While most of the headlines related to the auto industry these days have focused on financial instability or driver safety issues afflicting some of its competitors, Nissan North America has achieved dramatically improved workers' compensation results by creating a safer workplace for its employees.

Indeed, Nissan's U.S. manufacturing operations have experienced a 46 percent drop in premiums for policies with its Bermuda captive, Nissan Global Reinsurance, while costs for excess coverage have fallen almost 30 percent over the last three years, thanks to improvements in safety, reductions in losses, more management accountability and aggressive lobbying for legislative reforms.

Their success in cutting comp costs and creating a safer workplace for employees has earned Nissan North America an Honorable Mention as one of three winners in the fourth annual National Underwriter Award for Excellence in Workers' Compensation Risk Management program, sponsored by NCCI.