Patent ID: 11861725
Assignee: ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
Field: IT methods for management (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 15:
16. An insurance claim system for improved interoperability between an insurance company data server and a vehicle repair shop system to efficiently communicate data between an insurer and a non-referral vehicle repair shop, the insurance claim system comprising:
the insurance company data server comprising at least one first computer processor and a user interface and coupled to a network;
a vehicle insurance claim management application in communication with the insurance company data server and a vehicle repair shop system that causes the insurance claim system to:
receive a first work request and first assignment data relating to a first vehicle from the insurance company data server;
translate and change the first assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
provide a real-time update between the vehicle insurance claim management application and the vehicle repair shop system with at least one of the work request or assignment data changes,
transfer the translated first assignment data to the vehicle repair shop system;
receive a first vehicle repair estimate with a first estimate data corresponding to the first vehicle from the vehicle repair shop system;
translate and change the first estimate data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
review the translated first estimate data for compliance with contract-based conditions;
receive a second work request and second assignment data corresponding to the first vehicle from the insurance company data server;
translate and change the second assignment data into a format accepted by the vehicle insurance claim management application;
transfer the translated second assignment data to the vehicle repair shop system;
determine, if the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in a staffed market or a non-staffed market, the staffed market associated with a market in which field adjusters are available and the non-staffed market associated with a market in which no field adjusters are available;
determine a time period in which a second vehicle repair estimate with a second estimate data must be received;
determine, if the second vehicle repair estimate was received before expiration of the time period;
responsive, at least in part to, not receiving the second vehicle repair estimate within the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in the staffed market, assign a field estimate assignment to a field adjuster in the staffed market and transmit and communicate to the vehicle repair shop system in real-time, through the vehicle insurance claim management application, an updated assignment data corresponding to the assigned field estimate assignment; and
responsive, at least in part, to not receiving the second vehicle repair estimate within the time period and determining the non-referral vehicle repair shop is in an unstaffed market, contact the non-referral vehicle repair shop.