Loss Control

Scientists believe there is evidence that great earthquakes occur in clusters over a period of years and that a significant event is on the horizon, according to a report from catastrophe modeler Eqecat.

California workers compensation insurers, which have been hurt by increasing underwriting losses over the past three years, should benefit from two bills signed into law recently, and from several bills opposed by the industry that were not signed, according to Moodys.

California workers compensation insurers, which have been hurt by increasing underwriting losses over the past three years, should benefit from two bills signed into law recently, and from several bills opposed by the industry that were not signed, according to Moodys.

Becoming more involved with and helping manage lawsuits would benefit both the professional standing of risk managersand their companies, according to industry experts.

In addition to the company profiles featured in the Aug. 22/29 issue of National Underwriter, the risk managers from these award-winning companies participated in a roundtable discussion at the Workers Compensation Educational Conference in Orlando. Heres what they had to say.

Jack McCalmon, president of The McCalmon Group Inc. in Tulsa, Okla. and partner at Titus Hillis Law Firm in Tulsa, advises risk managers to get involved early and often with their companys litigationand to lobby for settlements as the best cost-control strategy.

A number of challenges continued in the workers compensation segment throughout 2010, causing additional decline in premium volume and deterioration of underwriting results, according to A.M. Best.

A two-day underwater examination conducted by Transocean and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Oct. 4-5 confirmed that there are no hydrocarbons leaking from the sunken Deepwater Horizon or the riserthe pipe linking the rig to the well head prior to the Macondo accident last year.