Wednesday, 31 October 2012
12-Year-Old Sues Parents For Drunk Driving
Photo by RTE
Faith, now 12, is suing her parents for the physical and psychological injury they caused. Faith and her brother, John, sustained severe injuries when their alcoholic mother passed out while driving the children home from school. Ava, Faith’s 6-year-old sister, and friend Michaela Logan, 9, died when the vehicle crashed into an embankment.
The children’s mother, Mary Carberry, was “in the middle of a pub crawl and decided to pick up the four kids from school.” Mary remembers bits of the accident that killed her youngest daughter. “All I remember is the thump. Then the flashing blue lights,” she testified in court in 2007. “I did not know what I hit. I remember Ava, I remember her face, I just don’t know what happened. I don’t remember arriving in the hospital.”
After the accident, Mary was sentenced to six years in prison, but her time was later reduced to four years.
Now, Faith, with the help of her grandfather, is seeking justice for her sister. Faith was injured in the accident, undergoing surgery to her spine and spending ten weeks in a spinal cast at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital. Faith also suffered “severe psychological trauma and upset and she attended a child psychologist for three months after the incident.”
Mary Carberry had already been banned from driving at the time of the accident. After two previous DUIs, Mary had no license and no insured vehicle. Faith’s father – also being targeted in the girl’s lawsuit – claims that he bought Mary a car, but didn’t expect her to drive it. He’d merely purchased the car after Mary allegedly told him that the children were “wet and cold” walking to and from school.
“It pulled at my heart strings. She was seeking for me to provide transport, purchase a car and somebody who was insured and had a full licence would drive it,” Tommy Varden told the court, adding that he never intended for Mary to drive the purchased BMW.
Varden added that Mary was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at the time, and “seemed to be turning a new leaf.”
The father recounts the night of the accidents, saying that he received a phone call from Mary. “She said Ava was dead and she thought Faith was dead too,” he said. Vargan notes that it was only when he arrived at the hospital that he discovered Mary had been driving the car. “I was angry. I am still very angry. No way would I have given the car to her if I thought she was going to use it that way. I trusted her,” he said.
Faith, however, still holds her father responsible. He did, after all, purchase Mary a car. Vargan insists that, although he’d purchased the vehicle, it was only later that he discovered Mary had insured it, forging his signature on a check.
The lawsuit was settled on Wednesday, but the official outcome has yet to be disclosed.
According to Yahoo!News, Faith’s story is not a unique one. In the US, more than two-thirds of children fatally injured in car accidents “were riding with drunk drivers.” Young children, unlike adults, often do not have the awareness or option to opt out of getting into a car with an intoxicated driver, especially if a parent is behind the wheel.
In March, a mom in Iowa was allegedly driving drunk, and her 15-year-old daughter called 911 from the passenger’s seat. In 2009, four young kids died in a crash after their guardian was found to have a “blood alcohol level of .19 percent.
source
Facebook Link Helps Break insurance Fraud Case
The value of analytics as a fraud tool has become well accepted. The concept has been borrowed from social media platforms like Facebook where users can reach out to past friends who share similar characteristics such as attending the same school, summer camp or workplaces. The case below illustrates that even without sophisticated analytics, social connections can help identify potential fraud cases.
Four Sacramento women are suspected of working together to defraud auto insurers of more than $37,000, according to the California Department of Insurance (CDI).
CDI spokesman Dave Althausen said Susan Lee, 24; Angelique Jones, 20; Angela Medeiros, 40; and, Krystelmaree Marquez, 23 denied knowing each other but investigators obtained Facebook records and determined the foursome did know each other as "friends" on the social media website.
CDI spokesman Dave Althausen said according to detectives, 23-year-old Krystelmaree Marquez rented a U-Haul truck Dec. 11, 2011 and purchased extra insurance protection. She was driving the truck the next day when she was involved in a collision with a Toyota Yaris drivien by 40-year-old Angela Medeiros with 24-year-old Susan Lee and 20-year-old Angelique Jones as passengers. The women all claimed crash-related injuries. Althausen also said Medeiros denied knowing the other involved parties to insurance company representatives and the other three women said they didn't know Medeiros.
However, Althausen said investigators obtained Facebook account records and determined the foursome did know each other as "friends" on the social media website.
Medeiros, Lee and Jones were arrested on suspicion of three fraud charges including providing false statements in support of an insurance claim and participating in a vehicle collision for the purpose of submitting a false insurance claim. Marquez, who faces the same allegations, hasn't been located.
Althausen said if convicted of all charges, the suspects face two to five years in state prison and/or a $50,000 fine.
source
Four Sacramento women are suspected of working together to defraud auto insurers of more than $37,000, according to the California Department of Insurance (CDI).
