Key Steps in Filing Business Insurance Claims

If you know the right insider tips in any industry, your business is bound to benefit. And while I might not be able to give you your competitor's marketing plan for the next year or predict exactly when the next construction boom will hit, there is some insider information I can share with you about the initial steps your business should take when faced with the (usually dreaded) situation where you have to dust off and use your insurance. Working for years in a law firm that caters to both business clients and insurance companies, I know that, much like a seasoned football coach, the insurance companies have a predictable playbook when reviewing insurance claims. I also know that there are certain steps you should follow to avoid falling into the most common traps that can leave you without coverage for your loss.

1. Don't Wait. The day you learn of damage your business has suffered or of a potential claim being made against you, whether from an employee, contractor, or any other source, should be the day you put your insurance company on notice that you might need to use your coverage. The longer you wait to notify your insurance company, you give your insurance company more leverage to deny payment. I know there are a number of business decisions that must be made in regard to filing an insurance claim - like whether a claim would cause future premium increases or whether the economics of the deductible make the claim worthwhile - but you cannot allow those considerations to delay your contact with the insurance company. You can always withdraw your claim prior to the insurance company;s payment, and you simply don't want to put your business in the position where it needs coverage that is ultimately denied because you waited too long to send your notice.

2. Read your policy. If your business is like most, your insurance agent has sold you a number of insurances policies, and each policy provides you coverage for different types of damage or loss. That means that in the event you have to make an insurance claim, you need to figure out which of your insurance companies provides the coverage you need for the specific loss you face. While this won't be the most popular advice, the best way you can truly make the determination as to which insurance company you need to involve is to read your policies. The "definitions" and "coverage" sections will give you a snapshot of the coverage available under a specific policy, but your careful review of all the policy provisions will also outline your other obligations to successfully present your claim. Your agent and your attorney can assist in this review, but often there is no substitute for reading and understanding the coverage limits and requirements yourself.

3. Preserve all documents and evidence. Regardless of the type of claim you need to make, and whether you have photographs of damage, witness statements, or electronic documents, one of your immediate (and ongoing) obligation is to make sure that all documents and evidence relating in any way to your loss are preserved. The insurance company will usually not hesitate to deny your claim if you cannot review the matter for itself through preserve evidence.

4. Keep your business going. Even though your attention is diverted and inconvenience abounds when you have to start the process of filing an insurance claim, one of your other key obligations is to make sure the loss your business suffers does not get any worse. To the extent you can work around the problem and continue with business as usual, you should. Your insurance company will start to reduce or deny your claim if you do not make your best effort to minimize damage and get back to doing what you know best, even if only in a reduced or modified way.

If you keep these four key steps in mind when faced with the unenviable task of filing and insurance claim, you will have the insider's insight to eliminating common obstacles to getting your insurance company's full help.


By: Heather Marx, Partner with the national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP. 


Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional Magazine (free subscription- print or online)

JULIE Partnership with White Sox Hits a Home Run

"The one constant through all the years has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, it's part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and what could be again. Oh... people will come. People will most definitely come."
--Excerpt of quote from James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams

One August 11, with the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins fighting for first place in the American League Central Division, people "most definitely" came to U.S. Cellular field in Chicago to watch two of the most exciting teams in baseball this season. With more than 35,000 fans in attendance, JULIE's 8-1-1 public service announcements and safe digging messages appeared on the centerfield Video Board and left field Matrix Board.

Prior to the 8/11 Day game, JULIE Executive Director Mark Frost, along with members of the Board of Directors and staff, posed for an on-field photo with Southpaw, the popular mascot for the White Sox, holding a shovel. JULIE staff also distributed eco-friendly flower seed packets and 8-1-1 safe digging information in the centerfield concourse are to fans. Information on the packets encouraged fans to "Play it Safe this Season" and included the JULIE and White Sox logos along with a reminder to call 8-1-1. As part of a national Common Ground Alliance (CGA) initiative, August 11 served as a natural reminder for excavators and the general public to call 8-1-1 prior to digging.

In a statewide survey of Illinois residents who indicated that they had done a recent digging project, more than 60 percent of residents were most likely to watch or attend baseball games on a regular basis as part of their leisure activities (ranked second only to football). With this in mind, during 11 home games in April to coincide with National Safe Digging Month and three additional dates during the season, JULIE's "Call 8-1-1 Before You Dig" message was posted on the centerfield Video and left field Matrix boards at the ballpark.

