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, December 3, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
INSURANCE INDUSTRY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION (IICF) HOLDING NEW YORK CITY FUNDRAISER ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10
Peter Tucker, senior vice president, Chubb, offered an update on preparations for the IICF event, which is expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees (see attached).
IICF, I.I.I. AND McKINSEY & COMPANY JOIN FORCES ON CHARITABLE GIVING IN THE PROPERTY & CASUALTY INDUSTRY SURVEY
The survey (username: user123, password: pdw123) takes about 20 minutes to complete; respondents have until Friday, December 19, to submit their answers (see attached).
THE I.I.I.’s JEANNE SALVATORE IS INTERVIEWED LIVE ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL’S WAKE UP WITH AL!
Salvatore’s live interview with host Al Roker aired on Wednesday morning, November 19, and was based on an I.I.I. news release on four steps to take after an auto accident.
GOVERNOR DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN 10 COUNTIES AFTER RECORD SNOWFALL HITS WESTERN NEW YORK
The severe winter storm impacted the following counties: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Franklin, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and Wyoming.
MIDWESTERN STATES FACE FLOOD RISK AFTER HURRICANES MAKE LANDFALL ON THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD, ACADEMIC STUDY FINDS
Published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the report assessed North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones and U.S. Flooding, between 1981 and 2011.
PERCENTAGE OF BICYCLISTS KILLED IN MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES GREW 16 PERCENT BETWEEN 2010 AND 2012
According to Spotlight on Highway Safety, men aged 20-plus account for three-quarters of U.S. bicycle fatalities, with the death toll growing to 722 from 621 over those three years, far below the highest annual total (1,003, in 1975).
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Salvatore recruited an insurance broker to develop price quotes for The New York Times’ Chris Jensen’s story about the cost of insuring a 2015 Ford F-150.
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig spoke with CNBC’s Cadie Thompson and Newsday’s Jamie Herzlich following Hartwig’s webinar presentation this week on cyber risk.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters discussed with Claims magazine’s Patricia Harman the potential insurance repercussions of product recalls for auto manufacturers.
CAPITOL HILL
J. Eric Smith, president and CEO of Swiss Re Americas, co-authored a Politico magazine editorial on the importance of extending the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA).
Takata air bags need to be recalled nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) generated national headlines with its report this week on minivan crash safety.
STATES
California
The state is ready to accept insurance company filings “that will provide coverage for Californians who transport passengers for Transportation Network Companies,” like Uber and Lyft.
Connecticut
Insurance Commissioner Thomas Leonardi is leaving the Malloy administration next month. Commissioner Leonardi will be joining Evercore, an investment banking advisory firm.
Florida
The Tampa Bay Times’ editorial board argued Citizens should be up front with its customers about their homeowners insurance options, even as Citizens tries to reduce its policy count.
Sun Life reached a $3.2 million regulatory settlement agreement with the Office of Insurance Regulation regarding Sun Life’s use of the federal government’s Death Master File.
Hawaii
Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito testified this week before a U.S. House subcommittee on the coverage issues arising from the Big Island’s volcanic lava flow.
Idaho
Insurance Director Bill Deal is retiring on December 31, 2014, eight years after being appointed to the post by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.
Kansas
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered about 25 miles southwest of Wichita prompted Governor Sam Brownback last week to authorize $85,000 for six seismic monitoring stations.
Louisiana
BP is asking a federal judge to cap at $12.6 billion of fines BP should pay related to 2010’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP’s fines should be closer to $18 billion, the U.S. says.
New York
A U.S. Magistrate judge’s ruling in a Sandy-related Long Beach, New York, flood insurance dispute prompted the state’s two U.S. Senators to write to FEMA’s administrator.
New York City bike riders could face a $50 fine if they cause injuries, or property damage, while using a mobile device.
Texas
Four DuPont chemical plant workers were killed last weekend after a methyl mercaptan gas leak at a DuPont plant in LaPorte, about 20 miles east of Houston.
Austin’s City Council, by a vote of 6-1, approved an ordinance allowing transportation network companies (TNCs) to operate within its boundaries.
Utah
A Salt Lake City federal court made a ruling in an insurance dispute related to the Rolling Stones’ March 2014 concert cancellations. Days later, the case was settled.
West Virginia
Massey Energy Company’s chief executive at the time of a fatal 2010 coal mining disaster was indicted last week on criminal counts related to safety rule violations.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
While the record-breaking cold continues throughout the U.S., western New York State has gotten hit the hardest. The #thundersnow dropped more than six feet of snow in and around Buffalo, NY. According to a CNN article that made its way around Twitter, four people have died in the Buffalo area because of the snowstorm.
In other disaster news, the former CEO of Massey Energy, Don Blankenship, was indicted on federal charges that he conspired to violate federal mine safety laws. The Wall Street Journal posted an article last week with details on the case.
MEDIA MATTERS
NBC News’ president has ousted Jamie Horowitz, the former ESPN programmer NBC hired a few months ago to be The Today Show’s senior VP and general manager.
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.