CDI spokesman Dave Althausen said Susan Lee, 24; Angelique Jones, 20; Angela Medeiros, 40; and, Krystelmaree Marquez, 23 denied knowing each other but investigators obtained Facebook records and determined the foursome did know each other as "friends" on the social media website.
CDI spokesman Dave Althausen said according to detectives, 23-year-old Krystelmaree Marquez rented a U-Haul truck Dec. 11, 2011 and purchased extra insurance protection. She was driving the truck the next day when she was involved in a collision with a Toyota Yaris drivien by 40-year-old Angela Medeiros with 24-year-old Susan Lee and 20-year-old Angelique Jones as passengers. The women all claimed crash-related injuries. Althausen also said Medeiros denied knowing the other involved parties to insurance company representatives and the other three women said they didn't know Medeiros.
However, Althausen said investigators obtained Facebook account records and determined the foursome did know each other as "friends" on the social media website.
Medeiros, Lee and Jones were arrested on suspicion of three fraud charges including providing false statements in support of an insurance claim and participating in a vehicle collision for the purpose of submitting a false insurance claim. Marquez, who faces the same allegations, hasn't been located.
Althausen said if convicted of all charges, the suspects face two to five years in state prison and/or a $50,000 fine.
source
Monday, 29 October 2012
California Proposition 33, Automobile Insurance Persistency Discounts
In California, a ballot proposition is a proposed law that is submitted to the electorate for approval in a direct vote. Propositions have been part of the California political landscape for quite some time.
A ballot proposition may be proposed by the State Legislature or by a petition signed by members of the public under the initiative system.
One of the best known was Proposition 13 in 1978 which decreased property taxes and imposed a 2/3 requirement for budget votes and tax increases. Some Propositions have been passed but found unconstitutional such as Proposition 22 in 2000 which banned same-sex marriages but was struck down by the California Supreme Court.
On November 6th, there will be eleven propositions on the ballot including Proposition 33 which if passed would change current law to permit insurance companies to set prices based on whether the driver previously carried auto insurance with any insurance company. Insurance companies would be allowed to give proportional discounts to drivers with some prior insurance coverage and increase the cost of insurance to drivers who have not maintained continuous coverage. It would also treat drivers with a lapse as continuously covered if the lapse is due to military service or loss of employment, or if the lapse is less than 90 days.
Proposition 33 is similar to Proposition 17, which was on the June 8, 2010 ballot. Proposition 17 was narrowly defeated. Unlike Proposition 17, Proposition 33 exempts soldiers and those who have been unemployed for 18 months or less from paying more after a lapse.
There is a provision in Ontario regulations dealing with lapses in insurance coverage. Ontario Regulation 664 prohibits an insurer from considering a lapse in insurance coverage for purposes of risk classification unless:
California law requires all drivers to buy automobile insurance. Approximately 85% of California drivers follow the law and buy insurance. If you follow the law and maintain continuous automobile insurance coverage, you are currently eligible for a discount, but only if you stay with the same insurance company. Current law punishes you for seeking better insurance or trying to get a better deal by taking away your discount for being continuously insured.
Those opposed are concerned that insurers will use the new rules to raise rates on drivers. There is concerns that people who stop driving, perhaps for economic reasons, and need to begin driving again and will therefore pay higher rates. The Ontario regulation only allows insurers raise rates due to a lapse of coverage where the lapse was the result of a driving conviction, licence suspension of policy cancellation.
UPDATE: Proposition 33 was defeated on Tuesday for the second time in three years. It was the second attempt by billionaire insurance executive George Joseph to let insurers lower rates for drivers who maintain insurance coverage and raise them for drivers who dropped coverage in the past. Consumer advocates raised about $200,000 to defeat the measure but were dramatically outspent by Joseph, who donated $16 million to the yes campaign.
A ballot proposition may be proposed by the State Legislature or by a petition signed by members of the public under the initiative system.
One of the best known was Proposition 13 in 1978 which decreased property taxes and imposed a 2/3 requirement for budget votes and tax increases. Some Propositions have been passed but found unconstitutional such as Proposition 22 in 2000 which banned same-sex marriages but was struck down by the California Supreme Court.
On November 6th, there will be eleven propositions on the ballot including Proposition 33 which if passed would change current law to permit insurance companies to set prices based on whether the driver previously carried auto insurance with any insurance company. Insurance companies would be allowed to give proportional discounts to drivers with some prior insurance coverage and increase the cost of insurance to drivers who have not maintained continuous coverage. It would also treat drivers with a lapse as continuously covered if the lapse is due to military service or loss of employment, or if the lapse is less than 90 days.
Proposition 33 is similar to Proposition 17, which was on the June 8, 2010 ballot. Proposition 17 was narrowly defeated. Unlike Proposition 17, Proposition 33 exempts soldiers and those who have been unemployed for 18 months or less from paying more after a lapse.
