Subrogated insurance carriers have historically had success achieving recoveries in the automotive industry for property damage or diminution in value involving “conventional” defects, such as a faulty design which make a vehicle susceptible to a fire or improper activation of airbags. Advanced vehicle technologies present other, new opportunities for recovery, especially in the right case....

Investigating subrogation claims for property damage involves assessing a handful of key elements: (1) identifying the cause and origin of the loss; (2) ascertaining third-party targets; and (3) assessing whether a viable claim and recovery exists against those targets. The third element takes many forms, including determining the applicability of state laws to the third-party’s...

Technology is advancing and so are subrogation investigations.  We are seeing investigations of losses and presentations for recovery make use of new technology, including laser scanning, 3D imaging, Lidar, drones, etc.  Some tech can come at a high expense, but as the tech becomes more available, it will become standard use in the industry.  For...