Claims Triage

Claims triage is the early sorting of incoming claims by expected cost, complexity and likelihood of litigation so that effort and reserves go where they matter. It allocates attention before the file has developed.

At first notice, little is known about a claim. Triage uses the information that is available, such as injury type, venue, representation and prior patterns, to route the claim to the right handling.

The quality of triage can be tested. Claims routed as simple that later escalate, and those routed as complex that settle early, show where the rules need adjustment.

Claims triage is not an assessment of fault or merit. It is a routing decision that can be revised as facts arrive.