It Figures

June 18, 2007

1.4
The intensity of the earthquake that surprised residents of seacoast New Hampshire at 10:30 p.m. on June 2. The quake was centered about a mile and a half north of Exeter, N.H. There were no reports of injuries from the quake.

$300,000
The total disbursements paid by New York’s Group Health Incorporated for 20 false claims for brain operations, sometimes for the same person on multiple occasions. One 36-year-old man even claimed nine brain surgeries for himself, along with his wife and two sons.

$155,000
The annual salary being earned by a former paralegal at a New York law firm who has been indicted on charges of posing as a licensed attorney and stealing from his employer. Brian Valery practiced law at Anderson Kill & Olick for about two years in commercial and insurance litigation before he was found out, Manhattan prosecutors said.

33%
The percentage of U.S. homeowners who mistakenly believe that standard homeowners insurance protects them from flood damages, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

$600 billion
The total exposure at the end of the 2006 of state-run property insurers of last resort, according to the Insurance Information Institute. This compares to $54.7 billion in 1990. Total policies in force with state-run entities have risen in excess of two million.

4,000-6,000
The number of crashes per day that the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates can be linked to driver distraction. The figure was cited by AAA Mid-Atlantic and Drive Smart Virginia, along with the insurance industry and other partners, in calling on Virginians to take action June 6 on Distracted Driving Awareness Day.