Claims

Most of us look forward to our annual vacations, time away from the office, winding down, and relaxing in the sun.

How can clients get a handle on this process to forestall nasty surprises?

In this eight-part series, Carl Van, author of The 8 Characteristics of the Awesome Adjuster, shares his thoughts on those characteristics.

This figure represents a 5.4 percent increase in tort costs from 2002, a much slower growth rate than the prior two years.

Since 1996, Carl Van has been exhorting claim adjusters to strive for excellence. In that year, Claims published "The 8 Characteristics of the Awesome Adjuster," co-authored by Van and Sue Tarrach.

Having witnessed the tsunami disaster first hand, the chairman of Lloyd's made a call for early warning systems, which, he said, were vital to prepare for global risks, both natural and corporate.

Although western insurers remain relatively unaffected by the devastation left behind by December's tsunami in the Indian Ocean, local companies are calculating large payouts.

Although the 2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season started off slowly, it evolved into one of the busiest and most destructive in history.