New Auto Insurer Sensa’s Device Analyzes Accident, Triggers Emergency Services

A new auto insurer is turning the tables on car manufacturers that offer insurance with their roadside and emergency services by including these accident services with its auto insurance policy.

Austin, Texas-based Sensa is calling itself the “first proactive insurance company” as it begins to roll out its auto insurance offering that includes real-time help with every policy. Sensa’s U.S. launch kicks off in Illinois, with Texas, Indiana and Ohio scheduled for the coming weeks, and rollout to the rest of the country to follow, according to the company. Sensa is currently licensed in Ohio and Illinois.

According to the insurer, its solar battery powered sensor attaches to the windshield and automatically detects an accident and analyzes damages and injuries, ensuring the right assistance such as emergency medical transport, tow truck, rental car or other services can be dispatched quickly to the scene. The sensor can detect the exact time and location of the accident, as well as predict the severity of injuries and auto damage sustained.

The sensor sends the data to the cloud for analysis, which prompts a representative to call the driver.

The Sensa emergency specialist will first try to reach the insured by phone. If there is no answer, the specialist will call the policyholder’s emergency contacts. If they are also not available, Sensa personnel will then communicate directly with the emergency services team that will dispatch the first responders or medical personnel to the scene of the accident so they can determine the best course of action.

The company says its technology also speeds up the claims process. The person who calls with emergency services also handles the claim and the system pre-fills claims forms with the information from the scene of the accident.

The service recalls General Motors Co.’s subscriptions for its Onstar Guardian location and emergency notification service that it plans to offer as part of an auto insurance bundle.

GM, along with Tesla and Ford, is also testing telematics-based insurance offerings that track driver behavior.

Sensa’s product does not track driver behavior. The sensor, which is stuck on the windshield by the policyholder, is only activated when there is a collision. There is no app or telematics device. The cost of the sensor is built into the policy and is not a separate charge.

Company Background

Itay Bengad, MD, is Sensa chief executive officer and co-founder. The emergency room doctor came up with the idea for the company after a friend was brought in on a stretcher unconscious after a car accident. Doctors needed time to identify his friend’s many injuries. Bengad realized that the medical team did not have critical information needed to determine the best course of treatment.

Bengad says that experience left him determined to find a better way to treat victims of car accidents. He assembled a team of experts in mechanics and machine learning to supplement his medical knowledge and they created Sensa’s parent technology company, MDgo, in 2018.

“Every minute counts and every diagnostic detail makes a difference at the scene of a crash,” said Bengad. “After even a minor accident, people are at their most vulnerable and should never feel alone.”

He said Sensa shifts the “moment of truth” for insurance companies from the first notice of loss to the loss event itself.

“True disruption of the insurance industry requires an insurance offering that goes the extra mile for policyholders and addresses the pain points of insurers,” said Bengad. “The scene of an accident is the only time when the interests of both policyholders and insurance companies are completely aligned. The policyholder wants to resolve the situation with the least amount of hassle, and the insurer wants the situation resolved according to its preferred distributors. With the knowledge and power to make a difference, insurers can provide policyholders with medical and logistical help — and reduce claim severity.”

According to the company, insurers in Europe are already offering the MDgo sensors as part of their motor insurance policies. Sensa said it will be introducing additional “proactive insurance” offerings, with home insurance scheduled to launch later this year.

The insurer is looking to sign independent agents to represent it.

Sensa is backed by investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, Target Global, Volvo, Hyundai Motors and Nationwide.