Cunningham Lindsey named Outstanding Innovator at the 2016 Claims Innovation Awards

Cunningham Lindsey was named the Outstanding Innovator of the Year at the 2016 Claims Innovation Awards, which took place on 9 June at The Midland Hotel in Manchester.

The loss adjusting, claims management and risk solutions firm also picked up two other awards on the night, for Best Use of Technology and as the Loss Assessor/Adjuster of the Year.

Joe Pendle, the chair of the judging panel for the awards, said that he could not recall a year when one company had submitted so many strong entries in so many different categories.

“Their entries have shown how their innovations have made a demonstrable change to claims processing for the better,” said Pendle, who is the managing director of UK & Europe claims for Verisk Insurance Solutions.

“They have improved their own internal processes, they have improved the technologies they use to help their customers and they have allowed the paying insurance customer to see how switched on and innovative our industry can be in truly difficult circumstances.”

The other award winners were CBT Clinics, FMG, The Royal British Legion Solicitors Group, Auto Rescue Logistics, Premex Services, Speed Medical, Centor Insurance & Risk Management, Aviva and Horwich Farrelly and Stokes Case Management.

Pendle said that the standard of entries this year showed that the claims sector was always looking to innovate given the uncertain future ahead of it.

“The extraordinary lengths that some companies have gone to, to improve results and sometimes just to survive in difficult times, is something I find personally inspiring,” he said.

He was joined on the judging panel by Anthony Hughes, the former Horwich Farrelly chief executive and founder of strategic consultancy Jackson Hughes; Andrew Twambley, a partner at Amelans Solicitors and director of InjuryLawyers4U; Mark Hewitt, the managing director of Rebmark (last year’s Innovator of the Year winner); Alan Soutar, chair of the I Love Claims Home and Commercial advisory board; Peter Staddon, the managing director at MGAA; Kevin Shanahan, the founder of Synetics Solutions; and Julie Gowland, the managing director of Three x 8.

The headline sponsors for the awards this year were IPRS Medlegal.

The full list of winners

Best Use of Technology – Cunningham Lindsey

Client Care Initiative – CBT Clinics

Claims Management Company Team of the Year – FMG

Legal Services Team of the Year – The Royal British Legion Solicitors Group

Associated Industries Team of the Year – Auto Rescue Logistics

Online Initiative of the Year – Premex Services Limited

Best Marketing Initiative – Speed Medical

Insurance Claims Department of the Year – Centor Insurance & Risk Management

Loss Assessor/Adjuster of the Year – Cunningham Lindsey

Counter Fraud – Aviva and Horwich Farrelly

Best Newcomer – Stokes Case Management

Outstanding Innovator of the Year – Cunningham Lindsey

Mark Dugdale