Insurers sue the federal government for 2016 Gatlinburg wildfire claims

Insurance Business Magazine | November 25, 2019

Fourteen (14) insurance companies have filed a lawsuit against the federal government for damages resulting from the Gatlinburg wildfires in 2016. According to court documents, the insurers are collectively seeking damages to cover claims made following the wildfire incident that occurred in November 2016.The lawsuit was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act “for damages arising from the negligent acts or omissions on the part of employees or agents of the Department of the Interior (DOI) and/or National Park Service (NPS) in response to the Chimney Tops 2 Fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.” The Chimney Tops 2 fire is one of several conflagrations that made up the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires which erupted in the national park in late November 2016. It was the largest of the blazes, burning more than 10,000 acres within the park and forcing the closure of the Chimney Tops Trail.

Spotlight

It’s no secret that the global pandemic has upended everyone’s life. We know this anecdotally from our own experiences—more online shopping with curbside pickup orders, ordering takeout and delivery versus in-person dining, and changing media consumption. And let’s not forget remote working and learning. These experiences are more than simply anecdotal; McKinsey has written about the more specific effects of the pandemic on consumer behavior and needs. In short, they write: “behavior changes will reshape consumer decision journeys and companies will need to adapt fast.”

Spotlight

It’s no secret that the global pandemic has upended everyone’s life. We know this anecdotally from our own experiences—more online shopping with curbside pickup orders, ordering takeout and delivery versus in-person dining, and changing media consumption. And let’s not forget remote working and learning. These experiences are more than simply anecdotal; McKinsey has written about the more specific effects of the pandemic on consumer behavior and needs. In short, they write: “behavior changes will reshape consumer decision journeys and companies will need to adapt fast.”

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Core Insurance, Risk Management

R&S Insurance Agency Joins World Insurance Associates

GlobeNewswire | August 22, 2023

World Insurance Associates LLC (“World"), a Top 50 Insurance Brokerage, announced today that R&S Insurance Agency, Inc. (“R&S”) of Stoughton, WI has joined World as of August 1, 2023. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. R&S has been providing insurance products and services to individuals, families and businesses since 1964. “At R&S, our basic belief in providing quality coverage and personal service is just one of the many reasons why today, more than ever, people look to us for quality insurance protection,” says Mark Rostowfske, President, R&S Insurance Agency. “It’s great to join World and provide our customers with even more products and services.” “I’d like to welcome R&S to the World family,” says Rich Eknoian, CEO and Co-Founder of World. “With the addition of R&S, World now has a presence in Wisconsin. R&S is known for their exceptional customer service, and I know they will be successful as part of World. The current R&S insurance team will remain in place to assist customers with their needs.” Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla provided legal counsel, and Sica Fletcher advised World on the transaction. Axley Brynelson provided legal counsel to R&S on the transaction. No other advisors, diligence firms or legal counsel were disclosed. About World Insurance Associates LLC World Insurance Associates LLC (World) is headquartered in Iselin, N.J., and is a nationally ranked, full-service insurance organization providing individuals and businesses with top products and services across personal and commercial insurance, employee and executive benefits, retirement and financial services and human capital management solutions. Since its founding in 2011, World has completed over 195 acquisitions and serves its customers from more than 250 offices across the United States. World is ranked #28 on the 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business list by Business Insurance, ranked #3 on the Fastest Growing Brokers list by Business Insurance, ranked #3 on the Fastest Growing Benefits Brokers list by Business Insurance, ranked #24 on the Top 100 P&C Agencies by Insurance Journal, and ranked #20 on the Top 50 Personal Lines Agencies by Insurance Journal.

