National Underwriter P&C November-01, 2009
Cover Story
Ready To Fight Back?
Editor In Chief Sam Friedman came away from NU's annual P&C Executive Conference impressed by the feistiness of many of the top players speaking, compared to last year's far more introspective and downbeat lot.
Opinion
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Insurers Must Get Buyers 'On Board' In Soft Market
The economy is experiencing one of its worst recessions since The Great Depression.
News
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McGavick Urges Fellow P&C Leaders To Speak Up In D.C. To Defend Industry
Insurers who believe in American-style capitalism have to rally behind the free market to head off a government overreaction in regulating the economy in general.
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Chartis CFO Says Competitors Griping About Price Guilty Of Sour Grapes
A top executive of Chartis, the rebranded property and casualty carrier of American International Group, says any lingering accusations by competitors about alleged underpricing to counteract AIG's damaged reputation are bogus and simply sour grapes.
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Marsh Begins Buying Independent Agencies
A day after announcing the acquisition of Texas independent agency Insurance Alliance, the head of Marsh & McLennan Companies said the firm could announce the purchase of several additional agencies by year's end.
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Hartwig Says Health Care Bill May Be 'Trial Lawyers Dream'
The House health care reform bill is a "trial lawyer's dream" that could have some degree of a "spillover effect" on the property and casualty industry, according to Insurance Information Institute President Robert P. Hartwig.
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Senate Health Care Reform Bill May Yet Revoke Antitrust Shield
Health care reform legislation unveiled by the Senate Democratic leadership last week includes a "public plan" that states could reject.
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Global Warming Regulations Likely To Spark D&O Claims
A lack of regulation is contributing to a crisis that will ultimately spill over into the directors and officer liability world--global warming, predicts a leading plaintiff attorney.
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Did D&O Coverage Fuel The Credit Crisis?
Did the availability of directors and officers liability insurance products contribute to the credit crisis fueled by investment firms that securitized subprime mortgages and other debt obligations?
Market Report
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Chinese Drywall Study Finds No Solid Link To Health Damage, Fed Agency Says
A federal report on Chinese drywall found the building material contains higher concentrations of bothersome chemicals, but said these would not cause the health issues or physical degradation of property that have been seen.
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Are Drywall, Silt & Green Building The Next Environmental Liability Landmines?
If an underwriter stopped by the office a few years ago and proposed that drywall leads to significant pollution liabilities, you probably would have laughed.
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Global Warming Coverage Required By Gassy Business, Legal Expert Warns
Businesses emitting greenhouse gases that cause global warming face imminent liability problems, and they should secure insurance coverage to protect themselves, a legal expert is warning.
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Exxon Mobil Hit With $105M Damage Award For New York Pollution
A federal jury in Manhattan, after an 11-week trial, found Exxon Mobil liable for a $105 million in damages for contaminating part of the New York City well water supply.
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Pollution Risk At Elder Care Facilities Pose Real, But Underappreciated Threat
One of the few growth areas of the economy is the elder care industry.
