Declarations

Electric Evidence

“They did it because they’re faced with insurmountable evidence that it’s their responsibility.”

— Robert Curtis, an attorney representing 450 victims of a fire that tore through California’s central coast last year and resulted in mudslides, said he believed that Edison admitted fault for the fire because witnesses already have come forward to say they believe the utility’s equipment was involved.

Workers’ Comp Costs

“This steady drop – nearly 50 percent over the last five years – has helped business owners with one of their critical operating costs – workers’ compensation insurance.”

— Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade said in a press release after the Connecticut Insurance Department approved a nearly 17 percent decrease in workers’ compensation insurance rates, marking the fifth consecutive year rates have dropped in the state.

Fake Certificates

“Respondent charged each customer approximately $100-$125 cash for a false certificate of insurance, placed the money in Advasure’s cash drawer and took the money home at the end of the day.”

— Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) alleged in an order that Dillen Leonard of Flint, created and sold false auto insurance certificates to customers who knew they were fakes. The DIFS said Leonard created the documents at Advasure Insurance Agency, where he worked. DIFS fined Leonard $25,000 and revoked his insurance producer license.

Not If, When

“It’s not a matter that the dam will break. … It’s when it will break.”

— Mike Oglesby, who lives in a camper at Lake Sandy in central Arkansas, comments on reports that the lake’s dam has many safety issues that indicate a lack of maintenance and could cause the structure to collapse. The Lake Sandy Property Owners Association acquired the dam in 1992 and had its last meeting in the mid- to late-1990s, and residents believe that’s when dam maintenance stopped.

No Worse Time

“Everything was just ready to harvest, so it couldn’t have been a worse time.”

— Ron Lee, a cotton farmer in Southwest Georgia who suffered major losses from Hurricane Michael. The storm, which entered Georgia as a Category 3 hurricane after making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 on Oct. 10, is expected to cost the state’s agriculture industry nearly $3 billion in damage.

First Arrival

“It is an open question regarding which will arrive first: autonomous cars and trucks or underwriting profits for CAL [commercial auto liability] underwriters.”

— Nick Durant, managing director, Guy Carpenter, wrote in a commentary published in conjunction with the recent Property Casualty Insurers Association of America Annual Meeting in Miami.

Topics Workers' Compensation