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, May 27, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA (CFA) SAYS U.S. AUTO INSURERS SHOULD GIVE GREATER WEIGHT TO MILES DRIVEN WHEN PRICING PRIVATE-PASSENGER POLICIES
Since the call, the CFA issued this release, and held a teleconference. The I.I.I. responded to inquiries from NBC Digital News (Herb Weisbaum), Nerd Wallet (Aubrey Cohen) and SNL Financial (Matt MacFarland).
JAPANESE MAKER OF AUTOMOTIVE AIR BAGS NEARLY DOUBLES THE SCOPE OF ITS RECALL, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LARGEST IN U.S. HISTORY
The action expands the number of vehicles to be recalled for defective Takata inflators to nearly 34 million, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced on Tuesday, May 19.
CALIFORNIA’S GOVERNOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY AFTER OIL SPILL CLOSES REFUGIO STATE BEACH
Coastal waters for a stretch of more than nine miles were impacted by thousands of gallons of oil that leaked out of a Plains All American transmission pipeline on Tuesday afternoon, May 19. Governor Jerry Brown’s declaration was made on the following day.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The Wall Street Journal’s Leslie Scism is preparing a story about earthquake insurance deductibles, an topic the I.I.I. addressed this week in advance of the San Andreas movie premiere on Friday, May 29.
An ABC Good Morning America producer is looking for a workers compensation or disability insurer that was defrauded because a policyholder used documentation from www.bestfakedoctorsnotes.net.
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig was interviewed by Fortune magazine’s Brian Dumaine for a story on driverless cars and insurance.
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore discussed with The Chicago Tribune’s Carolyn Bigda the insurance discounts available to married couples.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry provided information to The Boston Globe’s Deirdre Fernandes for an article she is developing on the surcharges and rate hikes incorporated into the new federal flood insurance reform law. It took effect on April 1, 2015.
The I.I.I.’s Barry taped an interview with Syracuse, New York, ABC affiliate reporter Rachel Polansky for a segment she is preparing on the difference between original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and after-market parts. The segment will likely air during the week of May 25-29.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters helped Carrier Management’s Mark Hollmer on a distracted driving article, pegged to new AT&T research showing nearly 40 percent of smartphone users tap into social media while driving, and A.M. Best’s Lori Chordas for a story on 2014’s industry highlights.
Worters also handled additional media from last week’s dog bite awareness press conference in Washington, D.C., including D.C.’s NBC affiliate, The Financial Times, Roll Call and The Oklahoman.
STATES
California
Nevada County homeowners are having trouble finding homeowners insurance coverage due to the region’s wildfire risks, according to a Monday, May 18, Sacramento CBS affiliate story.
PC360 offered an in-depth look at how the state’s homeowners insurers are preparing for the 2015 wildfire season.
Florida
“Insurers that have used price optimization in the determination of the rates filed and currently in effect should submit a filing to eliminate that use,” stated a Thursday, May 14, informational memorandum from the Office of Insurance Regulation.
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian appeared in this Friday, May 15, price optimization segment, which aired on West Palm Beach’s NBC affiliate.
More than 30 arrests were made after investigators uncovered a scheme in which a Miami public adjuster recruited homeowners to file fraudulent fire and water damage insurance claims, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced.
Orlando’s CBS affiliate plans to air on Monday, June 1, an investigative report on roofers who scam homeowners after receiving an assignment of insurance benefits from the homeowner. The on-air reporter is Eryka Washington.
Kentucky
Louisville’s City Council is revisiting its land-use policies and how they will impact the city’s FEMA flood plain rating after the April 3 flooding in Louisville. Its Public Works, Bridges, and Transportation Committee discussed the issue this week (see agenda item #2).
Louisiana
State Treasurer John Kennedy said 4,588 individuals are owed an average of $1,640 apiece because of a class action-lawsuit filed against Citizens Property Insurance Corporation after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Mississippi
Ridgeland-based VRM Telematics is releasing next month The Sentinel, a device that can notify someone outside a specific car if the driver is either sending text messages or talking on a cellphone.
New York
Benjamin Lawsky, the superintendent of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), is leaving that post in late June 2015.
FEMA has started sending letters to 144,00-plus National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claimants, asking them if they want to have their 2012 Sandy claim revisited, according to Newsday (subscription required).
Ohio
Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a lawsuit in Summit County against a roofing company accused of taking insurance money from consumers in northeast and central Ohio but failed to provide any services, months after collecting payments.
American Modern Insurance Group’s Amelia campus will be the site of a roof aging farm the company and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety announced on Tuesday, May 19.
Oklahoma
Governor Mary Fallin requested this week a federal disaster declaration for Cleveland, Grady and Oklahoma counties as a result of the tornadoes and severe storms dating back to Tuesday, May 5. The Bridge Creek and Oklahoma City twisters earlier this month were EF-3s.
Multiple small tornadoes touched down near Purcell, in the southern part of the state, on Tuesday, May 19. On that same day, Norman had flash floods.
Texas
Tornadoes touched down in Giddings (Lee County), Mineral Wells (Palo Pinto County) and Runaway Bay (Wise County) on Tuesday, May 19, causing property damage but no injuries, FEMA reported (see page 3).
Senator Larry Taylor’s (R-Friendswood) SB 1628, which has passed the Senate (see page 27), is being criticized by Texas Watch on the grounds that it would allow insurers to dismiss claims on “mere technicalities.”
West Virginia
The president approved a disaster declaration for 12 counties following the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides of April 8-11, 2015.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
May 17-23 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The I.I.I. issued a press release on dog bite claim trends and its findings were widely picked up by the media. It has been viewed over 1,300 times and quoted countless amount of times on social. If you’d like to follow the conversation on Twitter, search the hashtag #PreventDogBites.
The Takata Air Bag recall is now considered one of the largest ever, impacting almost 34 million U.S. cars. On social, news outlets are posting the links where consumers can check if their car is affected. The WSJ posted a list where drivers can search by the make and model of the vehicles equipped with Takata air bags. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a website where drivers can input their car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) number and determine if the recall affects them.
The oil pipeline that burst on Tuesday, May 19, sending thousands of gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, is a popular topic today (May 20). Pictures of the oil slicks, damaged beaches and clean-up efforts have been posted across social platforms. Many people have been expressing their dismay over the oil spill, many saying the event ruined their Memorial Day weekend plans.
Given all the people who will be outdoors during the Memorial Day weekend, the I.I.I. is posting barbeque and pool safety tips, as well as other fun filled information, to ensure everyone has a safe holiday.
MEDIA MATTERS
Marc Lifsher, a Sacramento-based insurance reporter for The Los Angeles Times, has left the paper to become the communications director for California state Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills). Lifsher can be reached at either 916-651-4027 or marc.lifsher@sen.ca.gov.
Thirty-nine (39) percent of American adults aged 18 to 64 watch the news on broadcast TV every day, according to a national survey conducted by SmithGeiger on behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters.
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.
