What's Happening?

CLAIMS

Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., an independent provider of third-party claim administration services, appointed Executive Vice President Paul J. Posey to chief operating officer (COO). In this new capacity, Posey will be responsible for all Sedgwick CMS operating groups engaged in the direct delivery of claim services on behalf of clients.

Posey has been with the company for 12 years and previously served as both chairman and president of the American Association of Independent Claims Professionals.

OTHER SERVICES

David S. Zweighaft, CPA, CFE, has joined the New York office of RGL Forensics, an international forensic accounting firm. Prior to this post, Zweighaft operated his own forensic accounting and litigation consulting firm.

ASSOCIATIONS

The Council on Litigation Management (CLM) made changes to its advisory board, announcing that Domenick DiCicco, SVP, chief legal officer for Zurich North America, and Helen Gillcrist, vice president and manager of Enterprise Legal Services of Liberty Mutual, will serve as the Council's Advisory Board Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively, for two-year terms.

DiCicco and Gillcrist succeed Michael Boutot and Kevin Quinley, who will both continue to serve on the board. Dean K. Harring, CPCU, CIC, and chief claims officer for QBE the Americas, also joined the board.

The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) Board of Trustees elected officers for the 2009 year. Michael Lloyd of California Casualty Management Company will serve as chairman, and Robert Turchan of Pride Auto Body, representing Everest Partners, will act as vice chair. Additionally, David McClune of the California Autobody Association will assume the role of treasurer, while Denise Caspersen, Automotive Service Association, will operate as the secretary.

NEW RELEASES

Now available from Soho Publishing, Claims Made & Reported: A Journey Through D&O, E&O, and Other Professional Lines of Insurance traces the development of the professional lines insurance industry from 1688 — at the inception of Lloyd's — to 2008. Author Larry Goanos interviewed more than 400 industry professionals to write the book, which provides an educational overview of the industry in the U.S., Bermuda, and England. Copies are available for purchase only on the publisher's web site, www.sixthandspringbooks.com.

Audatex North America Inc. released the Winter 2009 volume of its industry trends publication, Audatex Directions. The feature article in this latest installment explores what is driving hybrid repair costs, examining how subtle design differences can result in higher part prices, repair costs, and limited alternative-part availability. This edition also marks the introduction of a series of articles about Lean Six Sigma for collision repair. The series outlines how proven Lean methodologies can improve shop productivity, customer satisfaction, and business-growth potential. For more information or to download the publication, go to www.audatex.us.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)'s 2006 Homeowners Insurance Report provides data about market distribution and average costs per policy form and amount of insurance. The recently released report includes country-wide and state-specific premium and exposure information for non-commercial dwelling fire insurance and homeowners' insurance package policies. It also contains a discussion of how certain economic, demographic, and natural phenomena impact homeowners' insurance prices. More information can be found at www.naic.org.

Casualty Actuarial Society offers Estimating Unpaid Claims Using Basic Techniques as a comprehensive resource for practicing actuaries and actuarial candidates. Jacqueline Frank Friedland authored the new text, consolidating numerous papers that addressed estimating unpaid claims on the CAS basic education syllabus. As Ms. Friedland notes, “two major benefits of one educational publication are consistent definitions of terms and examples that are used with multiple estimation techniques.” To gain access to the text, go to www.casact.org/pubs.

VENTURES

CIECA re-chartered its Customer Satisfaction Indexing (CSI) committee. The precipitating reasons behind the action were renewed interest by the industry and collaborative spirit among member companies such as Allstate, CSi Complete, Customer Research, Inc., CynCast, Mitchell International, and Performance Feedback.

The committee's mission is to facilitate appropriate collision industry segments and vendors' electronic communications of CSI information. These electronic communications standards would encompass the collection of data from repair facilities and insurers, a survey process, and the dissemination of information to appropriate stakeholders. For more information about CIECA standards, go to cieca.com.

Baseline Management Company, Inc. introduced new catastrophe models for hurricanes and earthquakes. The risk modeling and technology firm developed the models in conjunction with Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) and URS Corporation (URS). The set can be accessed as a service through Baseline's hosted, web-based platform. They incorporate tested concepts and draw upon peer-reviewed science and engineering.

GAB Robins, a provider of loss adjusting and claim management services, is selling its international subsidiaries as well its forensic engineering unit, EFI Global, Inc. The deal excludes the company's U.K. business, which could be purchased by the unit's management from GAB's majority owner, Brera Capital Partners, LP, and operated under the name GAB Robins U.K. Limited.

Cunningham Lindsey Group Limited, LLC, which provides similar, third-party adjustment services as GAB Robins, was announced as the buyer of EFI Global. According to its web site, EFI Global provides forensic engineering, fire investigation, environmental, and specialty consulting services for commercial, industrial, institutional, insurance, government, public, and private entities.

DRC Services Group, a debt management company, offers a new service to assist insurers in automating and resolving their non-performing auto subrogation claims. The added resource is designed to help insurers reduce the growing portfolio of subrogation claims, which reportedly reach upward of $225B annually. The goals of the Resolved Claims program are to provide a long-term solution that holds responsible parties accountable while allowing insurance carriers to recover more of the revenue to which they are legally entitled. Go to resolvedclaims.com for program details.