HVAC market insurance claims assessor HVAC Investigators now offers its services in Spanish.

The company said it has experienced an increase in claims from those who speak Spanish as their native language and have hired bilingual representatives to handle the load.

Officials note that an estimated 12 percent of the U.S. population speaks Spanish as a first language.

"The addition of this service was an excellent way for us to extend our reach,” said Damon Stafford, an insurance claims manager. “We want everyone to feel comfortable with the process and receive outstanding service. The only way to achieve that is by bridging the gap and communicating with the claimant in his or her preferred language."

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 37.6 million people speak Spanish at home, with a quarter of those speaking little or no English.

It’s a trend that Ashley Reid, one of the HVAC sales company's Spanish-speaking claims representatives, said she has noticed.

"I've processed a substantial amount of claims in the past few weeks, where the policy holder only speaks Spanish" Reid said. "Formerly, many carriers were using translation services to handle these claims. Now, we can overcome the language barrier without the complication of third-party involvement."