Articles by Catherine Tapia

2001-An Odyssey Indeed

One of my fondest childhood memories is being mesmerized for the first time by the film “2001 A Space Odyssey,” which contained a vision of the future regarded now as not so much uncommonly accurate as outrageously bold and imaginative. …

Angels of the Industry 2001

The date of Sept. 11 has been indelibly etched into the minds of virtually every American. And yet, despite the tragic events of that day and their repercussions, at least one ray of hope has shone through—that is, the pulling …

Angels of the Industry 2001

The date of Sept. 11 has been indelibly etched into the minds of virtually every American. And yet, despite the tragic events of that day and their repercussions, at least one ray of hope has shone through—that is, the pulling …

House Passes Terrorism Risk Protection Act, Attention Now Turns to Senate

In what is viewed by many leading insurance industry organizations as a significant step in the right direction, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Terrorism Risk Protection Act (HR 3210) by a vote of 227-193 on Nov. 29. According …

Jury Awards $2.7M In Calif. Mold Case

In what has been deemed the largest personal injury verdict in a toxic mold-related lawsuit in the U.S., a Sacramento, Calif., jury awarded Darren and Marcie Mazza and their eight-year-old son, Bryce, $2.7 million on Nov. 8. That sum does …

NAII Gets Down to Serious Business at 56th Annual Meeting

Just two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., those acts and the potential for others have become a part of the collective American consciousness. And the insurance industry ranks among those most deeply impacted by the …

AMS Services Pulls the Plug on TowerStreet

In keeping with what has been a challenging year of transition for the AMS Holding Group, its AMS Services Inc. business unit, a provider of software and automation services to the insurance industry, announced the discontinuation of the TowerStreet initiative. …

The View from Up There-Insurers Embrace Space Age Technologies

The key witness in a recent crop fraud case turned out to be a camera. In June 2001, a U.S. District judge in Arkansas ruled against several farmers accused of filing false crop insurance claims totaling approximately $244,000. Key evidence …

CIGA Bill Gets Approval in Calif. Legislative Session, SB 71 Falls Short

As the California Legislature wound up its 2001 session in mid-September, two workers’ compensation-related bills awaited their fate on the desk of Governor Gray Davis. AB 1183: CIGA Premium Surcharge In the case of AB 1183 (Calderon), a decision came …

Agency Management Systems Evolve, Expand Opportunities for Agents

I’m amazed and astounded that in today’s marketplace there are still some holdouts out there that have no automation system whatsoever or are using automation systems, not necessarily complete agency management systems,” said Pam Parry, executive vice president at Golseth …