Shelby County Claim Documentation and Field Investigation

Shelby County is more than Memphis. It takes in the suburban cities of Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, Lakeland, Arlington and Millington, plus unincorporated communities such as Eads, Fisherville and Rosemark where two-lane county roads cross farmland. A loss on a freight corridor near the airport and a loss on a gravel-shouldered road north of the Loosahatchie River call for the same discipline: photographs, measurements and notes taken before the scene changes.

Requests here come from claims adjusters handling files remotely, defense and plaintiff attorneys, trucking and delivery companies, and policyholders who want a neutral record. For policyholders, claimants and their attorneys the work is documentation only. Delator Claims Division does not value a claim, determine fault or coverage, or negotiate with an insurer. Carriers, self-insured entities and their counsel may also retain the division for investigation work.

The county's western edge is the Mississippi River, with port and heavy industrial activity on Presidents Island and the riverfront. Memphis International Airport and its air cargo operations sit in the south, surrounded by warehousing, truck yards and distribution buildings that extend along Lamar Avenue and Holmes Road. Several railroads cross the county, so at-grade crossings and intermodal yards are part of the everyday roadway environment, particularly in the southeast.

East and north of the urban core the picture changes. The Wolf River and Loosahatchie River bottoms flood in heavy rain, and low crossings can hold water after the storm has passed. Shelby Farms, Meeman-Shelby Forest and the farmland around Rosemark, Eads and Fisherville bring unlit two-lane roads, slow farm equipment and narrow shoulders. The terrain is flat, which means long sightlines but also standing water, and the area is exposed to straight-line wind, hail and tornado-producing storms.