There is a provision in Ontario regulations dealing with lapses in insurance coverage. Ontario Regulation 664 prohibits an insurer from considering a lapse in insurance coverage for purposes of risk classification unless:
- the insured person was convicted of driving without insurance during the lapse in coverage;
- the lapse resulted from the termination of an automobile insurance policy because the insured person failed to pay the premiums due under the policy;
- the lapse resulted from the suspension of the insured person's driver's license as a result of a driving conviction;
- the lapse resulted from the insured person's attempt to misrepresent their driving record due to earlier accidents or convictions, in order to avoid paying higher insurance premiums.
California law requires all drivers to buy automobile insurance. Approximately 85% of California drivers follow the law and buy insurance. If you follow the law and maintain continuous automobile insurance coverage, you are currently eligible for a discount, but only if you stay with the same insurance company. Current law punishes you for seeking better insurance or trying to get a better deal by taking away your discount for being continuously insured.
Those opposed are concerned that insurers will use the new rules to raise rates on drivers. There is concerns that people who stop driving, perhaps for economic reasons, and need to begin driving again and will therefore pay higher rates. The Ontario regulation only allows insurers raise rates due to a lapse of coverage where the lapse was the result of a driving conviction, licence suspension of policy cancellation.
UPDATE: Proposition 33 was defeated on Tuesday for the second time in three years. It was the second attempt by billionaire insurance executive George Joseph to let insurers lower rates for drivers who maintain insurance coverage and raise them for drivers who dropped coverage in the past. Consumer advocates raised about $200,000 to defeat the measure but were dramatically outspent by Joseph, who donated $16 million to the yes campaign.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Dwight Duncan To Retire
Earlier I had written on the impact of Premier Dalton McGuinty's resignation on the auto insurance system. At the time I had speculated, as had others, that Minister of Finance Dwight Duncan would be running for Liberal leadership.
McGuinty had informed his Cabinet that ministers planning to run for leader would have to resign from Cabinet. I can tell you from experience that this was a wise decision. Back in 2002, when Mike Harris stepped down as premier of Ontario he did not ask his ministers to resign if there were running to replace him. As a result Cabinet dissolved into competing factions and was pretty dysfunctional for a while. I had an opportunity to observe this first hand when appearing before a Cabinet committee I witnessed a war break out over a minor regulation change being brought to the committee by the minister who was a leadership candidate where the committee chair was also leadership candidate.
My earlier post had suggested that with Minister Duncan resigning to run for leader, there would be little happening on the auto insurance file for some time. Now that he appears to be staying in Cabinet there will be some opportunities over the next few months to move some auto insurance issues forward. There will be no legislative changes with the legislature having been prorogued, but they may be opportunities to make some regulatory changes since Cabinet will continue to meet.
This window will be small with a leadership vote over the weekend of January 25th. Shortly after the new premier will likely be appointing a new Cabinet before calling an election. Since Minister Duncan has announced he will not be running for re-election, he will certainly be replaced shortly after the Liberal leadership convention.
So during this small window, if the outgoing minister still wants to make changes to the UDAP regulations or the definition of catastrophic impairment, it is possible. In addition, since he is leaving office he may be may more willing to introduce changes that might be more contentious.
So this change in events creates a different set of opportunities and possibilities, so stay tuned. It could get interesting.
McGuinty had informed his Cabinet that ministers planning to run for leader would have to resign from Cabinet. I can tell you from experience that this was a wise decision. Back in 2002, when Mike Harris stepped down as premier of Ontario he did not ask his ministers to resign if there were running to replace him. As a result Cabinet dissolved into competing factions and was pretty dysfunctional for a while. I had an opportunity to observe this first hand when appearing before a Cabinet committee I witnessed a war break out over a minor regulation change being brought to the committee by the minister who was a leadership candidate where the committee chair was also leadership candidate.
My earlier post had suggested that with Minister Duncan resigning to run for leader, there would be little happening on the auto insurance file for some time. Now that he appears to be staying in Cabinet there will be some opportunities over the next few months to move some auto insurance issues forward. There will be no legislative changes with the legislature having been prorogued, but they may be opportunities to make some regulatory changes since Cabinet will continue to meet.
This window will be small with a leadership vote over the weekend of January 25th. Shortly after the new premier will likely be appointing a new Cabinet before calling an election. Since Minister Duncan has announced he will not be running for re-election, he will certainly be replaced shortly after the Liberal leadership convention.
So during this small window, if the outgoing minister still wants to make changes to the UDAP regulations or the definition of catastrophic impairment, it is possible. In addition, since he is leaving office he may be may more willing to introduce changes that might be more contentious.
So this change in events creates a different set of opportunities and possibilities, so stay tuned. It could get interesting.
