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, which merged with the National Association of Independent Insurers to form a new insurance trade association, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
"With the stroke of a pen, the old PLRB that had been assisting member-company claim departments since 1947 was gone and a new PLRB instantly took its place," said Bill Purmort, president of the Central Companies in Van Wert, Ohio, and chairman of PLRB's Board of Directors. "Then, in keeping with long-standing PLRB practice, the level of excellent service to the members was improved."
PLRB provides coverage research, information and data, training and education, and catastrophe services to its 900 member companies. It is most visible through its annual Claims Conference, attended by thousands of claim executives, claim managers, claim adjusters, defense counsel, and service providers.
In addition to the conference, PLRB's Training and Education Department will present two regional adjuster conferences, a large loss conference, and a joint conference with another association yet this year. The Midwest Regional Adjusters Conference will be held Sept. 21 to 23 in Bloomingdale, Ill., and the Atlantic Regional Adjusters Conference is scheduled for Nov. 9 and 10 in Philadelphia.
PLRB also will present training for defense counsel and senior claim executives at the bi-annual joint conference presented by the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and PLRB. The 2004 Critical Issues for Senior Executives and In-House Counsel meeting will convene Sept. 27 in Chicago.
"We will be offering both property and liability sessions at this year's FDCC conference," said Scott Powell, director of educational and technical services. "Our staff has lined up legal scholars and leaders who will provide unique insight into current critical insurance issues."
The bureau also is putting the finishing touches on the Large Loss Conference, scheduled for Nov. 30 through Dec. 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz. "The sessions are being designed for general adjusters and senior claim executives who manage the challenges of large and complex commercial and residential losses," Powell said.
A web-based, distance learning program is another of the projects PLRB is tackling this year. "We believe that these programs will provide a useful tool for the continuing education of our members' claim adjusters," said Powell. The cost of producing these training modules is being underwritten by PLRB affiliate members.
Also in progress is planning for the 2005 Claims Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The 40-member Claims Conference Committee met in May. The subjects to be considered for presentation were selected and the Training and Education staff already is lining up presenters.
The most heavily used PLRB service is the Lawline, through which member-company employees can research coverage questions. "Our staff attorneys are continuing to field hundreds of coverage questions each month," said Jeff Kerensky, assistant vice president of property legal services.
Both the property and liability coverage attorneys continuously update material on the search database, the most visited section of the PLRB web site. State-by-state discussions of problematic coverage issues are being added.
Each week, PLRB issues an electronic newsletter, Front Lines. It highlights new information available on the web site, in addition to challenging readers with Test Your Coverage Knowledge and Test Your Claim Knowledge quizzes.
The Daily Report from Catastrophe Services is read each morning by hundreds of PLRB claim department employees. "Our geo-coded occurrence reports are prepared and posted seven days a week," said Peter Balingit, manager, catastrophe services. "We also assist numerous member-company claim departments in understanding and using our geo-coded data. On a daily basis, we can help them pinpoint tornado, hail, wind, flooding, earthquake events, and so on. In special events, such as last year's Southern California fires and Hurricane Isabel, we geo-coded satellite data to help the catastrophe manger get a better handle on what was happening and exactly where it was occurring."
Planning is well underway for the services and programs that PLRB will offer its members in 2005. The Regional Advisory Committee met in May to provide the staff with advice and counsel on what members feel is needed. The staff is currently shaping those suggestions into projects and programs that will be presented in the fall to the advisory board for its consideration and approval.
Hugh Strawn is assistant vice president, communication services for PLRB.
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