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Florida Revises Workers’ Comp Certificates, Excess Profits, Premium Audit Laws

Florida’s governor has signed workers’ compensation legislation streamlining the workers’ compensation certificate process, eliminating mandatory premium audits, and discontinuing refunds for insurers with excess profits. Gov. Rick Scott signed into law HB 941, sponsored by Rep. Doug Holder, which made a number of noncontroversial changes including making the certificate of exemption process easier and clarifying the definition of a corporate officer. For the first time, business owners and officers will be able to file for an exemption electronically. The new law clarifies that “corporate officers” include members of limited liability companies that own at least a 10 percent stake in… Read More »Florida Revises Workers’ Comp Certificates, Excess Profits, Premium Audit Laws

Customer of Size Policy

A woman suing Southwest Airlines Co. over its policy regarding overweight passengers says she’s not interested in the airline’s money. Back in spring of 2011, miss T. allegedly was told that she would have to buy a second seat to board a SW  flight, according to her website. T. alleges she was “humiliated and harassed” by a gate agent who asked for her weight and clothing size before determining that she was too big for a single seat. In her blog T. said she offered to demonstrate that she could fit in a single seat, but reportedly was denied the… Read More »Customer of Size Policy

Moving Scams in Texas

Texas officials say that illegal moving companies are operating statewide, putting consumers at risk for losing their belongings or paying a ransom for getting them back. To operate legally, a moving company must display a valid TxDMV or United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) license number on the truck. Movers should never be hired from free Internet advertising sites. In March, the Houston Police Department arrested two men suspected of using hostage tactics in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. The pair ran an unlicensed moving operation that promised cheap moves, but held customers’ household goods hostage, demanding hundreds of… Read More »Moving Scams in Texas

April Bound Accounts

CALIFORNIA – Lessors Risk Package- Apartments and mercantile, Total premium $15,522.45 – Vacant building- squeaked under the x renewal price. $9,000 – Apartment with law and ordinance – $9,240 – Home health care – $3,000 – Large Electrical Contractor – $51,000 FLORIDA, GULF COAST & TEXAS – Supermarket – Hialeah, FL, multiple losses $40k package – Paving Contractor, FL – GL/ XS/IM $60,000 – FL – Excess Cargo – air freight carrier for gold and silver shipments – $38,000 – FL Panhandle- Wind Only – $19,000 – FL – Banquet Hall GL/LL – $19,000 – FL – Schedule of Vacant… Read More »April Bound Accounts

Paranormal Activity Insurance Coverage

One of the biggest stories in Toms River, N.J., in recent weeks involved an alleged haunted house in the neighborhood. According to local reports, M. and her fiance J. had moved into a home in Toms River in March and soon began to experience a range of paranormal activities. As a news report from ABC News shows, the distressed couple allegedly endured living room lights that turn on by themselves, a vase that falls over when no one is watching, a feeling of being tapped on the shoulder when no one is around, and a raspy voice that whispers, “Let… Read More »Paranormal Activity Insurance Coverage

Risk Control: Fire Safety Plan

Introduction

The development of a Fire Safety Plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”) will help ensure the optimum use fire prevention and life safety features installed in a building. The complete plan will reflect all the resources available to the building occupants and identify the basic measures that will aid in an orderly and safe evacuation all occupants in an emergency. An effective Plan that enhances the life safety of staff and building occupants requires:
• a commitment by building management and staff to the safety of occupants;
• knowledge of the building and its fire safety protection equipment by supervisory staff;
• a clear understanding by supervisory staff of the fire safety procedures in the Plan and how to implement properly; and
• the cooperation and education of building occupants.

The following information discusses the preparation and implementation of a Fire Safety Plan.Read More »Risk Control: Fire Safety Plan

Good Laptop Ergonomics

You see them everywhere carrying their laptops. They are businesses’ “Road Warriors” with offices-on-the-go.  These offices on-the-go are allowing people to work all hours of the day and night. And from anywhere: their company; their homes; libraries; at customer sites; while traveling in planes, cars, trains, and buses; and even while taking in some sun on the beach! Laptops are increasingly becoming the equipment-of-choice for employees on the go. Improving Comfort when Using Laptops The main feature that makes laptops the equipment-of-choice is their compactness. While standard desktop computer units consist of three basic and separate components – the keyboard, the screen, and the… Read More »Good Laptop Ergonomics

LOSS CONTROL & BACKGROUND CHECKS

     Inadequate due diligence and negligent hiring practices in the home health sector harms not only an organization, but its patients, as well. Indeed, poor hiring can be cited as a contributing factor in the rise of lawsuits, medical malpractice claims and multi-million dollar settlements. Employers in the home health care industry need to obtain a thorough understanding of a prospective employee’s history, particularly if that person will have access to patients, medications and confidential information. Moreover, liability for negligent hiring and retention can occur if the home health care organization fails to conduct a comprehensive background check on… Read More »LOSS CONTROL & BACKGROUND CHECKS

New Insurance Markets

OneBeacon forms group to focus on small to medium commercial business – OBPG will write business through select managing general agents, managing general underwriters and program administrators, the Minnetonka, Minn.-based insurer said. Dan Beaudette, previously senior vp at Arch Insurance Group Inc., was named president of OBPG. In addition to Beaudette, three other Arch veterans have joined OBPG. Greg Deville was named senior vp and chief underwriting office, Randy Worth was named senior vp and Bryan Wakefield was named claims vp of the new business. The team will be based in Denver. *** QBE North America expands employment practices liability… Read More »New Insurance Markets

Insuring Cloud Computing

While cloud computing may seem vague and confusing, the National Institute of Standards and Technologies recently completed a working definition for the term after years of work and 15 drafts. So what is Cloud Computing? According to the official NIST definition, “cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction”, with the following 5 characteristics: • On-demand self-service • Broad network access • Resource pooling • Rapid… Read More »Insuring Cloud Computing