expect to see a wide range of insurance fraud and criminal activity following this event. They expect “insurance fraud and crime could cost carriers and homeowners anywhere from $3 billion to $6 billion once all is said and done.” So how do you brace yourself against potential fraud? By accessing consistently reliable, highly accurate aerial imagery and geospatial data.
Our coverage of Hurricane Ian was one of our largest Gray Sky collections to date, requiring multiple days for capturing imagery. After all was said and done, we had collected more than 25% of the state of Florida as part of our response to Ian.
In addition to the imagery, we launched a brand new data analytics product just weeks before Ian hit. This machine learning product, Damage Assessment, takes our imagery to the next level by delivering automated property insights. Our members can quickly identify the level of damage to homes in order to concentrate their efforts on their hardest hit customers and know exactly what the level of damage is to said home. This data is also compared to a previous Blue Sky version for a more complete understanding of a home.
With high-resolution oblique and ortho imagery, plus a library of historical imagery, GIC members–like Citizens–can be rest assured they have the insights and data to back up any claim coming from a policyholder. Plus, the highly detailed imagery often means a lessened need to send out field adjusters for review and verification. As Theobald said following Hurricane Irma, “There are limited options when it comes to finding something similar to the GIC. With how fast the planes get in the air and deliver back a high-resolution product, that helps us get the most out of our resources. For us, it’s the ultimate source for imagery, and that’s why it’s so valuable.”
If you need more information or would like to request access to Hurricane Ian imagery, please fill out the form below.