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Woman Accused Of Committing Insurance Fraud From Inside Ambulance
This is an interesting story from Philadelphis where woman tried to commit insurance fraud — from an ambulance — after her vehicle was involved in an accident.
On the way to the hospital after she was involved in a four-car
accident last October, Regina Whitehead did what most people do: She
called her insurance company.
Only she didn’t call to report the accident, but to add comprehensive, collision and rental coverage, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Recently, Whitehead was charged with insurance fraud and criminal attempt/theft by deception. The 22-year-old Ambler woman was arraigned before Bensalem District Judge Joseph Falcone, who set her free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Both charges are third-degree felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison.
According to the AG’s office, Whitehead’s 1998 Ford Taurus was involved in the accident Oct. 6, 2011, shortly before 4 p.m. on West Chester Pike in Chester County. At the time, Whitehead was insured through Infinity Insurance, which has an office in Bensalem, according to a probable cause affidavit.
About an hour after the accident -- during an ambulance ride to Chester County Hospital for treatment -- Whitehead allegedly called the insurance company to add extra coverage to her car, according to court documents.
A few hours later on the night of the accident, she called Infinity to report she was involved in an accident and to verify that she had comprehensive collision coverage. She was told during the phone call that if she didn't have the coverage in place at the time of the accident, the insurer wouldn't cover the damage, according to the attorney general.
The next day, Whitehead spoke with an Infinity representative in Bensalem and specifically affirmed that her collision coverage was added “before the accident,” according to the affidavit. Later that same day, though, she withdrew her insurance claim.
The attorney general said Whitehead admitted last month that she added the coverage after being injured in the accident and while in the ambulance and then lied about it. “Whitehead said she did this at the advice of a friend so she would be covered by the insurance company,” according to the attorney general.
source
Only she didn’t call to report the accident, but to add comprehensive, collision and rental coverage, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Recently, Whitehead was charged with insurance fraud and criminal attempt/theft by deception. The 22-year-old Ambler woman was arraigned before Bensalem District Judge Joseph Falcone, who set her free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Both charges are third-degree felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison.
According to the AG’s office, Whitehead’s 1998 Ford Taurus was involved in the accident Oct. 6, 2011, shortly before 4 p.m. on West Chester Pike in Chester County. At the time, Whitehead was insured through Infinity Insurance, which has an office in Bensalem, according to a probable cause affidavit.
About an hour after the accident -- during an ambulance ride to Chester County Hospital for treatment -- Whitehead allegedly called the insurance company to add extra coverage to her car, according to court documents.
A few hours later on the night of the accident, she called Infinity to report she was involved in an accident and to verify that she had comprehensive collision coverage. She was told during the phone call that if she didn't have the coverage in place at the time of the accident, the insurer wouldn't cover the damage, according to the attorney general.
The next day, Whitehead spoke with an Infinity representative in Bensalem and specifically affirmed that her collision coverage was added “before the accident,” according to the affidavit. Later that same day, though, she withdrew her insurance claim.
The attorney general said Whitehead admitted last month that she added the coverage after being injured in the accident and while in the ambulance and then lied about it. “Whitehead said she did this at the advice of a friend so she would be covered by the insurance company,” according to the attorney general.
source
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Will The Resignation Of The Premier Impact On The Auto Insurance Sector?
As we look around at the fallout after Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty resigned after nine years in
office, informing caucus on Monday
evening that it is time for renewal.
Earlier in the day Mr. McGuinty asked the Lieutenant-Governor to prorogue the legislature amid continuing fallout from a scandal over the politically motivated cancellation of two power plants and an ongoing battle with organized labour over plans to impose new collective agreements that contain wage freezes via legislation.
Proroguing the legislature makes a lot of sense when the government is essentially leaderless although a caretaker leader could have been appointed. Proroguing the legislature is a gift to the next premier because the contempt charges directed at the government end along with all the bills before the legislature. As well during the Liberal leadership the Opposition will not be able to embarrass the government if the legislature is not sitting. There is a possibility despite that the new Premier will immediately call an election despite the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005 which calls for fixed election dates. The outcome of an election are impossible to predict at this time but it is possible that another party will form the next government.
So how will this all impact on the auto insurance sector? After all there are a number of significant policy initiatives that are in the pipeline.
Definition of Catastrophic Impairment
The Superintendent at FSCO submitted his recommendations for changes to the SABS definition of catastrophic impairment to Minister Dwight Duncan in December 2011. His report was released in the spring of 2012 and was consulted on by the Ministry of Finance over the summer. There has been wide-spread opposition to the Superintendent's report. Some of the recommendations reflect scientific evidence but others do not. Even those recommendations that are based on science have an element of arbitrariness in the selection of the catastrophic threshold.
