Claims Magazine September 2004
Features
Employee Theft and Fraud: Accelerate Recovery
Human nature being what it is, incidents of serious employee theft or fraud will occur at some point in any large organization. Like other crises and problems, internal theft and fraud are as
Features
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Grounds for Denying Claims
Every fraud investigator or lawyer advising an insurer on a potentially fraudulent claim is faced, at the end of an investigation, with the need to determine whether there is sufficient grounds to
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It Takes One to Know One
The original residents, Native Americans of the Iroquois Confederacy, called it Allatoona, the Cherokee word meaning, "the high lands of great worth." In the mid-1800s, the Pennsylvania Railroad
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Hurricane Charley Hits Hard; Industry Responding Aggressively
At press time, we received this special report from our sister publication which gives the latest update on the devastation in Florida and its impact on insureds and insurers alike. (See our related
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Insurance Crime Legislation: A Call to Action
The readers of this magazine are well aware of the financial toll that insurance crime exacts upon insurance companies and policyholders. You also are aware of the efforts by individual insurers, the
Columns
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BI Can Be Confusing
This is almost laughable, it is so obvious: "Business income can be confusing, to say the least." One of the FC&S expert analysts wrote this in August's FC&S Dec Page, which lets its users know what
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The Art of Restoring Water Damage
Professional water-damage restoration is a complicated business, requiring a careful, scientific approach with frequent monitoring of relative humidity, temperature, and moisture readings of contents
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Independent Appraisers -- the Next Dinosaur
If you are an insurer who is using direct repair providers or third party administrators to settle automobile damage claims, please take note. Recently, I conducted a survey comparing desk audits by
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Mixing Oil and Water
Over the last three months, this columnist has addressed threats to the infrastructure from terrorism and other hazards, as well as the fact that our nation, and its insurance industry, is extremely
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National Defense Counsel -- Edifice Complex?
Dream Job was an ESPN reality show in which young slackers and sports nuts vied to become a real-life Sports Center newscaster. The winner got a one-year contract and the right to shout "Boo-yah!"
Departments
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NAIC Proposes Criminal Background Check Model Act
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has drafted a model act that is designed to provide states with the ability to collect fingerprints of insurance employees and submit the
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CAIF Pushes State Anti-Fraud Legislation
More states urgently need to pass targeted laws to uncover and disband widespread staged-accident rings, the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud recently told the National Conference of Insurance
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USGS Assess Coastal Erosion
In states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, vast areas of coastal land have been destroyed since the mid-1800s as a result of natural processes and human activities, according to
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National Safety Groups Form Partnership Links
Underwriters Laboratories and the Institute for Business & Home Safety have joined forces to promote public awareness about residential and commercial property safety issues. The groups intend to
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Institute Authors Silica White Paper
The Insurance Information Institute recently completed a white paper on the health risks associated with silicosis and the rising number of silica-related claims being filed. As Congress continues to
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Getting Away With Fraud
"The findings of this year's survey indicate that the insurance industry still is increasingly vulnerable to fraud," said Michael A. Lucarini, a partner in Accentor's Insurance practice. "Insurance
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Industry Responds to Charley
Although damage from August's Hurricane Charley was still being assessed when this issue of Claims went to press, preliminary estimates of insured losses were just over $7 billion, making it the
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Sullivan Honored as Professional of the Year
The Editorial Advisory Board of Claims has named Christine A. Sullivan, assistant vice president of Allstate Insurance, Professional of the Year. Christine will receive the Professional of the Year
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Surveillance Technology Fights No-fault Auto Insurance Fraud
AutoOne Insurance Co., of Melville, N.Y., has donated two recording and monitoring devices to the NICB for use by detectives in the New York City Police Department's Fraudulent Accident Investigation
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PLRB Revisited
A casual observer might never have noticed that the Property Loss Research Bureau has just gone through a dramatic change. In January 2004, the PLRB was spun off by the Alliance of American Insurers,
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Reputed Mobster Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud
Joseph Fratta, a reputed member of the Bonanno crime family, pleaded guilty to charges ranging from money laundering and fraud to enterprise corruption and tax evasion. At his sentencing hearing on
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Safeco Launches National Boat Claim Center
Last month, with boating season in full swing, Safeco established a new specialized claim unit dedicated to handling boaters' insurance claims. The National Boat Unit, located in Spokane, Wash., is
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Pan Am Insurers Sue Lockerbie Bombing Convict
Insurers for former airline Pan Am have filed suit in Edinburgh, Scotland, against a Libyan man who was convicted of the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people aboard a Pan Am jet in 1988,
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Famous Fraud Expert Fronts NAIC Campaign
The con-artist and security expert who became a household name when his story was made into the movie, Catch Me If You Can, has signed on as the spokesman for the National Association of Insurance
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Deadly September
Although the official end of hurricane season is in sight, September is, historically, the deadliest and most expensive month for tropical storms. Eight of the 10 costliest hurricanes to strike the
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Ten Most Costly Hurricanes In the United States
In early August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a revised forecast for the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, indicating a 45 percent probability of above-normal activity.
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Insurer Wins PIP Waiver Case
In the original case, Richard Nesbit, a Government Employees Insurance Co. policyholder injured in a 2003 auto mobile accident, attempted to recover PIP benefits. The insurer rejected the claim
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Insurers Sue Medical Clinics
Allstate Insurance Co., Country Insurance & Financial Services (formerly MSI Insurance Cos.), Encompass Insurance (through underwriting company Continental Insurance Co.), and Progressive Casualty
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Wireless Technology Speeds Customer Service
In the auto physical damage arena, it takes a lot to arouse the excitement of seasoned claim appraisers and handlers. After Hartford introduced its new Claim Expediter wireless mobile system,
