Accident claims forms

Some funny statements taken from actual insurance accident claims forms. Who is to Blame? "I didn't think the speed limit applied after midnight", "No one was to blame for the accident but it would never have happened if the other driver had been alert", "The accident was caused by me waving to the man I hit last week."
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Seat belt use

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported U.S. seat belt rate at 82%. Hawaii led the nation with 95.3%, followed by Washington state and Nevada. Mississippi had the lowest rate at about 60%, followed by Massachusetts and Kentucky. According to estimates by the Department of Transportation, the 82% national seat belt rate saved 15,700 lives and prevented 350,000 serious injuries.
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Heart disease

Heart disease deaths have decreased by over 20 percent in the U.S. over the past decade. Despite this, heart disease kills about 900,000 people annually and remains the top killer across America. According to the American Heart Association, more than 70 million Americans live every day with some form of heart disease.
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Droughts

The costliest weather disaster in American history, purely in terms of economic damage, was the drought of 1988. Below-average precipitation drew the Mississippi River so low that barge traffic had to stop, causing an estimated $40 billion in losses. Industry experts estimate that droughts cause an average of $6 billion in economic losses each year in the United States.
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Other insurance products

Most consumers are aware of the major types of available insurance, such as auto, homeowners, life and health. Most insurance companies also offer an array of other specialty insurance products. Examples are: boat, dog bite liability, flood, identity theft, mobile home, motorcycle, pet, mortgage insurance, renters, title, travel and wedding and specialty event insurance.
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Insurance Library

The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library at St. John’s University’s School of Risk Management comprises the world’s largest collection of risk and insurance literature, policies, and related documents. The Library was established in 1901 as part of the Insurance Society of New York's College of Insurance, the predecessor to St. John’s School of Risk Management.
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An Inconvenient Truth

The film "An Inconvenient Truth" earned an Oscar for best documentary film in 2006. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore presents his position that global warming is real and serious through presentation of several climate and temperature studies. Gore has been a champion of the global warming cause since his days in college and throughout his tenure in congress and the vice presidency.
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VIN

Starting in 1980, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration required all new vehicles sold in the U.S. have a unique vehicle identification number (VIN). A VIN number is a 17-character alphanumeric identifier or a manufacturer’s serial number. Each character in the VIN number has a significant meaning. Together, they create a number that tells everything about the vehicle and its unique history.
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Overweight

Two in every three adults in the U.S. is considered overweight. Obesity is responsible for as many as 300,000 deaths annually. According to research published by the Center for American Progress, the United States could save an estimated $1 trillion over twenty-five years if the current average national obesity level returned to the levels of the 1980s.
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World market for insurance

The total world market for insurance is estimated at around 3.4 trillion dollars, according to data provided by Swiss Re as published on the Insurance Information Institute's website The United States leads all other countries in terms of insurance premium written, followed by Japan, United Kingdom, France and Germany.
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Redlining

Redlining refers to discrimination in the insurance market based on characteristics unrelated to risk. The term is derived from the lines drawn on maps by insurance companies to mark the specific parts of a town where it does not want to offer insurance. Most states now have FAIR plans (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) to provide high-risk properties availability to insurance protection.
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The Insurance Hall of Fame

The Insurance Hall of Fame was founded in 1957 and resides at The University of Alabama. The Hall's roster is comprised of over one hundred individuals representing every sector of insurance from all parts of the world. Inductees have made a significant and lasting contribution to the insurance industry. The Hall's first inductee was Benjamin Franklin. Visit online at insurancehalloffame.org.
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Act of God

An "act of God" is an extraordinary and unexpected natural event, such as a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or even the sudden death of a person. Under the law of contracts, an act of God often serves as a valid excuse if one of the parties to the contract is unable to fulfill his or her duties -- for instance, completing a construction project on time.
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American Fidelity Assurance Company

American Fidelity Assurance Company has appeared 5 straight years on FORTUNE Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America. The family-owned insurance company ranks high in terms of cash bonuses, number of telecommuters, and number of female employees. According to AFA's website, "the company strives to foster an environment that leads employees to call AFA their second family."
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Age 70 and over

The projected number of Americans age 70 and over is expected to double by 2035. Growing numbers coupled with changing lifestyles and circumstances are making seniors an attractive market for life insurers. Seniors may consider life insurance for dependent grandchildren, to cover education costs for their working children, or to provide security for a younger spouse.
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Floods

A commonly held myth regarding homeowners insurance is that a homeowners policy will cover losses from a flood. This is not true. Many homeowners do not find this out until it is too late. Homeowners and renters can purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance program at any time from any location in the United States. NFIP is offered by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
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Lloyds of London