If Minister Duncan decides to run for leadership he will likely be asked to resign from Cabinet. It is unlikely that his replacement will want to wade into this contentious policy initiatives that provides no political benefits. The prospects for a regulation change are poor.
Fraud
The Auto Insurance Anti-Fraud Task Force is at the conclusion of their mandate and very close to providing the minister with their final report. However, it is unclear who that minister will be and how long he or she will be the minister. So what he or she will do with that report is unclear. It is highly probable that the next minister will be relatively unfamiliar with auto insurance policy and will need to spend time being brief on the portfolio in addition to other finance issues.
It is likely that the more significant changes to be recommended by the Task Force will require amendments to the Insurance Act. However, with the legislature prorogued, there won't be any bills introduced for at least 6 months if not more. Even those changes that only require regulatory changes may also be put on hold. Regulation changes can be made by Cabinet which will continue to meet during the Liberals' leadership campaign. However, it will not likely be business as usual until a new premier is selected. Cabinet will continue to make decisions but new policy initiatives will not likely be acted upon except where there is an urgent need.
There are ant-fraud initiatives that will not require legislation or regulation, for example most of the consumer education and engagement proposals. These recommendations may not be delayed.
It is also not likely that the Task Force will be ignored if there is a new government. All the parties have stated that they support initiatives that address auto insurance fraud. What is unclear is how much of the Task Force's report that will be acted on.
Dispute Resolution Review
The government has made a commitment in the 2012 Budget to review the dispute resolution system operated by FSCO. The review arose from the mediation backlog that has crippled the auto insurance system. No announcement has been made by the Ministry of Finance regarding the vehicle for conducting the review or the time line. There is no reason to delay the review until after a new premier is selected as the review is likely to be overseen by bureaucrats and not politicians. By the time the review is completed the legislature will have returned and if the government decides to act on the recommendations, a bill could be introduced.
Earlier in the day Mr. McGuinty asked the Lieutenant-Governor to prorogue the legislature amid continuing fallout from a scandal over the politically motivated cancellation of two power plants and an ongoing battle with organized labour over plans to impose new collective agreements that contain wage freezes via legislation.
Proroguing the legislature makes a lot of sense when the government is essentially leaderless although a caretaker leader could have been appointed. Proroguing the legislature is a gift to the next premier because the contempt charges directed at the government end along with all the bills before the legislature. As well during the Liberal leadership the Opposition will not be able to embarrass the government if the legislature is not sitting. There is a possibility despite that the new Premier will immediately call an election despite the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005 which calls for fixed election dates. The outcome of an election are impossible to predict at this time but it is possible that another party will form the next government.
So how will this all impact on the auto insurance sector? After all there are a number of significant policy initiatives that are in the pipeline.
Definition of Catastrophic Impairment
The Superintendent at FSCO submitted his recommendations for changes to the SABS definition of catastrophic impairment to Minister Dwight Duncan in December 2011. His report was released in the spring of 2012 and was consulted on by the Ministry of Finance over the summer. There has been wide-spread opposition to the Superintendent's report. Some of the recommendations reflect scientific evidence but others do not. Even those recommendations that are based on science have an element of arbitrariness in the selection of the catastrophic threshold.
If Minister Duncan decides to run for leadership he will likely be asked to resign from Cabinet. It is unlikely that his replacement will want to wade into this contentious policy initiatives that provides no political benefits. The prospects for a regulation change are poor.
Fraud
The Auto Insurance Anti-Fraud Task Force is at the conclusion of their mandate and very close to providing the minister with their final report. However, it is unclear who that minister will be and how long he or she will be the minister. So what he or she will do with that report is unclear. It is highly probable that the next minister will be relatively unfamiliar with auto insurance policy and will need to spend time being brief on the portfolio in addition to other finance issues.
It is likely that the more significant changes to be recommended by the Task Force will require amendments to the Insurance Act. However, with the legislature prorogued, there won't be any bills introduced for at least 6 months if not more. Even those changes that only require regulatory changes may also be put on hold. Regulation changes can be made by Cabinet which will continue to meet during the Liberals' leadership campaign. However, it will not likely be business as usual until a new premier is selected. Cabinet will continue to make decisions but new policy initiatives will not likely be acted upon except where there is an urgent need.
There are ant-fraud initiatives that will not require legislation or regulation, for example most of the consumer education and engagement proposals. These recommendations may not be delayed.
It is also not likely that the Task Force will be ignored if there is a new government. All the parties have stated that they support initiatives that address auto insurance fraud. What is unclear is how much of the Task Force's report that will be acted on.
Dispute Resolution Review
The government has made a commitment in the 2012 Budget to review the dispute resolution system operated by FSCO. The review arose from the mediation backlog that has crippled the auto insurance system. No announcement has been made by the Ministry of Finance regarding the vehicle for conducting the review or the time line. There is no reason to delay the review until after a new premier is selected as the review is likely to be overseen by bureaucrats and not politicians. By the time the review is completed the legislature will have returned and if the government decides to act on the recommendations, a bill could be introduced.
