Declarations

Fishing Expedition Prevention

“This will preclude an insurer from going on a fishing expedition, just as they can’t go on a fishing expedition to find out how many chainsaws you own or sharp knives [you have] in your kitchen.”

—Florida state Senator Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who is sponsoring legislation restricting insurers from underwriting or canceling a policy based on gun ownership.

That’s Usually the Case

“The only thing that is stopping us is the legal stuff.”

—Patrick Heinemann, an engineer of advanced driver assistance systems for Audi AG, said regulation is one of the final hurdles preventing driverless cars from being on the road.

Snows and Tows

“We haven’t had to tow cars in I don’t know how many years.”

—Dave Welch, commissioner of streets, bridges and harbor in Toledo, Ohio. Officials expect the storms that dumped 20 inches of snow on the city will cost up to $1 million in salaries and overtime for city workers, plus the expense of hiring private plow contractors and tow trucks to move cars so the streets could be plowed.

Seismic Activity

“It’s an area where we think with a little investment, we’ll learn a great deal about earthquakes in eastern North America.”

—Virginia Tech seismologist Martin Chapman on studying earthquakes in central Virginia, a region that has a history of seismic activity. Researchers from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey recently installed 12 seismic stations in the area for a two-month study.

Inappropriate, Unacceptable

“If TWIA management in 2008 didn’t make clear the fact that such communications are inappropriate and unacceptable, current TWIA leadership certainly does — and will continue to do so.”

—John Polak, executive director of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, commenting on potentially racist and offensive emails that were released to a litigator in a disputed claims case against TWIA stemming from Hurricane Dolly in 2008. Polak said TWIA’s management, underwriting and claims teams have been revamped with a focus on diversity and accountability.