Crawford mpany : Adjuster spotlight - Lavon Hart

How long have you been with Crawford?

'I've been with Crawford for over 21 years. My hire date is July 26, 1999 and I'm based out of Georgia, United States.' I started out as an auto and heavy equipment appraiser for the first year and a half, then I transitioned into property in 2001. Around 2003, I became multiline in property and casualty, and now my current title is Senior Multiline Adjuster.'

What was your reason for working at Crawford?

'First, I knew two local casualty adjusters that worked for Crawford & Company and they always had good things to say about the atmosphere and professionalism of the company. Crawford is known as an industry leader and a position had opened within the company. The two adjusters I knew asked if I was interested in working for Crawford, since my family owns an auto body shop. I applied and looked forward to being in a company that had a healthy and positive work environment.'

What does a snapshot of a typical work week look like for you?

'Due to the size of my current territory, I am in the field for five to six hours a day. As a multiline adjuster, I typically inspect a variety of different property claims such as wind, water, fire throughout the course of a day. In casualty, I may head over to a nearby town to search for a witness or an insured involved in an accident to obtain statements from a truck wreck that I may have been called out during the night. I routinely search for surveillance videos of accidents, diagram, and photograph accident scenes. The great thing is your encountering something different every day.'

What do you like about working at Crawford?

'Besides a healthy and positive work environment, Crawford focuses on quality products and outreach for its employees to assist them anyway they can. The company is continuously focusing on innovation to maintain and lead the industry. These advancements enable us to work smarter, not harder. The company really focuses on the education of the employee. I also enjoy the physical freedom of scheduling my own claims and routes for the day. I can be in the field in the morning and back in the office in the afternoon.'

What are some memorable projects that that personifies our mission to restore and enhance?

'Hurricane Michael came through southwest Georgia, a real rural and low-income community, in October 2018. The hurricane was a category five, even after making landfall and traveling through lower SW Georgia. The communities were without power for over two months and there was a real need for help-- there were not enough adjusters to handle the claims. There was a tremendous amount of trees down on all the properties and the insurance policies will only cover the removal of trees that damage covered structures. I really enjoyed helping the insured and processing their claims quickly so they can attempt to restore their property. On the weekends, five friends and I would drive over with chainsaws and trailers to help move and cut down trees on the property that the insurance policy would not cover. The community was very grateful for the help.'

How do you think adjusting will look in the next five years?

'I think technology is going to continue to advance and make our jobs easier. We use the Hover app, and that saves us time on measuring roofs and exteriors of homes. However, physical inspections will always have to take place in the near future. Critical thinking, when inspecting a loss and having to ascertain repair or replace, is not possible by AI this time. I can definitely see great advancements in technology helping to make our job easier like Hover, or other applications like CiQ, which allows us to complete tasks in the field without having to return to the office and complete on our laptops.'

When you're not in the office, how do you spend your time?

'I enjoy hiking and offshore fishing. Since I only live approximately 90 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, I try to go flats fishing at least once a month. I typically go offshore fishing about 4 to 5 times a year in Saint Augustine, Florida. I usually take a yearly trip to the Smoky Mountains for hiking trips.'