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Core Insurance

Matic Insurance Launches New Partnership with Dart Bank

GlobeNewswire | September 12, 2023

Matic, a leading digital insurtech platform, and Dart Bank announced today a strategic partnership to provide P&C insurance products to Dart Bank customers. Under the partnership, Matic’s innovative insurance marketplace of 50 A-rated carriers will be integrated into Dart Bank’s customer offerings. Since its inception, Matic has transformed the landscape of the insurtech industry by embedding insurance into the home and auto ownership experience. Through this exclusive partnership, Matic will deploy home and auto insurance across Dart Bank’s mortgage originations, servicing, and banking channels. "This partnership represents a significant milestone in our pursuit of delivering meaningful solutions to the clients of Dart Bank that will enhance their daily lives," said Bryan Clark, Sr. Vice President of Mortgage Banking, Dart Bank. "This will be especially beneficial as we continue to incorporate technology innovation and digital solutions into our customer offerings." "Matic was built to cater to the dynamic nature of the banking industry, enabling a seamless integration of insurance across the customer lifecycle," said Matic CEO and co-founder Ben Madick. "We are thrilled to be an integral part of Dart Bank’s vision to streamline and enhance the banking and lending experiences." All Dart Bank clients are eligible for P&C insurance through Matic’s proprietary matching technology. In addition to home and auto insurance, Matic will offer umbrella, jewelry, flood, dwelling fire, and other personal lines of insurance to meet customer needs within the Dart Bank banking, lending, and mortgage servicing experience. About Matic Since 2014, Matic has changed the landscape of the insurtech industry by integrating insurance within the home and auto ownership experience. Today, Matic’s digital insurance marketplace has 50 A-rated home and auto carriers, as well as distribution partners in industries ranging from mortgage originations and servicing to banking, real estate, personal finance, and more. With a single-minded focus on advocating for policyholders, Matic has created an easy and transparent shopping process, saving customers hours of work and over 30% in premiums each year. For more information, visit matic.com.

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Risk Management, Insurance Technology

Expert.ai Launches AI Platform for Insurance to Power NLP-driven Intelligent Process Automation

PRnewswire | June 27, 2023

Expert.ai, the industry leader in AI-powered language solutions, today announced availability of the expert.ai Platform for Insurance. The expert.ai Platform for Insurance powers underwriting and claims solutions so that insurers can use natural language processing to eliminate documents from review cycles, extract needed data and prioritize which submission or claims need an expedited review or to be assigned to a senior adjuster based on complexity. The expert.ai Platform for Insurance provides insurance teams with a way to automate the repetitive tasks associated with document reviews, extraction and assessments, freeing up time to focus on de-risking underwriting decisions, determining coverage and conducting preliminary claims investigations. Key platform capabilities include: Out-of-the-box data extraction for common data fields Urgency, severity and intent routing for claims and submissions packages Extraction of key exposure factors, e.g., coverage exclusions, limitations, pre-existing conditions, etc. Accurate summarization for human review, e.g., pre-assignment of risk grades for human validation/evaluation from property risk engineers Data redaction for GDPR and PII (personally identifiable information), etc. Record type categorization and elimination of records from review cycles A customizable insurance-trained language model From submissions and claims management through policy comparison and risk engineering, the expert.ai Platform for Insurance supports even the most intricate, complex and language-intensive uses cases. "At expert.ai, we've deployed insurance solutions for Global 100 providers across the range of workflows from claims automation and risk engineering through policy reviews and submissions intake. Artificial intelligence, in fact, offers insurers tremendous potential to transform their operations, improve combined ratios and establish a lasting competitive advantage," said Walt Mayo, expert.ai CEO. "The expert.ai Platform for Insurance provides AI-based NLP solutions to reduce time to production and scale in the future. From customizable language models to insurance use case trained models, we help insurers deliver real value across their organizations, with high levels of accuracy, significant time savings, tangible capacity gains and better customer engagement." Expert.ai will be showcasing its Platform for Insurance during the Reuters "The Future of Insurance USA 2023" event in Chicago on June 27-28. About expert.ai Expert.ai (EXAI:IM) is a leading company in AI-based natural language software. Organizations in insurance, banking and finance, publishing, media and defense all rely on expert.ai to turn language into data, analyze and understand complex documents, accelerate intelligent process automation and improve decision making. Expert.ai's purpose-built natural language platform pairs simple and powerful tools with a proven hybrid AI approach that combines symbolic and machine learning to solve real-world problems and enhance business operations at speed and scale. With offices in Europe and North America, expert.ai serves global businesses such as AXA XL, Zurich Insurance Group, Generali, The Associated Press, Bloomberg INDG, BNP Paribas, Rabobank, Gannett and EBSCO.

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