WTC: One Event Or Two?

To The Editor:

NU

Akos Swierkiewicz, CPCU
President
IRCOS
Morrisville, Pa.

To The Editor:

Thank you to David Thamann for posing this questionto his insurance industry readers, and for an educated response. Weare privileged to relate our professional opinions, wherereasonable minds can differ.

The insurance policy language will or should decide the issue.Shame on the underwriter if the language isn't established in placeprior to the loss, and isn't clear and concise. The property shouldhave been defined as one or two sites in the policy prior to theloss (one risk or two, separately insured). I don't know theanswer, since I haven't read the policy.

The definition of occurrence (if found in the applicable policy)should prevail, if it reads "continuous or repeated exposure tosubstantially the same general conditions"--this is considered asarising out of one occurrence. The concerted terrorist plot,conceived to bring down the towers on the morning of Sept. 11,2001, in my opinion, certainly meets this definition.