DS News

63 "THE SCIENCE OF ADJUSTING" Even beyond the direct impact of the ongoing pandemic on remote work, staffing, and other areas, servicers and vendors such as DIMONT face numerous issues that can make that "Science of Adjusting" challenging. Labor costs are high. Material costs are high. As MacIntyre puts it, things that were not a problem in 2019 now have grown to become significant issues. "With our new processes and our combined business with DIMONT and MPA, we believe that we are the only option for our clients," MacIntyre said. "We work to ensure that, from the very beginning of filing a claim, we have as much information as possible to provide to the insurance provider so that we're not going back and redoing work, and so we are ensuring that denials are few and far between. We utilize our technology to ensure that the first claim that gets filed has the highest degree of success in getting resolved." With MPA having trademarked the "Science of Adjusting" catchphrase, just what does that mean in practical terms? e DIMONT team broke down several areas where they are leveraging technology designed to identify additional damage levels that may be overlooked by less thorough inspections. Bill Underkoffler, Director of Adjusting for MPA, told DS News that the "Science of Adjusting" is, essentially, "a combination of digital measurements and digital data and subjective policies." Underkoffler explained, "In order to adjust the loss, you need to have what is known in the industry as 'demonstrable damage.' By bringing in some tools and validation methods that we use in the Science of Adjusting, we're able to put to mathematical numbers and values to damage by using tools such as digital calipers. ey're basically micrometers to show building materials that may have been decompressed by water damage." ermal imaging is also another useful tool, especially in cases where water is involved in the damages. "ermal imaging allows us to show damage that normally would not even presentable under a policy because they don't allow for destructive testing to identify potential hidden moisture," Underkoffler explained. Rather than just presenting photographs of a damaged property, DIMONT and MPA are able instead to present data showing millimeter-level changes in materials. "is may mean, for example, there's still water trapped at a level of 23% behind the drywall," Underkoffler continued. "at means the overall amount of moisture in the property still needs to be brought down, as it's not at an acceptable level to prove 'dry.'" is level of detail can be critical, as many disasters that aren't directly "water-related" still involve water damage as a contributing factor, such as the aftermath of fires. "Water actually does more damage to a building than a fire does, generally, unless it burns to the ground," Underkoffler explained. And when it comes to water, as with everything else in the "Science of Adjusting" mindset, the devil is in the details. Underkoffler explained that it's crucial not just to identify water damage and the extent thereof, but also to determine the type of water that is involved, ranging from clean to micro-contaminated. "When we have losses that go into wall cavities and we have moisture trapped within insulation or drywall behind the walls, these need to be mitigated and removed differently than other losses, all based on what type of water was involved," Underkoffler explains. "If I have Category 1, which is clean drinking water, it comes up in a building two inches deep and it drains out. I probably won't have a real problem with trapped cavity water once the building is mathematically dry. But if I do have micro-contaminated water, Category 3, I leave that contaminated solid inside of the building, trapped forever. So, it needs to be properly addressed." Underkoffler also identifies smoke damage as one of the most under-adjusted losses in the industry. As with water, some of the challenges come down to identifying and understanding what sort of smoke was involved. "We use sponges, and we send them to labs to check the materials," Underkoffler explained. "One of the most fascinating aspects is something called 'vapor plating,' which is when you have a rapid discoloration change of a vinyl material." Underkoffler explains the phenomenon by citing a situation most of us have encountered: microwaving Tupperware that contains spaghetti sauce. e red discoloration that stains the plastic is due to this process known as vapor plating. "Now, take a smoke loss," he continues. "e same thing happens to building materials after a fire—even a small fire—with that acidic smoke. It attaches and changes color on vinyl building components—mostly windows, doors, and some appliances. ese losses don't get properly adjusted." Underkoffler also notes the importance of remaining up-to-date on code issues, as well as how they change over time. He gives the example of window sizes. "A residential window in a bedroom is designed to fit a fireman in his pack. If the fireman doesn't fit out that window, that's not a safe scenario for someone in that bedroom," explains Underkoffler. However, those regulated window sizes may have changed in the years since a given property was constructed. Underkoffler points out that, in the case of broken windows, "the claim should not be to repair or replace the window. It should be to examine and ensure that the house is now up to code." is shift in focus will not only ensure the property is restored to the current safety standards, but it can also increase the value of the property. "By bringing in some tools and validation methods that we use in the Science of Adjusting, we're able to put to mathematical numbers and values to damage." —Bill Underkoffler, Director of Adjusting, MPA

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