Monday, 15 October 2012
FSCO Approves Form Changes To Facilitate Better MIG Data
FSCO has introduced an additional change effective November 1, 2012 dealing with the submission of the Auto Insurance Standard Invoice (OCF-21). As of the effective date HCAI will be rejecting invoices submitted that do not include two
new mandatory data fields dealing with MIG treatment.
The two fields are the date that each MIG treatment Block commenced, and the profession(s) of the health practitioner(s) who provided the treatment, are to be identified.
The two fields are the date that each MIG treatment Block commenced, and the profession(s) of the health practitioner(s) who provided the treatment, are to be identified.
These changes build on previous revisions to the OCF-21 back on July 1, 2012 when it became mandatory to complete the “Plan Number” field. The Health Claims for Auto Insurance July 2012 Guideline
(Superintendent’s Guideline No. 02/12) provides direction on how to complete this field.
These changes are intended to provide FSCO and stakeholders with a better understand medical and rehabilitation costs
and trends. As well, there have been gaps identified where additional
information is required in order to obtain useful data regarding minor injury claims.
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Social Media and Auto Insurance
Social media is a tool that people use to share and learn
more about each other. In doing so, you get to know people better and build
relationships.
Even if you wanted to, it is impossible to ignore the phenomena
of social media. Social media platforms
are now part of mainstream business life.
Insurers now have Facebook pages, Twitter handles and YouTube videos.
Many people think it is about e-commerce. E-commerce
has nothing to do with social media; in fact a great way to fail at social
media is to spend your time using it to “sell”. Just because you have a
sales-enabled web site does not mean you are social.
Social media sites allow users to create, distribute and
receive specialized content and to interact with communities of people. But the extent to which insurer have adapted
to, and embracing social media varies considerably, despite the opportunities
available.
Social media first benefits the consumer and that in turn benefits the company. Here’s how that works: The company has the greatest opportunity now, with the advent of the social networks and the number of people now using the social web, to provide value added services via social channels. In addition to providing value added content and resources for clients, the company as a result also creates content that increases audience reach (via search engines, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+). Increased reach can then lead to new business development.
The company is also in a position to learn more from our clients about what they care about – as they share on a personal level, ask questions in the public eye, or dialogue with us. Companies used to have to conduct research, surveys and focus groups to get this kind of valuable information in the past. Now you have very real and immediate access. Social media is a win- win. Customers have a very distinct voice which drive services in to meet their needs, and companies who listen and engage stand to benefit.
Smartphone Apps
The Help I Crashed My Car Blackberry cell phone app allows
you to contact your car insurance company, a body shop and up to 3 family
members if you’ve been in an accident. This is very useful if you’ve been
injured as well because this free Blackberry app links up with your phone’s GPS
system to help you find police, hospitals and rental facilities in the area
that you’ve had the accident.
We all know that drinking and driving is a very dangerous
habit and should never be practiced. Not only does it threaten the safety of everyone
on the road, it could increase your auto insurance rates. This is why theR-U-Buzzed iPhone app was released. By entering your weight and what you drank into the
application, you will receive a fairly-accurate estimate of your blood-alcohol
content and a recommendation of whether or not you should drive.
Geico Auto Insurance offers an iPhone app called the GeicoGlove Box. It offers a lot of great features to Geico customers, including
offering account access and claims assistance. Also, you can take advantage of
videos, how-tos and roadside assistance.
Facebook
For insurers, it is important to engage people who refer
others to your company. One of the best
examples is Facebook Commerce, which allows customers to share their purchases
(or purchase intent) through their Facebook page. In other words, advertising it to the broader
online community. A credible social
media presence not only builds trust with customers, it keeps brands at front
of mind.
Twitter
Some companies have embraced Twitter to keep in touch with
customers. A growing number of consumers
have shown a preference to Twitter as opposed to a call centre at the end of an
800 number. Tweets range from job
opportunities to weather advisories. Here
are examples of tweets recently sent out by Geico in the U.S.:
Save $10 on tickets to the
GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway with coupon code GEICO2012. http://bit.ly/TvyicG
Check out the
http://www.youtube.com homepage today to
see some of our new commercials, including one that isn't on TV.
An important message about
Hurricane Isaac: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29nbrr-tcxk
GEICO is hiring all across the
country! For more watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FKa5JnY54g … and
see our jobs site at http://www.geico.jobs
YouTube
Some successful campaigns have focused on reducing risk
through education and safety tips. A
wide range of online tools have been utilized including blogs, Twitter,
Facebook and YouTube. YouTube very much
is adept at communicating to customers. The
IBC has created quite a number of YouTube videos including a series on fraudand tips from an insurance perspective on how you can help make it easier to
get your life back together after any natural disaster or weather emergency.
