Top 5 Pet Claims

The most wonderful time of the year is also one of the most dangerous for pets. In order to assess the impact of the holidays on pet health, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance The company found that last year more than 200 policyholders spent Christmas Day at the veterinarian's office—most with pets receiving treatment for accidental injuries or dietary indiscretion.

The top five Christmas Day claims of 2008:
1. Gastritis/Enteritis
2. Lacerations or Bite Wounds
3. Soft Tissue Trauma
4. Foreign Body Ingestion
5. Chocolate Poisoning”

Christmas Day is the last day most pet owners want to spend at an emergency clinic with a sick or injured pet," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. "Fortunately, many of the claims we receive for conditions treated on Christmas Day can be prevented.

The data, mined from more than 475,000 VPI-insured pets nationwide, reveals that claims treated on Christmas Day skew towards accidents requiring emergency treatment, perhaps because most regular veterinary clinics are closed on December 25. The other 364 days of the year, claims for medical conditions such as skin allergies, ear infections and urinary tract infections prove far more common than claims for the majority of conditions treated on Christmas Day. Only gastritis/enteritis ranked among the top 10 medical claims received by VPI in the full year of 2008. Other claims submitted with a December 25 treatment date included claims for broken bones, gastric torsion, gastric ulcers, torn nails, allergic reactions and cruciate ruptures.

PROPERTY CLAIMS TIP: ARSON

A property claims professional should always be aware of the indicators of an arson fire. The main elements of an arson fire investigation revolve around motive, opportunity, and an incendiary fire.

These indicators should help isolate those claims which necessitate further investigation. No single indicator by itself is necessarily suspicious. Even the presence of several indicators, while suggestive of possible arson, does not mean that arson or fire related fraud has been committed. Indicators of possible arson are not evidence that arson has occurred.

General indicators of arson or fire-related fraud include:

• Building and/or contents were up for sale at the time of the losss
• Suspiciously coincidental absence of family pet at the time of the fire
• The insured had a fire loss at the same site within the preceding year; the initial loss, though small, may have been a failed attempt to liquidate contents
• Building and/or business was recently purchased
• Commercial losses include old or nonsaleable inventory or illegal chemicals/materials
• Insured or insured's business is experiencing financial difficulties
• Fire site is claimed by multiple mortgageesbuilding is in deteriorating condition and/or lacks proper maintenance
• Fire scene investigation suggests that property/contents were heavily overinsured
• Fire scene investigation reveals absence of items of sentimental value
• Fire scene investigation reveals absence of remains of items normally found in a home or business (television, clothes, personal items, business records)
• Fire occurs at night, especially after 11 p.m.
• Commercial fire occurs on holiday, weekend, or when business is closed
• Fire department reports fire is incendiary, suspicious or unknown
  
  

AUTO CLAIMS TIP: INTERSECTION ACCIDENTS

When intersection accidents happen, there is usually a clear reason why. The seasoned auto investigator will often engage in a series of questions to help guide them to the proper conclusion. Most often in intersection accidents the culprit is the result of some very basic breaches of traffic rules. This is not an absolute but the following checklist of investigative items will serve as a good start to investigating an intersection accident. My experience leads me to start with these questions and from there, I will usually probe deeper to get the deciding facts. The list:





Speed
Management of the vehicle
Adherence to traffic signals
Visibility
Obstructions
Weather conditions
Road conditions
Proper Vehicle signaling used
Point of impact
Skid marks
Who had the right of way?
What color was the traffic light for each driver
How big of an intersection
Any drinking or drugs involved
Was any of the drivers sited and if so, why?

Property claims estimating is a challenging and exacting task. Those who have mastered the proprietary software tools are few and specialized. Have you ever wondered what exactly is involved in property estimating software? Well, you are in luck. Claimstrainer has put together several brief training videos to highlight the software features. We also provide a visual introduction to these unique programs. Simply Click on the Link below:

Take me to the software Demonstration

THE 50 STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT LINKS

The state department of insurance is a destination that offers consumers, agents and other insurance professionals excellent insurance information. The following list offers links to all 50 departments of insurance.

Alabama Department of Insurance
Alaska Division of Insurance
Arizona Department of Insurance
Arkansas Insurance Department
California Department of Insurance
Colorado Division of Insurance
Connecticut Insurance Department
Delaware Insurance Department
District of Columbia Department of Securities and Insurance Regulation
Florida Department of Insurance
Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner
Hawaii Division of Insurance
Idaho Department of Insurance
Illinois Department of Insurance
Indiana Department of Insurance
Iowa Insurance Division
Kansas Insurance Department
Kentucky Department of Insurance
Louisiana Department of Insurance
Maine Bureau of Insurance
Maryland Insurance Administration
Massachusetts Division of Insurance
Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Services
Minnesota Department of Commerce
Mississippi Department of Insurance
Missouri Department of Insurance
Montana State Insurance Dept
Nebraska Department of Insurance
Nevada Division of Insurance
New Hampshire Insurance Department
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance
New Mexico Insurance Division
New York State Insurance Department
North Carolina Department of Insurance
North Dakota Department of Insurance
Ohio Department of Insurance
Oklahoma Department of Insurance
Oregon Insurance Division
Pennsylvania Insurance Department
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation
South Carolina Department of Insurance
South Dakota Division of Insurance
Tennessee Commerce and Insurance Administration
Texas Department of Insurance
Utah Insurance Department
Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration
Virginia Bureau of Insurance
Washington State Insurance Commissioner
West Virginia Board of Risk & Insurance Management
Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Wyoming Insurance Department

Auto Liability Claims Tip - Part 2: Vertebrae?

This is part two of the on the injury most often incurred in auto accidents. In this segment, we look closer at the components of the vertebrae. The main weight of the body is carried by the vertebral bodies and disks. The lamina, facets and spinous process are major parts of the posterior elements that help guide the movement of the vertebrae and protect the spinal cord.

Auto Liability Claims Tip - Part 1: Vertebrae?
The most common injury sustained in auto accidents is the Neck/Back injury. Often times this occurs because of a sudden jolt from the rear causing the neck to flex. The muscles surrounding the neck and spine sustain injury because they are strained. More serious Neck/Back injuries involve vertebrae. A vertebrae (plural: vertebrae) is an individual bone in the flexible column that defines vertebrate animals, e.g. humans. The vertebral column encases and protects the spinal cord, which runs from the base of the cranium down the dorsal side of the animal until reaching the pelvis. From there, vertebrae continue into the tail bone. The attached video explains what vertebrae is. This is helpful in handling auto liability claims