Amica seeks to strengthen handling of weather-related claims

Amica employees Adam Kostecki, from left, Brian Leroux and Larry Brown, far right, are seen with Nicole Homeier, vice president of Understory Weather, and Alex Kubicek, CEO of Understory Weather, on the roof at Amica's corporate headquarters.
Amica employees Adam Kostecki, from left, Brian Leroux and Larry Brown, far right, are seen with Nicole Homeier, vice president of Understory Weather, and Alex Kubicek, CEO of Understory Weather, on the roof at Amica's corporate headquarters.

LINCOLN – Amica Mutual Insurance Co. is partnering up with a weather-technology company in an attempt to improve claims handling.
The Lincoln-based insurer announced last week it will partner with Understory Inc., a developer of weather sensor hardware and data analytics, to test a new weather detection platform. Amica says Understory’s platform can detect all sorts of weather events directly at the earth’s surface, which is better than traditional sensors that observe weather conditions in the atmosphere.
But the company appears to be particularly interested in Understory’s ability to precisely detect hail.
“This data can be used in our mapping platform to improve our understanding of sever weather events by incorporating ground-level observations,” said Adam Kostecki, claims officer and member of Amica’s enterprise innovation team.
“With this detailed dataset, we hope to more accurately predict claims volumes, especially after hailstorms,” he added.
Insurance Information Institute, an insurance-industry researcher, reports that hail was the cause of more than $1.4 billion in property damage and nearly $300 million in crop damage in the United States.
Understory’s technology, comprising a metallic-ball sensor about the size of a soccer ball that’s attached to a metal rod, is able to detect rain, hail, wind and other weather events, according to Amica. It’s powered by solar panels. Embedded wireless technology allows the company to upload data directly from the sensor.
“Severe weather is on the rise,” said Alex Kubicek, CEO of Understory, in a prepared statement. “The Understory network pulls precise environmental data into actionable material Amica can use during the claims handling process.”
The company has already deployed sensors in Kansas City, Boston and Dallas, and plans to expand its reach through 2017, according to a press release. Amica, founded in 1907, employs more than 3,400 people in 44 offices throughout the country.

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