Social media should be seen as a tool that complements the
business and marketing strategies. It is important to monitor social media
activity to learn what consumers and the public comment about you. And how will you use the feedback to develop
new brands and strategies?
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Report Confirms That Collisions In Small Vehicles Cause More Injuries
It should come as no surprise that you are more likely to be injured as a passenger in a small vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
and Highway Loss Data Institute reported has provided accident safety data on a wide range of vehicle models including mini, small and midsize four-door cars. Clearly smaller vehicles had more frequent
than average personal injury claims. Below is a comparison of mini 4-door cars and large SUVs. Not only are personal injury claims higher in the smaller vehicles but so are collision claims.
To see the data on all vehicle models reviewed including years prior to 2009 to to the IIHS website at www.iihs.org.
MINI 4-DOORS 2009-11
LARGE SUVs 2009-11
Scale
Substantially better
Better than average
Average
Worse than average
Substantially worse
To see the data on all vehicle models reviewed including years prior to 2009 to to the IIHS website at www.iihs.org.
MINI 4-DOORS 2009-11
Vehicle | Collision | Property damage | Compre- hensive |
Personal injury |
Medical payment |
Bodily injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Aveo | 127 | 123 | 105 | 183 | 212 | 175 |
Ford Fiesta | 98 | 95 | 104 | 134 | 140 | |
Hyundai Accent | 127 | 131 | 81 | 173 | 214 | 179 |
Kia Rio | 115 | 121 | 84 | 175 | 203 | 151 |
Mazda 2 | 91 | 130 | ||||
Toyota Yaris | 112 | 101 | 89 | 201 | 171 | 125 |
Toyota Yaris hatchback | 89 | 91 | 73 | 127 | 146 | 94 |
LARGE SUVs 2009-11
Vehicle | Collision | Property damage | Compre- hensive |
Personal injury |
Medical payment |
Bodily injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buick Enclave | 83 | 101 | 91 | 62 | 61 | 90 |
Buick Enclave 4WD | 90 | 116 | 101 | 56 | 62 | 98 |
Chevrolet Tahoe | 68 | 108 | 97 | 59 | 70 | 93 |
Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD | 66 | 112 | 95 | 58 | 61 | 96 |
Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid | 47 | 112 | ||||
Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid 4WD | 104 | 170 | 111 | |||
Chevrolet Traverse | 67 | 100 | 86 | 79 | 74 | 88 |
Chevrolet Traverse 4WD | 75 | 108 | 97 | 77 | 75 | 81 |
Dodge Durango | 116 | 103 | ||||
Dodge Durango 4WD | 66 | 127 | ||||
Ford Expedition | 78 | 84 | 108 | 57 | 65 | |
Ford Expedition 4WD | 86 | 102 | 119 | 56 | 60 | |
GMC Acadia | 63 | 96 | 74 | 66 | 62 | 81 |
GMC Acadia 4WD | 70 | 108 | 85 | 62 | 51 | 85 |
GMC Yukon | 67 | 116 | 108 | 64 | 53 | 92 |
GMC Yukon 4WD | 83 | 126 | 113 | 57 | 44 | 87 |
GMC Yukon hybrid 4WD | 74 | 83 | ||||
Nissan Armada | 88 | 109 | 112 | 93 | 91 | 89 |
Nissan Armada 4WD | 89 | 102 | 119 | 83 | 79 | |
Toyota Sequoia | 87 | 123 | 89 | |||
Toyota Sequoia 4WD | 105 | 131 | 226 | 54 | ||
Volkswagen Touareg 4WD | 99 | 116 |
Scale
Substantially better
Better than average
Average
Worse than average
Substantially worse
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Pastore Court of Appeal Decision Reinforces a Broader Interpretation of Catastrophic Impairment
The Court of Appeal for
Ontario recently released its decision in Pastore v. Aviva, allowing the appeal and restoring the Director’s Delegate’s
order.
In Pastore, the claimant was involved in a car accident back on November 16, 2002. She suffered a fractured left ankle. Her injury didn’t heal properly, requiring several surgeries over the next five years, and right knee replacement when the ankle pain led to a change in her gait. She applied for a catastrophic impairment determination in 2005. Catastrophic impairment was supported by a DAC assessment but rejected by the insurer. The issue in dispute was whether the claimant was catastrophically impaired due to a mental or behavioural disorder, under subsection 2(1.1)(g) of the SABS.
The arbitrator accepted that a Class 4 impairment (based on the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 4th edition) in one area of function was sufficient to meet the definition of “catastrophic impairment”. This was the only area of function she reviewed in detail. On this basis, she concluded that Pastore had suffered a catastrophic impairment. On appeal, the Director’s Delegate agreed with the arbitrator that a Class 4 (marked) impairment was required in only one of four areas of functioning to establish a catastrophic impairment.
