"Douglas Burrell, an Atlanta-based partner with Drew Eckl & Farnham and president-elect of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), an organization representing civil defense lawyers and in-house counsel, said diverse mediators can break through cultural differences to aid the resolution of cases... Stalled mediations due to cultural misunderstandings can result in increased claim costs.
'Sometimes, there are subtle cultural clues that people wouldn't pick up unless you are from that culture,' said Burrell."
Carrier Management, Douglas Burrell
Partner and Co-Chair of Drew Eckl & Farnham's Diversity Committee, Douglas Burrell, was recently featured in an article published by Carrier Management. Written by Denise Johnson, "The Claims Resolution Process is About to Get a D&I Makeover," highlights the lack of "D&I directives focused on the claims handling process"
"What impact do cross-racial, cultural and ethnic issues have on the handling of claim? Insurers are starting to do more to examine how diversity impacts claims handling and resolution, including taking part in an initiative to track how often candidates with diverse backgrounds are selected as mediators and arbitrators in insurance-related matters. Such data, which is presently unavailable, will allow insurers to benchmark their results against the overall industry."
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