There's never quite enough time in the day. So, like the claim professionals for whom we write, I multitask out of necessity. One tool I've found helpful is the Google Alert. A simple idea, the Google Alert is a way to get information from the web sent directly to your inbox. Enter a few key words — mine are "adjuster," "claims," and "property and casualty" — and you are ready to click and absorb the zeitgeist of the industry.

Besides helping me stay on top of industry news, the other great thing about Google Alerts is the variety of viewpoints that wander in each day, vying for my attention. One recent alert that caught my eye involved a man who was discussing an auto accident, one in which he was not at fault. In his blog entry, he noted that he was not injured, although he mentioned that he had been dealing with increased knee pain due to an upcoming knee replacement surgery unrelated to the accident. He further noted that the other driver's insurance was handling all of the repairs as well as his car rental.

However, his next few statements — words that could be read by anyone and everyone with an Internet connection — blurred the heretofore black-and-white nature of the claim: "My question is, since the insurance company is paying for all repairs and the rental — and I didn't need to seek any medical treatment stemming from the accident — do I have the right (or should I) seek some form of compensation for the PIA that this accident has been?" [PIA stands for pain in the ... well, you get the point.]