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Enhanced Cyber Coverage

Did you know that the average organizational cost for data breach in 2011 was $5.5 million and the average cost per compromised record was $194*? With a growing body of law directed at protecting personal information, our carriers are constantly looking for ways to improve cyber liability offerings so that our customers have the best coverage in place to protect their businesses. We are excited to introduce the enhanced version of The Hartford’s CyberChoice 1.0® Policy. Now known as The Hartford Data Privacy ~ Network Security Liability Insurance Policy, this policy builds industry leading terms onto one superior platform. Reliable… Read More »Enhanced Cyber Coverage

What Every Business Owner Should Know About Credit Card Protections

Protecting Against Consumer Identify Theft The use of credit and debit cards and electronic payments has become a way of  life for public and private businesses and their customers. With this, vulnerabilities to credit card fraud and identity theft have increased. To help improve credit and debit card security, the credit card industry and federal and state governments have set standards and regulations. Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act and Receipt Requirements Congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), significantly amending the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Effective Dec. 4, 2006, 15 U.S.C. §1681c amended the act to require any… Read More »What Every Business Owner Should Know About Credit Card Protections

Top 10 Car Technologies

According to researchers at The Hartford and MIT, smart headlights, emergency response systems and reverse monitoring features rank highest in car technologies. As more and more of these features are incorporated into vehicles, we believe that it’s important for drivers to be knowledgeable of and use those technologies that can enhance safe driving capacity, comfort, and confidence. Smart headlights: adjust the range and intensity of light based on the distance of traffic and to reduce glare and improve night vision Emergency response systems: offer quick assistance to drivers in the case of a medical emergency or collision, often allowing emergency… Read More »Top 10 Car Technologies

How to Reduce Liability When Selecting Subcontractors

General contractors and/or prime contractors are designated “controlling employers” in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) construction standard. Controlling employers are defined as those contractors who may be held responsible for the actions of subcontractors, including bodily injury and/or property damage caused by subcontractors to the public, other contractor’s employees, or for injuries to the subcontractor’s own employees. These exposures can be broken down into the following areas: Employee injuries (workers’ compensation) Job site physical injury to others or property loss (premises liability) Physical injury or property damage to the public around the site (premises/general liability) A defect arising… Read More »How to Reduce Liability When Selecting Subcontractors

Avoiding Liability on Your Website

The Internet provides a rich environment for creative communication. Used with care, it can assist in increasing product safety. But in their enthusiasm to capitalize on its power, some companies are increasing their liability potential. • A company president was not aware of a product on his company’s website. The marketing department put it there because it was a product they were thinking about developing. • A Vice President of Administration was unaware they even had a website. • Operator instructions normally in the manual provided with the product were posted on the website, but warning labels were left out.… Read More »Avoiding Liability on Your Website

Smartphone App for Workers’ Compensation

With this blog post we decided to start posting reviews about mobile applications related to insurance industry. Google wants to make our world digital – to have a soft copy of pretty much anything around us (and even inside us too). Insurance industry is barely catching up with the technology. And each small achievement in that area deserves cheers and signifies the progress we all make. Today we will look at a new workers comp. application from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But there is a catch: the workers’ comp app isn’t really an app — it’s more app-like… Read More »Smartphone App for Workers’ Compensation

Sexual Abuse Awareness

No one ever wants a child or client to be harmed. Sometimes, however, we can miss child safety keys and best practices. We suggest that employer will educate himself on effective, efficient, and inexpensive tools one can use to reduce the risk of sexual abuse in his company. In particular, we want to bring your attention to the following topics: The definition of sexual abuse Common errors and misconceptions related to sexual abuse and sexual abusers Abuser characteristics Grooming process (grooming children and gatekeepers) Common grooming behaviors Peer on peer abuse Impact on children – long and short term Reporting responsibilities –… Read More »Sexual Abuse Awareness

CarFax Vehicle History Data Use in Insurance

Carfax Inc. reported that federal officials have approved its patent applications for its auto insurance underwriting and rating system based on vehicle history attributes. CarFax said it expects the patents to be issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office within the next month. Insurance companies use CarFax reports in their underwriting and rating, claims prioritization, total loss valuations, and fraud investigations. CarFax’s systems that are being patented include the access to the vehicle history data and a method for insurers to follow in using that data. According to Carfax, its vehicle history database has more than 10 billion records… Read More »CarFax Vehicle History Data Use in Insurance

Text Alert System Warns Users about Disasters

Wireless carriers and the federal government are launching a system to automatically warn people of dangerous weather and other emergencies via a special type of text messaging to cell phones, USA Today reports. This is the first national service by the federal government and the wireless industry. The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, which begins this month, is free, and consumers won’t have to sign up. Warnings will be location-based: If you’re traveling, you’ll get an alert for whatever emergency is happening where you are. WEA is a collaboration by the wireless industry, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Emergency… Read More »Text Alert System Warns Users about Disasters

Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

When working outdoors in hot weather, workers who do not take precautions can suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures and Inadequate fluid replacement. Heat stroke is the most severe of heat-related problems. It is potentially life threatening because the body’s normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control are lost. The following are the symptoms of these diseases and the steps needed to help the victim. Heat Exhaustion Symptoms: The first signs of heat exhaustion are dizziness, weakness, headache, blurred vision, nausea, and staggering.… Read More »Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke