Crawford & Co. Adjusting to Unusual Circumstances

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina created unusual circumstances that even the most seasoned of Crawford & Company’s adjusters have never before experienced. As the Atlanta firm’s adjusters processed claims they encountered contaminated floodwaters, gas shortages, claimants that could not be reached, roads clogged with debris, washed out bridges, missing road signs making navigation difficult, and areas that were only accessible to emergency personnel.

Crawford took some unusual measures, for instance, making immunizations available to its adjusters to protect them against contaminated floodwaters–a first in the company’s 64-year history. The company has also rented several recreational vehicles to serve as a temporary shelter for some Crawford employees and their families displaced from New Orleans.

Additionally, Crawford deployed one of its satellite communication trucks to provide a stable source of power and wireless communications to Crawford’s field units and adjusters. Via satellite, the trucks provide 10 to 15 wireless voice lines and more than 250 wireless Internet connections.

Each truck also powers a generator, which CAT adjusters use to charge laptop computers, mobile phones and other business tools. This technology allowed the adjusters to drive up to the truck and download loss assignments. Similarly they upload reports back to an office where claims processing can continue. This allows them freedom to work under extreme conditions.

Because recovery from Katrina will be a long-term effort, Craw-ford has also stepped up recruiting and training efforts to meet the demand for adjusting services.

“In my 40 years in the industry, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Tom Crawford, Crawford president and CEO said after touring some of the devastation in Alabama and Louisiana. “This is completely unprecedented. Ordinarily when you begin processing claims from a disaster, you start in the hardest hit areas and work your way out. In this case, we had to start in areas with less damage and work our way into more damaged areas as they become accessible.”

Crawford established CAT command centers in Mobile, Ala., and Baton Rouge, La., to communicate with its headquarters and branch offices. Crawford deployed hundreds of adjusters to the affected areas and is bringing in more as needed. The company said it invested heavily in its Cat Unit to make it the state-of-the-art, premiere catastrophe response program for the industry and is committed to providing unsurpassed quality and “Excellence In Everything We Touch.”