Lloyds of London is the world’s oldest and most famous insurance concern, attended by Lloyds brokers and Lloyds underwriters. Lloyds began in London in the seventeenth century. Today, it is a top conduit for aviation and marine insurance, as well as specialty insurance, such as policies covering celebrity body parts. Bruce Springsteen insured his voice for $6 million dollars with Lloyds during the 1980s.
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Driving safely

Driving safely and maintaining a good driving record will save you money. In addition to preserving your health and your vehicle's condition, a good driving record will translate into preferred auto insurance rates. DUI's, accidents, speeding tickets, and failure to obey traffic signals all cause insurance premiums to increase. Avoid these issues and you will pay less.
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Costly world insurance loss events

According to data provided by Swiss Re as published on the Institute for Insurance Information's website, the top five most costly world insurance loss events over the past twenty-five years were: Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Andrew (1992), World Trade Center attacks (2001), Northridge Earthquake (1994), and Hurricane Ivan (2004).
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Assigned risk

Most U.S. states offer an assigned risk program to insure drivers that insurers will not underwrite. Assigned risk applicants are distributed by the program to auto insurers in proportion to the amount of their voluntary business. Thus, each insurer underwrites their fair share of assigned risk drivers. New Hampshire was the first state to establish this type of residual insurance system in 1938.
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Helmet laws

Almost all U.S. states enacted motorcycle helmet laws after the federal government made it a requirement in 1967. By 1980, most states had repealed or limited their motorcycle helmet laws. Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets, while 27 states have age-specific helmet laws. Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire have no helmet use laws.
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Staged accidents

Staged accidents are carried out by scammers looking for a payoff courtesy of another insured driver. Typical scenarios include designed rear-end crashes, lane merge collisions and parking lot fender-benders. The staged accident driver makes claims against the other driver's auto insurance for inflated damage or phony body injury. Staged accidents cost the insurance industry about $20 billion a year.
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Omnibus Drug Initiative Act

The Omnibus Drug Initiative Act of 1988 allows a driver's license to be seized when the driver's blood alcohol content is over the legal limit of driving while intoxicated or when the driver refuses to take a blood alcohol content test. This provision has been shown to be one of the most effective deterrents to drunk driving. Nationally, there is an alcohol-related traffic fatality every half-hour.
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Mutual of Omaha

Mutual of Omaha began as Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Association in Nebraska in 1909. Dr. C.C. Criss guided the company through several decades of growth, leading the company to its one millionth policy issued in 1949. Mutual of Omaha's signature Wild Kingdom TV program first aired in 1963. Today, Mutual of Omaha holds more than $19 billion in consolidated assets.
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Insurers of last resort

State-run property insurers are the insurers of last resort. For example, Citizens Property Insurance was established in Florida when insurance costs soared after eight hurricanes hit the state in 2004 and 2005. The concept of a state-run property insurance pool is to transfer policies to private insurers, who accept financial incentives for assuming the policies.
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Captive insurance companies

A captive insurance company is an insurance company set up by a parent organization for the sole purpose of underwriting its insurance needs. Many large corporations, for example, UPS and Starbucks, have successfully established captive insurance companies. These successes have spawned the creation of captives and shared-captives by many medium-sized businesses.
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Car thefts

An average of two cars are stolen in the U.S. every minute of each day, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. Western U.S. states account for the highest share of car thefts while the Northeast the lowest. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the metro areas with the highest vehicle theft rates are Las Vegas, Stockton, California, and Visalia-Porterville, California.
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Annuities

An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company, under which you make a lump-sum payment or series of payments. In return, the insurer agrees to make periodic payments to you beginning immediately or at some future date. Annuities are commonly contracted to help you meet retirement income goals and to add diversity to your investment portfolio.
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Life insurance rule of thumb

There are several methods to determine how much life insurance is necessary for an individual. A general rule of thumb suggests you should purchase $120,000 of life insurance for every $500 of monthly income.
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Save money on your auto insurance

Save money on your auto insurance by dropping unnecessary coverage. If the current value of your vehicle is $2,000 or less, drop collision coverage from your policy and put the premium savings in your pocket. Also, save additional premium by raising your policy deductible to at least $500.
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The first modern skyscraper

The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois was the world's tallest building from 1885 to 1905. The building is considered to be the first modern skyscraper due to its steel frame construction versus stone material. The original ten-story building rose to a height of 138 feet. Two additional floors added in 1890. The building was demolished to make way for another building.
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