Property Damage Appraisers Inc. (PDA) has introduced a virtual estimating tool, PDA Virtual, resulting in a 60 percent increase in virtual estimates industry-wide, the company announced in a press release.

PDA Virtual is a customer-driven, no-touch, virtual estimating tool, the company said.

“To further support our position as the nation’s leader in cycle times, PDA Virtual is another option that we provide our clients and their customers to get a speedy auto or heavy equipment damage estimate in an easy, safe manner,” PDA Executive Vice President Tom Slimak said in the release. “PDA Virtual will let the claimant choose how they want to interact with us. This is a convenient, do-it-yourself option for people who are trying to get back to normal as quickly as possible while also avoiding physical human contact amid the pandemic.”

Although only 20 percent of industry claims were virtual before COVID-19, the firm expects that at least half of all auto claims will be virtual moving forward. With PDA Virtual, clients are prepared to efficiently meet the needs of their customers as the world evolves into a new normal.

“This solution allows claimants to turn their smart device into an estimating tool, allowing them to submit photos of the damage at any time, from anywhere,” the company stated in the release. “Once a claimant files a claim, the claim handler simply assigns the damage inspection to PDA Virtual and the link is sent to the claimant. Then the claimant can just point, click and submit photos of the damage at their convenience to avoid making appointments or visits to a body shop, and will receive real-time notifications throughout the process.”=

PDA is a leading independent damage estimating firm.