Extra Weight Appears to Give Hybrids Edge in Safety

By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  November 17, 2011

NU Online News Service, Nov. 17, 12:52 p.m. EDT
Due in part to their heavier weight compared to their standard counterparts, hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to crashes, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  read more..

Credit Scoring: A Consumer's Perspective

By David Thamann  November 28, 2011

It is no secret that insurance companies use the credit scores of individuals as one tool in the approval/disapproval process and in establishing premiums. Most courts allow this process as long as the scoring is uniformly applied to all insureds and is consistent with the purposes of the individual state's insurance code. But just because credit scoring is legal does not make it right.  read more..

Reinsurance’s Role

By Chad Hemenway, PropertyCasualty360.com
From the November 14, 2011 issue of National Underwriter P&C

As a part of the vertical layering of risk and sharing of losses, reinsurance is naturally playing an important role in this increasing need for a buffer layer, according to James Drinkwater, president of AmWINS Brokerage.  read more..

Many Farmworkers Denied Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Migrant and seasonal workers often are not afforded coverageBy Caitlin Fairchild    November 12, 2011

Although agriculture is one of the nation's most hazardous industries, about half of all states allow agricultural employers to provide little or no workers’ compensation coverage for migrant and seasonal farmworkers.  read more..

Insurers Give Themselves Low Marks in Customer Service

By Staff Writer  November 10, 2011
NU Online News Service, Nov. 10, 3:06 p.m. EST

Insurers that individually invested $30 million, on average, in analytics and mobile capabilities over the past three years still believe they should be doing more to win over customers, according to a survey by Accenture.  read more..

Avoiding Property-Adjusting Blunders

Getting Back to the BasicsBy John A. Postava    November 14, 2011

In 2004 (hard to believe it was more than seven years ago), hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne brought more claims adjusters to Florida than swampland speculators in the 1920s. In retrospect, the “Fearsome Foursome” generated more than 2 million property claims. Just the sheer number of claims alone required adjusters to increase productivity to meet the demands of homeowners.  read more..

'Why Won’t My Adjusters Listen to Me?'

By Christopher Tidball    November 10, 2011

To listen can be defined as "to make an effort to hear something or to pay attention or heed what is being said." A seemingly ubiquitous complaint across the insurance industry is that of management concerned by staff that fails to listen, follow procedures, pay attention, or heed instructions.  read more..