Loss adjuster reviews to be staggered to ease pressure
AXA is to stagger the announcement of its loss adjuster review over the first quarter of next year, instead of releasing them in January.
Winning tenders for the liability, subsidence and general property panels will now be informed over February or March to take pressure off the insurer's claims department and allow time for the first new panels to bed in.
AXA UK head of claims David Williams said: "I don't know why we have everything due in January. It is not the best month as there can be massive weather events.
"We should not make loss adjusters jump through hoops. We should be tailoring these announcements for them as well as us."
Companies that could be affected by the review include present loss adjusters Cunningham Lindsey, GAB Robins and Crawford & Co, as well as new firms tendering to join the panels.
Cunningham Lindsey and GAB Robins are currently AXA's loss adjuster partners on the liability and general property panels, while Crawford & Co and GAB Robins sit on the subsidence panel. All are believed to be working under three-year contracts.
Williams said: "I don't know why all three fell at the same time, but my view is that we will extend the announcement of at least one of the panels, perhaps two, for a month."
The panel reviews started about two months ago when request for information forms were sent out to interested parties.