"As part of an annual process, we review out education and safety campaign and consider all opportunities to reach our target audiences throughout the state of Illinois," said Mark A. Frost, Executive Director of JULIE, Inc. "The White Sox are a first-class organization committed to helping us promote our safety message and we appreciate their commitment to our not-for-profit mission. With a growing national trend of homeowners focusing on outdoor beautification and home improvement projects instead of selling their homes, this strategic partnership provided JULIE with a new platform for our proactive outreach efforts."

Fans joined JULIE and the White Sox for an Earth Day/Weekend Celebration event on April 22-24 and during games on May 6, August 11 and October 1. The White Sox offered specially priced tickets to all JULIE, Inc. employees and friends. More than 800 tickets were purchased by fans through this opportunity.

"Due to these types of creative efforts, our call volume in August increased more than 7 percent compared to the same month last year," Frost continued. "We are very proud of our successful campaign with the White Sox organization and look forward to potentially expanding this partnership next year." In addition, on August 11, more than 63 million visitors came to Web sites where JULIE's "Call 8-11 Before You Dig" message was placed via a JULIE statewide news release. Sites included AOL, Yahoo, Finance, Construction Journal, Earth Times, Daily Herald, Chicago Tribune, PJStar, Quad Cities Online, WAND-TV (Peoria), WGEM-TV (Quincy), WHBF-TV (Quad Cities), WLS-TV (Chicago), WREX-TV (Rockford) and the Rockford Register Star.

Based in Joliet, JULIE, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the importance of notifying the one-call center and safe-digging practices across Illinois. Since its inception in 1974, JULIE has logged over 22 million calls and its annual call volume of 1 million makes it once of the largest industry one-call systems in the United States. More than 40 percent of notifications are entered online by professional excavators and homeowners through Remote Ticket Entry and E-Request. Currently JULIE has more than 1,780 member. For more information please visit here.

And now back to the game... for those fans that attended the August 11 game, John Danks pitched eight sharp innings and the White Sox beat Minnesota 6-1 to move back into first-place tie with the Twins in the American League Central Division. Go-Go White Sox!


By: Kevin Chmura

Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional (free subscription)

New Common Ground Iowa Video Previews on YouTube

View a 60-second preview of the DVD Common Ground Iowa is currently producing. The project will have eight chapters that cover home-owners, farmers, professional excavators, Iowa One Call and more. Watch for the entire video in Fall 2010. Check it out here.

Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional magazine (free subscription here).

Pipeline Safety Public Awareness and Education

The Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials met in July, 2010, to receive testimony on pipeline safety public awareness and education programs. The hearing is the fourth in a series of hearings that the Subcommittee will conduct on pipeline safety. CGA President, Bob Kipp, provided testimony. The written testimony can be retrieved by clicking the Bob Kipp segment. Visit here.

Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional magazine (free subscription here
).

Protection law on oil pipelines goes into effect October 1, 2010

A new law to ensure safer oil and natural gas pipelines has been approved by China's top legislature at the 15th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC). According to NPC Standing Committee chairman Wu Bangguo, this law sets out "detailed responsibilities for pipeline companies to ensure the safety of oil and natural gas pipelines". The law, which will take effect on 1 October 2010, is the first of its kind to be implemented in China to protect crucial oil and natural gas infrastructure, requiring construction companies to enact safety measures while constructing pipelines, including the quality of materials, number of inspections and posting of warning signs.

Source: DPP Magazine

NZ Contractors Federation Joins Forces with BeforeUdig

The New Zealand Contractors Federation (NZCF) has joined forces with beforeUdig to "Protect lives, Pipes, & Cables" providing a link to the beforeUdig service from their web site. The NZCF is the national organization representing the civil construction and general contracting industry. (Visit here).

Source: DPP Magazine

One Call Systems (OCS), Inc. announces ceasing operations in October 2010

One Call Systems, Inc (OCS) has been providing underground notification and damage protection services to utility companies nationwide for over 25 years. OCS has been a leader in the Industry. Changes in economic conditions, however, have recently seen increasing difficulties in providing the hight quality service customers have come to expect. Consequently, closing the business in October, 2010 proved to be the most viable option available. "We would like to thank all of our customers for their loyal support. We also want to express our gratitude to our employees for the many years of outstanding performance and excellent customer service," said Michael T McNamara, CEO and Gary Craig, vice president.

Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional magazine Fall 2010 (Free subscription here).

Public Awareness Manager Patent

August 9, 2010 - Overland Park, KS

Celeritas is excited to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has examined and formally issued a notice of allowance as a patent the invention known as the Public Awareness Manager.


"We're thrilled the USPTO has reached this conclusion and the PAM patent will serve as a tremendous asset and benefit to Celeritas customers for a long time," commented Brett Lester, Celeritas president. "Additionally, the patent will allow Celeritas to protect its intellectual property and expand on its web-based geographic information systems that support the energy marketplace."

The Public Awareness Manager was originally put into production back in 2003. Over 500 pipeline companies and thousands of individual users access the system from all across the country in support of energy related regulatory and compliance activities. The PAM now acts as the centerpiece for a number of complimentary GIS systems that support energy companies compliance activities dealing in large part with RP 1162 and CFR 49 parts 192 and 195.

Celeritas is especially happy that despite a recent legal decision that went against the company, the USPTO sided with Celeritas in acknowledging its invention and awarding this patent.

Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional- Fall 2010

New goal-based safety regulations will affect all stakeholders in Canada

September 2010

The National Energy Board (the NEB or "the Board") regulates more than 40,000 kilometers of pipelines throughout Canada under the authority provided to it within the National Energy Board Act. These pipelines operate continuously and safely delivering energy to satisfy the needs of Canadians and export markets.

Pipelines are often invisible. After their initial construction, all that may be left to indicate their presence are signs at fence lines and road crossings or clearings along the pipeline right of way. The NEV believes that the safety and integrity of Canada's pipelines depend on public awareness and industry involvement. Activities which occur near pipelines and which have the potential to damage pipelines regulated by the Board in the public interest. Currently, these activities are governed by the National Energy Board Pipeline Crossing Regulations.

The National Energy Board Damage Prevention Regulations were released in the Canada Gazette in mid-August with a 30 day comment period which ended on September 13, 2010. These regulations are goal-based and are a significant departure from the existing and prescriptive Pipeline Crossing Regulations, Part l and Part ll which have been in place since 1988.

The change in regulation will affect all stakeholders of buried utilities in Canada from owners and operatirs of federally-regulated pipeline systems to the digging community and landowners. If you fall into one of these NEB websites at http://www.neb-one.gc.ca.

Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional Fall 2010

GPR & RT accuracy?

How accurate are GPR & RT technology in determining depth or 'z' coordinates?

The article 'Determining what lies beneath the ground is essential in avoiding damage incidents,' from the Damage Prevention PROfessional- Fall 2010 issue raised valid questions and feedback. Here is a blurb from the article but you can also read more here. 

"When nonmetallic facilities are involved, a number of options are available including acoustical locators, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and radar tomography (RT). Combining these technologies with geographic positioning systems (GPS) will allow most underground utilities to be located, providing X and Y coordinates. Vacuum excavation is then utilized to provide exact X, Y and Z coordinates."


What are your thoughts on GPR & RT technologies in locating depth? 

Acquisition Positions Caterpillar to Deliver Subsurface Imaging and Mapping Services

Summer 2010

Caterpillar Inc. has acquired all assets of Underground Imaging Technologies, Inc. (UTI) through its majority owned affiliate. Underground Imaging Technologies LCC. UIT is advanced geophysical services company and technology developer based in Latham, N.Y. The acquisition will give Caterpillar the capability to provide geophysical services, specializing in providing three-dimensional representations of underground utilities and other targets.

"UIT's geophysical expertise and advanced technologies will add dynamic new subsurface infrastructure capabilities to our Connected Worksite offerings," said Hans Haefeli, vice president with responsibility for the Caterpillar Advanced Systems Division. "But most important, this service provides detailed information that enables design engineers and contractors to proceed on underground projects with a clearer picture of the subsurface environment, contributing to both project cost savings and increased safety on the worksite."

"The use of advanced near-surface geophysical tools provides highly accurate three-dimensional images and digital maps of subsurface utilities and unknown objects," said Mark R. Wallbom, VEO of UIT. "Our portfolio of proprietary software and geophysical means and methods has high proprietary software and geophysical means and methods has high value for both design and construction projects. Identifying underground impediments- before design and construction begin- speeds the work, saves money and enhances safety. The technology also has potential applications in road building quality control, site evaluation, environmental surveys, and mapping geologic layers for mining applications."



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