"Good things happen with the pure sharing of information," says Scott Powell, PLRB/LIRB vice president of educational and technical services, when asked to relay the essence of the 2012 Claims Conference. The annual conference will be held Sunday through Wednesday, April 15-18 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla. Claims professionals from across the country will gather to learn, share, and connect.
Powell expects more than 2,000 attendees at this year's event, an increase from last year. He expects more participants because of an improved economy, as well as "carriers increasingly seeing the value of sending people."
"I'm convinced that participation is how people learn," he says. "People come to conferences because they want to learn with and from others. There are always a lot of new opportunities too. We strive to have at least 50 percent brand new sessions. This is a very nice opportunity to explore the hot topics of the industry."
Hot Topics
Nearly 100 sessions featuring more than 200 speakers will be offered this year. Two sessions PLRB/LIRB organizers are especially excited about are "Large Loss: Managing the Mega-Tornado Loss" and "Chinese Drywall Coverage Decisions: Impact on Future Casualty Claims."
Dwight Douglas, general counsel of Freeman Health Systems in Joplin, Mo. will be speaking at "Managing the Mega-Tornado Loss." Last May, Freeman incurred about $9 million in insured losses after the Joplin tornado. Douglas was (and is) responsible for handling the insurance claim for Freeman and working through all claims issues. Additionally, he has handled all legal issues arising as a result of the tornado including hospital emergency licensing issues, FEMA matters, hospital expansion and construction issues, hospital regulatory issues, employment issues, mutual aid issues, and leased facility issues.
This specific session will allow participants to learn how to efficiently prioritize extraordinary large numbers of claims in a small area. Topics will include preparing staff to empathetically deal with deaths and injuries of policyholders' family and friends, as well as modifying claims management procedures.
The Chinese drywall session attendees will review the important commercial general liability (CGL) coverage decisions emerging from coverage disputes. They will identify the key CGL coverage issues addressed by the courts and analyze how the courts reached their decision on these issues. The presenters will delve into how the resolution of these issues will impact future construction defect and similar claims.
Location, Location, Location
There are several Florida-focused sessions that will spark interest, Powell says. One in particular revolves around a very hot topic for the sunshine state: sinkholes. "Sinkhole, Subsidence & Collapse: Solutions for Difficult Issues," for instance, will trace the evolution of coverage (homeowners', business owners, commercial property forms) for these various types of loss. The presenters will review statutory changes, including sinkhole regulations in Florida. Attendees will also evaluate practical strategies to fairly and efficiently adjust such losses.
The Expo
Tom O'Dowd, PLRB/LIRB marketing and exhibits manager, expects there to be close to 280 service provider organizations exhibiting. He says diversity among the group has greatly increased this year with categories they've not seen at previous conferences. Among those new categories are expert witness testimony, legal billing review, medical billing/record retrieval, and underwriting.
O'Dowd also notes that PLRB is providing a New Products Showcase during conference registration hours on Sunday, April 15, from 1:30 to 5:15 p.m. This segment will feature demonstrations of the latest claims adjustment and management products representing several segments of the property and casualty (P&C) industry. Live demonstrations will highlight new operations, products, and services.
Adjuster continuing education credits have been approved by the Florida Department of Financial Services; and have been applied for from North Carolina Department of Insurance. Individual sessions have been approved for CE credit from New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well.
As in the past, individual sessions, not the full conference, are submitted to New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Texas for approval. There will be 25 to 30 sessions available for New Hampshire credit, 20 to 25 for Oklahoma, and more than 55 sessions available for Texas. PLRB/LIRB has waived the processing fee for continuing education requests in the designated states.
A California earthquake accreditation track will be offered, as well as National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) certification.
PLRB/LIRB will once again offer the special educational program, "Core Claim Skills," featuring eight 90-minute classes offered in two different tracks, property claims and casualty claims. The sessions will address significant adjusting challenges, including coverage analysis, investigations, damage evaluation, and claim resolution—the fundamentals to an adjuster's success. Those who complete the four classes will earn a certificate from PLRB/LIRB.
Out of This World
Included with conference registration, and certainly not to be missed according to Powell, is the special presentation, NASA: Exploration at a Crossroad. During the conference luncheon on Wednesday, NASA Kennedy Space Center's Director of Safety and Mission Assurance Russell Romanella will explore the current human and robotic exploration missions within NASA. The presentation will include insight into the exploration of the solar system including Mars, Saturn, the asteroid belt, and NASA's plan to return to the moon and Mars.
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