Remember when the tools of the trade for adjusting insuranceclaims involved an instant camera, a voice recorder, a calculatorand estimating sheets? In the days before personal computers andemail, when there were no mobile phones, if you wanted to make acall you dropped a dime into a pay phone, then hoped someone on theother end would pick up.

"Adjuster notes" were hand-written. Changing reserves meantfilling out a form in triplicate and waiting days for processing.There were no smartphones, Internet connections or wearables. Themost futuristic things in our collective consciousness were atime-traveling DeLorean and reruns of The Jetsons. 

Years passed and technology began to evolve. In the early 1990s,the first PCs made their way onto adjusters' desks. The Internetwas born, dot coms were booming and email was everywhere. As the'90s faded into the millennium, laptops were the new norm and flipphones evolved into smartphones, which became smaller while theworkloads became larger. Small, localized claims offices becamemega claim centers. 

Today, technology continues to expand at an exponential rate. Itis not a question of if something can be developed, butrather when will today's trendiest gadget make asignificant impact on our industry? Wearables are one of thehottest trends sweeping the globe, and Google Inc.'s wearablecomputing device, smartglasses, are among the best known. Liketheir name implies, Google Glass looks almost like any other pairof glasses—but pack a punch of technology in their right arm. Atiny transparent screen peeks into the peripheral view and letswearers see text, pictures and video streamed from the Web orstored locally. A video camera and microphone allow Glass tocovertly capture the sights and sounds of the surrounding world,while voice commands and head tracking sensors enable hands-freeinteractions.

All this technology comes at a price—the Google Glass ExplorerEdition costs $1,500—a rather hefty price tag for souped-upspectacles. But the steep price did not deter die-hard techies fromwanting to flaunt the newest fad. After its introduction, GoogleGlass rode the crest of the wearable high-tech wave and Googlereportedly sold out within 24 hours the first time the device wenton sale to the masses. 

Then in January 2015, Google announced they were ending theGlass Explorer program "so we can focus on what's coming next," theGlass team wrote in a Google+ post. This move not only makes thefirst edition of Glass an instant classic and reinforces that therewill be more to come, but opens the door for the next generation ofsmartglasses to pick up where Glass leaves off. One suchpossibility is the recently announced HoloLens from Microsoft.HoloLens displays life-size, 3D holograms. Wearers see thesevirtual objects as if they were actually in the world around them,creating what is referred to as "augmented-reality" (AR). Microsoftis betting big on the HoloLens, which runs their new OS Windows10.

Venture firms agree that virtual- and augmented-reality willemerge as the next big computing platform, and they have investedmore than $1 billion in this area so far. Also entering the arenais the Sony SmartEyeglass developer edition set to go on sale inthe UK March 2015. Sony claims its device creates "true augmentedreality" with bells and whistles that include an accelerometer,gyroscope and electronic compass. Unlike Glass's full-colordisplay, the Sony smartglasses feature a 419 x 138 resolutionmonochrome display in bright green.

Whether it is the next generation Google Glass, MicrosoftHoloLens, Sony SmartEyeglass or some other device that finallyshows you the information exactly when you need it, one thing isquite clear—smartglasses are here to stay. What impact willsmartglasses make on our industry when they become thenorm?  Let's explore.

For starters, smartglasses could provide a tremendous lift tothe most mobile workers—adjusters in the field. Casualtyinvestigations require several steps that smartglasses couldpotentially consolidate. These include coverage, liability anddamage investigations, evaluation, settlement and recovery.

In the purest sense, smartglasses could assist adjusters inhandling every aspect of the claim, which will improve quality andconsistency over the often bifurcated processes used by carrierstoday. To demonstrate, let's walk through a hypothetical scenarioof an adjuster investigating an auto accident in thenot-too-distant future.

"OK glasses, adjust thisclaim."

For starters, coverage verification could become instant, as theadjuster could simply snap his fingers and recite the policynumber. When integrated with the claim management system, hissmartglasses could display the policy details for the adjuster tosee. With coverage verified, it would be time to adjust the damagedvehicle. Pre-technology this required specialization. Withsmartglasses, simply looking at a damaged vehicle from variousangles could enable the estimating software of the future toaccurately generate an estimate and might even allow for theelectronic transmission of funds from carrier toclaimant.  

Liability investigations could be bolstered by the ability toclearly visualize what happened in the accident. After receivingthe telemetry data from the insured and claimant vehicles, theadjuster could go to the scene and use his smartglasses to projectimages of the moving vehicles into the intersection, virtuallyrecreating the accident and observing it as if he were actuallythere at the time it happened. 

Let's assume this claim involved the insured making a left turnin front of the claimant. In today's adjusting model, cases such asthis are routinely settled at 100% against the party making theleft turn. In fact, a mere 3% of all claims are settled withcomparative negligence. The reality is that most claims do involveshared fault, validated by jury verdicts that assess comparativenegligence more than 50% of the time. In our future scenario,however, using smartglasses to see the virtual reality could allowthese claims to be settled more effectively out ofcourt. 

Injury investigations could also benefit. Once an interview wasunderway, the adjuster might only need to gaze into hissmartglasses while questions derived from his statement guidestreamed before his eyes, which could ensure that all appropriateinformation was gathered in sequence. The adjuster of the futuremight even be able to view prior claims history, criminal records,known associates and other public records. If the adjuster werevisiting a plaintiff attorney or medical provider, simply sharing aname or tax ID number could allow for immediate determination oflicensure status and any prior disciplinary action. The adjustermight also be able to better capture claimant activity via theinconspicuous surveillance capabilities smartglasses couldprovide.

When it came time to evaluate a bodily injury claim,smartglasses could integrate with the appropriate tools to displayre-priced medical bills and estimated pain and suffering.Settlements tracked across the company could be displayed, enablingthe adjuster to know what this type of claim would typically settlefor based on injury characteristics and venue. 

Smartglasses of the future could also have a profound impact onSIU, potentially enabling investigators to better conductexaminations under oath, as well as clinic inspections, whilecapturing every single detail. 

In the litigation process, smartglasses might transform howdepositions would be conducted. By capturing and analyzing everyword and movement of the claimant, they have the potential todramatically change how trials would be conducted and what juriesmight be able to see — from the nervous answers to the sweatbeading on a brow. Just think of the potential impact this couldhave if played out for a jury.  

Hindsight is 20/20

We've come a long way since the days of instant cameras andvoice recorders. At the rate technology is advancing, the changeswe've seen over the last 20 years will pale in comparison to whatwe are going to see in the next 20. While it may be hard to justifyarming an entire adjusting staff with smartglasses right now, it'seasy to imagine that those who experiment with these emerging toolsmay not only see improved productivity, claims investigations andoutcomes—they also might catch a glimpse of the future.

Beau Sullivan is senior director, innovation &design for Mitchell. Chris Tidball issenior director-casualty solutions consultant for Mitchell.