Declarations

Insurance Friendly

“What I discovered in the course of looking at Judge Sotomayor’s overall body of opinions on coverage issues was far more interesting than any one case. Judge Sotomayor has been very, very insurer-friendly during her time on the bench.”

—Philadelphia based insurance attorney Randy J. Maniloff on his review of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s insurance-related opinions. Her insurance opinions could make the case that she’s not as “liberal” as everyone thinks, Maniloff said.

Consumer Questions

“It is very difficult for consumers to figure out if they are being gouged or not. You have to trust your state regulator.”

—J. Robert Hunter, a former Texas State Insurance Commissioner who is now director of insurance at the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group, telling an Associated Press reporter that rising prices and deductibles may lead some homeowners to question whether they’re overpaying for insurance.

State to State Scam

“These scams often travel from state to state, so it’s a good time to remind people to safeguard their personal information. We want to be proactive and give people the information they need to avoid being taken by this type of con artist.”

—Colorado Insurance Commissioner Marcy Morrison warning insurance agents and brokers to beware of a scam targeting them. Regulators in California, Colorado and Nevada said scammers have been posing as Department of Insurance employees and calling agents and brokers to try to get credit card and Social Security information.

Terrorism Threats

“A new generation of terrorists will emerge from disaffected communities in a re-emergence of class-based politics.”

—In light of the global recession, Craig Preston, executive director at Aon, noted that it’s possible that new terrorist groups could emerge in the developed world on the far right and far left of the ideological spectrum. Aon has just issued the latest version of its “Terrorism Threat Map.” The most significant change from previous maps shows a “shift in Islamist terrorist activity from the Middle East to South Asia.”

Unfortunate Losses

“It is unfortunate that Fireman’s Fund employees and others suffered losses as a result of their investments with AGA, but we continue to believe that we are not responsible for these losses.”

—Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. commenting on a lawsuit in which dozens of employees and retirees are suing after they lost as much as $30 million on advice they claim came from financial advisers hired by the insurer.