Claims Magazine August 2008
Cover Story
The "Global Warming" Insurance Claim
Scientists have been warning us about the devastating impact global warming could have if human-made greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, and many believe that these impacts are being felt now.
Features
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Learning Paths Less Traveled
One-size-fits-all training for claim professionals is becoming as obsolete as paper files, Pintos, and Polaroids.
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Gimme Shelter
Hurricane season is upon us, and insurance adjusters are bracing themselves for the worst as they pore over 2008 forecasts.
Columns
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Reservation Required
"Quinley" is an Irish name. My descendants undoubtedly hailed from Hibernia. My Irish acted up while scanning the results of a recent Greenwich Associates study about claim service.
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Travels by Train
This summer, I was asked to make a presentation at an insurance fraud conference held by the Nebraska Department of Insurance at a state park on the Platte River.
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Unfair Claim Settlement Practices
Today's adjuster is frequently responsible for handling claims in several states. This applies to both the in-house claim office staff and to independent adjusters.
Departments
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Amateur Adjuster Hour
Homeowners may be accepting settlement amounts that are inappropriate because of lack of resources.
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The Rising Tide for Coastal Properties
The string of properties speckling the Gulf and East Coasts serve as a reminder of what is at stake when the next hurricane sweeps through.
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Organizations Unite to Combat Fraud
The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau are partnering together to form the Consortium to Combat Medical Fraud.
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Lightning Losses Mount
The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) determined that the cost of homeowners' claims for damages stemming from lightning strikes has increased by 28 percent over the last four years.
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Speaking Of: Customer Service
To explore the current role of customer service in the field, Claims' Christina Bramlet recently spoke with Donna Warren, president of Professional Claim Adjusters.
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Happiness Guaranteed?
Canadian policyholders hear similar insurance slogans as we do. But one company up north is taking a different approach than just promising good-hands treatment.
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The Canine Conundrum
Dog bite-related claims comprise one-third of all homeowners' insurance liability claims, the organization reports.
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Symbility Upgrades Mobile Claims Software
Symbility Solutions released an updated version of its mobile claim software application.
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Property Valuation Tool Goes Online
The release of Simsol ContentsClaims, a web-based contents valuation software product, will provide adjusters with a tool to search for the property values of more than seven million personal property items.
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Toughbook Gets Tougher
Panasonic Computer Solutions Company will release the Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1, the first ultra mobile PC (UMPC).
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Adjuster Invents Car Desk
Deskinacar, the most recent product from Officeinacar, is a portable utility desk that weighs less than four pounds and can be stowed in most 17" laptop bags.
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Consequences of Greed
As you open this issue, Richard Scruggs' cell door is closing. He is getting acquainted inside a federal prison that will be his new home for the next five years.
