Overview
The Milestone Dates area on the New Claim form tracks the key dates in a claim's lifecycle — from first contact with the insured through final claim completion. These timestamps drive the Alerts dashboard, statutory compliance tracking, and management reporting. Each milestone records both a date and a time for precision.
Milestone Reference
Date of First Contact — The date and time the adjuster (or claims representative) first made contact with the insured or claimant after the claim was assigned. Many states have statutory requirements for how quickly first contact must occur after assignment, so this field is critical for compliance tracking. The Alerts dashboard uses this date to flag claims where contact has not yet been recorded.
Scheduled Date of Inspection — The date and time the field inspection is scheduled to take place. Enter this as soon as the inspection appointment is confirmed with the insured. This milestone helps managers monitor upcoming workload and identify scheduling bottlenecks.
Date of Inspection — The actual date and time the field inspection was completed. Update this field after the adjuster returns from the property. The difference between the Scheduled Date and the actual Date of Inspection can reveal patterns in appointment adherence.
Date of Estimate / Review Complete — The date and time the adjuster finalized the damage estimate or the reviewer completed their review of the estimate. This milestone marks the transition from field work to report preparation.
Date of 1st Report — The date and time the adjuster submitted their first status or preliminary report to the carrier. Carriers often have contractual deadlines for the first report (for example, within 24 or 48 hours of inspection), and this field tracks compliance with those requirements.
Date of 2nd Report — The date and time a second or supplemental report was submitted. Not all claims require a second report, but when one is needed (for example, after a re-inspection or scope change), this field records when it was delivered.
Date of Claim Complete — The date and time the claim was fully closed and all work was finished. This is the final milestone in the claim lifecycle. Once this date is recorded, the claim is considered complete for reporting and billing purposes.
How Milestones Drive Alerts
Several alerts on the Alerts Dashboard are triggered by milestone dates:
Contact Required — Flags claims where the Date of First Contact has not been recorded within the configured threshold after assignment.
Status Due Today — Flags claims where a status report is due based on the time elapsed since the last milestone.
Claims Over 5 Days — Flags claims that have been open for more than five days without progressing to the next expected milestone.
Keeping milestone dates current ensures that the Alerts dashboard accurately reflects your team's workload and compliance status.
Tips
Enter milestone dates as they happen — do not wait until the claim is complete to backfill them. Real-time entry ensures accurate alerts and reporting.
The time component on each milestone defaults to the current time when you select a date. Adjust the time if the actual event occurred earlier or later in the day.
If your organization uses the Evolve iPhone App, adjusters can update the Date of Inspection directly from the field, eliminating the need to return to the office before recording the milestone.
Milestone dates cannot be deleted once saved, but they can be updated if an error was made. Always double-check dates before saving the claim.
Management reports that track cycle time (for example, days from assignment to first contact, or days from inspection to first report) depend on accurate milestone data.
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