BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Liberty Mutual Insurance’s commercial insurance operation has rolled out portable infrared cameras to its property field adjusters.

Water damage is one of the leading causes of commercial property claims, with an average claim cost of approximately $16,000, with severe losses exceeding $100,000.

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“Images from our infrared cameras more accurately show the scope of water damage,” notes Mike Martin, executive vice president, Liberty Mutual’s National Insurance Property operation. “This provides two important benefits to our commercial property policyholders. First, it better controls claim costs by preventing the need to tear away unaffected materials to define the extent of damage, and by enabling contractors to fix only areas impacted by the water. Second, the cameras help minimize the time a facility is shut for repairs.”

Liberty Mutual introduced portable infrared cameras to its field commercial property adjusters after a successful pilot by its dedicated Claims Innovation Team showed the benefits of this technology.

During that test, a claim was filed for water damage to a more than 14,000 square foot university gymnasium caused by a broken sprinkler head. Using the camera helped define the scope of the water damage. This reduced the estimated cost of repair by approximately two-thirds and resulted in faster repair, allowing the policyholder to more quickly re-open the facility.

More on the benefits of infrared cameras in adjusting commercial property claims can be seen here.