To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, April 8, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
THREE I.I.I. SPEAKERS ADDRESS THE ANNUAL NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian, Jeanne Salvatore, and Steven Weisbart all gave presentations at the National Hurricane Conference. At the same gathering, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released the second edition of its Rating the States report.
I.I.I.’s PRESIDENT APPEARS IN NEW YORK CITY NBC AFFILIATE STORY ON PROPUBLICA’S WORKERS COMPENSATION SERIES
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig taped an interview with WNBC-TV on Monday, March 30; portions of the interview appeared in a segment on how workers comp payouts vary widely, depending on the severity of a person’s injury and the state in which it occurred.
NEW YORK CITY GAS EXPLOSION KILLS TWO, INJURES MANY OTHERS, AS THREE BUILDINGS ARE DESTROYED IN MANHATTAN’S EAST VILLAGE
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore gave a live interview to WPIX-TV on Tuesday, March 31, stressing the importance of having renters insurance because the structures also housed 60-plus residential apartments. The I.I.I.’s media advisory on the disaster touched on its insurance implications.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS (NAIC) ADOPTS A WHITE PAPER ON RIDE-SHARING AND INSURANCE COVERAGE
The NAIC issued a news release, with a link to the white paper, on Tuesday, March 31, which generated this same-day article in The Wall Street Journal’s online Total Return section.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
Jeff Blyskal, a senior editor at Consumer Reports, is working on a series of detailed articles about auto insurance pricing. The first installment is scheduled for publication in mid-May, and the series will continue throughout the balance of 2015.
ABC’s 20/20 may tape an interview with the I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig next week (April 6-10) for a segment the program is preparing on slip and fall fraud cases involving workers compensation insurance.
Ann Carrns of The New York Times is writing about the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) changes which took effect on April 1, 2015.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry spoke with Ciaran McEvoy for an article he is writing for Investor’s Business Daily on pay-as-you-drive auto insurance policies.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters was interviewed by Mike Wine of The New York Times (Oklahoma’s insured earthquake losses), AnnaMaria Andriotis of The Wall Street Journal (vacation home coverage) and Mandi Woodruff of Yahoo! Finance (NYC explosion and renters insurance).
CAPITOL HILL
Effective April 1, FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders will pay a $25 surcharge if the policy is for their primary residence, and a $250 surcharge if it covers a non-primary residence, a multi-family residential parcel, or a non-residential property.
STATES
Alabama
Attorney General Luther Strange said he welcomed a federal judge’s ruling, which will allow Alabama to proceed with its economic damages jury trial against BP in connection with 2010’s Gulf Oil spill. The trial will likely begin in either April or May of 2016.
Arizona
The state’s Chamber of Commerce favors enactment of House Bill 2439, believing bad faith workers compensation claims should be adjudicated by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, rather than the courts, according to a Arizona Republic article.
California
The Assembly’s Insurance Committee is holding a public hearing on Wednesday, April 8. One of the bills on the agenda is Assembly Bill 822, which would create a clear statute of limitations for when actions against the California Insurance Guarantee Association should begin to run.
The Personal Insurance Federation of California (PIFC) told the Assembly it supports Senate Bill 602, which would “create an option for Californians to finance specific mitigation activities” to protect their homes in the event of an earthquake.
A desert wildfire which spread on Tuesday afternoon, March 31, near Victorville (San Bernardino County), east of Los Angeles, prompted the evacuations of nearby homes and ranches, according to the Associated Press; the blaze began as a controlled burn.
Sacramento’s CBS affiliate examined the issue of crop insurance in the wake of the state’s severe drought.
Florida
House Bill 817 is gaining favor among lawmakers who want transportation network companies (TNCs) to secure the right type and amount of insurance coverage for their drivers and passengers.
The Tallahassee-based Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is previewing its new social gaming application, Last House Standing, this week at the National Hurricane Conference, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Louisiana
A Chinese drywall manufacturer paid a $3.2 million judgement last Friday to the owners of seven homes damaged by its defective product, a “turning point” after the company resisted the authority of U.S. courts for years, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Massachusetts
The state’s Attorney General is opposing the state auto insurer of last resort’s request to raise its installment fee from $6 to $8, as well as its plan to increase from $25 to $29 its charge for a late payment or a cancelled/returned check, AM Best reports.
New Hampshire
The president issued a federal disaster declaration for three counties (Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Stafford) affected by a severe winter storm during the period of January 26-28, 2015.
New York
About $3 billion in FEMA funding will allow the New York City Housing Authority to repair and enhance resiliency at 33 Sandy-damaged public housing developments, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
New York City’s Build it Back (BIB) program, designed to assist homeowners impacted by Sandy, “was a boon for consultants who failed to do required work and left thousands of victims without help,” a New York City Comptroller’s audit report revealed.
Oklahoma
Insurance Commissioner John Doak spoke to The Wall Street Journal about a Prague homeowner’s lawsuit against two energy companies. The plaintiff claims their fracking operations led to a 2011 earthquake, which toppled her home’s chimney.
Pennsylvania
The Delaware County district attorney charged the owner of two auto body repair shops with committing auto insurance fraud after a nearly four-year investigation. Additional arrests related to the case were also made, Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate reports.
Tennessee
The Nashville Tennessean provided an update on legislation which would allow businesses to opt out of the state’s workers compensation insurance system.
West Virginia
The president issued a federal disaster declaration for 29 counties affected by a severe winter storm, flooding, landslides and mudslides during the period of March 3-6, 2015.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
New York City investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the Thursday, March 26, explosion in Manhattan’s East Village. According to the New York Times, the unauthorized siphoning of natural gas from one of the buildings may be to blame.
The federal Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA) goes into effect today. It will cause NFIP premiums to go up, reportedly rising 10% on average. On social, the majority of posts are informing consumers about the new law.
The National Hurricane Conference (NHC) began on Monday, March 30. The I.I.I. has been following the NHC on social, and tweeting updates from the conference using their hashtag #hurricaneconf. You can also follow their account on twitter – @nathurricanecon.
Here are two updates on stories the I.I.I. mentioned on last week’s media call:
- The Delphi Car which drove from California to New York without a driver arrived just in time for the start of New York International Auto Show.
- Lufthansa might be facing unlimited liability since it seems that the co-pilot might have deliberately crashed the plane.
MEDIA MATTERS
Fox News Channel was by far the top-rated cable news network in the first quarter of 2015.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here
For an I.I.I. Blog search, click here.
