Arbitration Forums said use of its electronic arbitration system for settling seven types of insurance subrogation disputes spiked upward during the past year.
The Tampa, Fla., provider of dispute resolution services said 192,000, or nearly one-half of its 430,000 arbitration filings in 2005, were made electronically, up from 17,000 in 2004.
Since its inception in late 2004, the company said its Online Filing Program grew to 165,000 filings. The Online Filing service is available for disputes involving auto, property, medical payment, personal injury protection, uninsured motorists' coverage, third-party liability, workers' compensation, and disputes involving concurrent, overlapping or excess/primary coverage.
AF also reported that insurers' participation in its E-Speed Filing Program jumped nearly 63 percent between 2004 and 2005, increasing to about 27,000 filings. E-Speed offers high-speed electronic filing for small-dollar auto liability and damage disputes.
The 430,000 intercompany claims filed with AF in 2005 were valued at almost $2 billion, according to D. Kay Smith, chief executive officer of AF. The company reports more than 80 percent of intercompany arbitration disputes involve auto collisions.
AF said in a few months it will introduce the E-Subro Hub, an electronic clearinghouse that will significantly speed up the subrogation process and further reduce costs.
The Web-based subrogation technology will allow insurers, self-insureds, third-party administrators and claims service organizations to streamline the subrogation process and interactively manage both demands and responses, AF said.
Ms. Smith said insurers and self-insureds can not only file cases online, but respond, amend or withdraw them. Decisions for some cases are being entered online as well.
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