Imagine that you are a principal of a company in Louisiana or elsewhere with a large fleet of vehicles. A long-haul trucking firm might come to mind. Or a taxi company, obviously. Perhaps a delivery service of some sort. Maybe a plumbing company. A private bus firm, catering service, cable/satellite dish entity, car rental company – the lists goes on.
There are legions of such enterprises, with their owners obviously being focused on myriad concerns at all times.
Like accident-linked liability, for example.
Blowback from accident and injury claims is a progressively growing concern for American businesses of all stripes. Many juries seem instantly sympathetic to plaintiffs, especially when their claims are cast in a David-versus-Goliath light. Damage claims of notably high amounts are routinely awarded. Jury panels often tack on punitive damages to make a special point. Corporate defendants sometimes have an image problem from the outset in any litigation that pits them against a single individual or family.
It is understandable that business managers will try to do everything they possibly can in such a litigious and high-risk environment to address liability sources and dampen their potential repercussions.
Increasingly, they and their insurers are turning to myriad forms of evolving and next-stage technology to do just that. Assists ranging from on-board sensor applications to so-called “telematics” technology that records vehicle movements via a complicated process involving GPS systems and computerized maps are proving invaluable for investigating and defending against accident/injury claims.
We will take a closer look at their development and increasing use in the insurance realm in an upcoming blog post.