DAC Beachcroft develops AI tool for liability assessment

Law firm DAC Beachcroft has collaborated with insurtech startup Automated Insurance Solutions and motor repair and claims flow specialist Audatex to develop BAIL, an online artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool that assesses liability following a motor accident.

The new tool, developed in DAC Beachcroft’s claims research and development hub, Innovations Lab, is accessed via a secure web portal. Insurers answer simple questions about the motor accident, select a road layout image that best indicates the accident scenario, and add or request testimonials from witnesses, where available.

Once BAIL has captured the data it needs, its underlying AI platform delivers an immediate answer on liability. Links to Google Maps and historical meteorological data also help pinpoint the accident’s exact location and weather conditions at the time, enabling the user to produce a concise locus report in seconds, alongside the liability outcome.

BAIL’s questions can either be completed by the claims handler on behalf of the policyholder or by the policyholder themselves using BAIL’s self-service feature. This self-service capability enables policyholders to input their own account of the accident without needing to speak to a claims handler or investigator, generating increased efficiencies and time savings.

“A key attraction of BAIL is its simplicity,” explained Peter Allchorne, partner and head of DAC Beachcroft’s Innovations Lab. “It’s easy and intuitive to use, and the question set is entirely dynamic, only asking what’s relevant to return a quick, accurate and consistent decision on liability.”

Elliot Roberts, product management director at Audatex, agrees: “We wanted to support a machine learning-based solution for the essential and sometimes complicated process of establishing liability—helping claims professionals focus on the cases that require their attention and straight-through processing for those that don’t.”

“Clients who have been piloting the use of BAIL are already benefiting from a reduction in operational expense while simultaneously speeding up what has historically been a very manual, paper-based process,” added Ben Taylor, chief executive officer at Automated Insurance Solutions. “Not only does BAIL offer improvements in accuracy and efficiency—it also ensures that the insurer’s customer remains at the very heart of the claims process.”

He added: “Partnering with DAC Beachcroft has offered a fantastic insight to assist our subject matter experts. The firm’s unique position within the motor claims sector, wide expertise and access to data has helped inform our technical team as they ‘teach’ the AI tool the minutiae of the expansive world of UK road traffic liability.”

The launch of BAIL follows DAC Beachcroft’s recently announced partnership with legal tech company Ampbah to pilot a new online legal services platform that streamlines how solicitors instruct and communicate with barristers in high-volume, insurance-related litigation.

Mark Dugdale