Providing support
in times of disaster
2020 - 2021
Since DEKRA was not very familiar with the (re)insurance market in the region before the Beirut explosion, it was important to show our face early and raise our profile. As local adjusting companies reached out, DEKRA soon became involved in processing dozens of damage claims amounting to over 40 million US dollars. Having claims experts on site as soon as possible is crucial because it helps local people and businesses to obtain urgently needed compensation.
In Beirut, the level of destruction was almost unimaginable. Some people compared it to the impact of an atomic bomb. Practically all buildings had been damaged. There was rubble and broken glass everywhere, covered with a thick layer of dust. Jeff Probyn says: “It was like one of those Hollywood disaster films – just real.”
The DEKRA team was able to help in many cases – even if it was sometimes a risky task. In one case, a private apartment on the 28th story of a building had to be inspected, which was a dangerous undertaking as the entire glass front of the apartment facing the port had been blown away. Due to the extent of the damage, the experts from DEKRA Loss Adjusters & Surveyors were kept busy closing claims until the end of 2020. “We have definitely made a name for ourselves,” says Jeff Probyn.
[Executive Vice President Service Division Claims & Expertise, DEKRA SE]
Expansion drive
Although Beirut was a unique incident, DEKRA is familiar with supporting the insurance industry in claims management in times of catastrophes such as earthquakes and tropical storms. In the Caribbean, DEKRA has been involved in handling hurricane damage claims for about ten years.
As the international insurance markets recognized its expertise, DEKRA embarked on an expansion drive in 2020, establishing its global head office for the loss adjustment business in London. DEKRA opened an additional office in Miami to position itself in the Caribbean hurricane market, and more local set-ups are planned for Mexico, India, and Hong Kong.
Click here for Service Division Claims & Expertise
DEKRA Loss Adjusters & Surveyors
- Independent, globally uniform service covering major and complex losses across all fields of interest
- Highly trained professionals in areas such as property, casualty, marine.
- Diverse services ranging from claims handling to multidisciplinary loss adjusting.
- Global coverage through network of offices and the latest digital solutions.
[Senior Claims and Legal Manager –
Reinsurance Broking Pole, NASCO RE]