The Divisional Court disagreed with FSCO and granted the insurer’s application for judicial review. The Court found that the Director’s Delegate had failed to properly appreciate the effect of incorporating the Guides into the SABS - that the Guides must be treated as part of the legislative scheme. Justice Matlow disagreed in part. He found there was nothing in the Guides which required more than a single finding and there was no requirement to evaluate each of the four areas of functional limitations before a "marked" impairment can be found to qualify. He held that the Guides are not “part of the legislation” and are only guidelines.
This is just another in a series of decisions on the impact of psychological impairment on the determination of catastrophic impairment under the SABS. In Kusnierz v. Economical Mutual Insurance Company, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed last year that psychological impairments should be combined with physical impairments to determine whether a person injured in a car accident has sustained a “catastrophic impairment.”
Prior to that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s 2004 decision in Desbiens v. Mordini was the leading trial decision regarding catastrophic impairment.
The Superintendent's Report on the Definition of Catastrophic Impairment in the SABS attempts to mitigate some of the decisions by recommending the elimination of psychological impairments from the SABS definition and replacing them with psychiatric impairments. As well the Superintendent's report recommends that physical impairments and psychological impairments not be combined. The court decisions reinforce my opinion that a regulatory prohibition on combining psychological and physical impairments will ultimately fail. The courts will find ways around it. Instead a better solution might be to develop a more rationale model that acknowledges that psychological impairments can push physical impairments over the catastrophic threshold but that is less susceptible to manipulation. The WSIB has been combining psychological and physical impairments for quite a number of years.
The Superintendent's report was submitted in December of last year but has not been acted upon. The Minister of Finance conducted a stakeholder consultation over the summer. As well, stakeholder discussed the report during presentations to two Standing Committees of the Legislature during May and July of this year.
the Pastore Divisional Court decision is here..
the Pastore Court of Appeal decision is here...
In Pastore, the claimant was involved in a car accident back on November 16, 2002. She suffered a fractured left ankle. Her injury didn’t heal properly, requiring several surgeries over the next five years, and right knee replacement when the ankle pain led to a change in her gait. She applied for a catastrophic impairment determination in 2005. Catastrophic impairment was supported by a DAC assessment but rejected by the insurer. The issue in dispute was whether the claimant was catastrophically impaired due to a mental or behavioural disorder, under subsection 2(1.1)(g) of the SABS.
The arbitrator accepted that a Class 4 impairment (based on the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 4th edition) in one area of function was sufficient to meet the definition of “catastrophic impairment”. This was the only area of function she reviewed in detail. On this basis, she concluded that Pastore had suffered a catastrophic impairment. On appeal, the Director’s Delegate agreed with the arbitrator that a Class 4 (marked) impairment was required in only one of four areas of functioning to establish a catastrophic impairment.
The Divisional Court disagreed with FSCO and granted the insurer’s application for judicial review. The Court found that the Director’s Delegate had failed to properly appreciate the effect of incorporating the Guides into the SABS - that the Guides must be treated as part of the legislative scheme. Justice Matlow disagreed in part. He found there was nothing in the Guides which required more than a single finding and there was no requirement to evaluate each of the four areas of functional limitations before a "marked" impairment can be found to qualify. He held that the Guides are not “part of the legislation” and are only guidelines.
This is just another in a series of decisions on the impact of psychological impairment on the determination of catastrophic impairment under the SABS. In Kusnierz v. Economical Mutual Insurance Company, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed last year that psychological impairments should be combined with physical impairments to determine whether a person injured in a car accident has sustained a “catastrophic impairment.”
Prior to that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s 2004 decision in Desbiens v. Mordini was the leading trial decision regarding catastrophic impairment.
The Superintendent's Report on the Definition of Catastrophic Impairment in the SABS attempts to mitigate some of the decisions by recommending the elimination of psychological impairments from the SABS definition and replacing them with psychiatric impairments. As well the Superintendent's report recommends that physical impairments and psychological impairments not be combined. The court decisions reinforce my opinion that a regulatory prohibition on combining psychological and physical impairments will ultimately fail. The courts will find ways around it. Instead a better solution might be to develop a more rationale model that acknowledges that psychological impairments can push physical impairments over the catastrophic threshold but that is less susceptible to manipulation. The WSIB has been combining psychological and physical impairments for quite a number of years.
The Superintendent's report was submitted in December of last year but has not been acted upon. The Minister of Finance conducted a stakeholder consultation over the summer. As well, stakeholder discussed the report during presentations to two Standing Committees of the Legislature during May and July of this year.
the Pastore Divisional Court decision is here..
the Pastore Court of Appeal decision is here...
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