Lightning may not seem as destructive as other natural disasters, yet a strike can cause serious damage to business equipment and electrical appliances, disrupt electrical service for long periods of time, and spark wildfires. In 2014, State Farm paid nearly $149 million dollars for insurance claims as a result of damage from lightning strikes.
June, July, and August are the times of year when lightning is most frequent. Even though lightning is weather-related and not a preventable event, there are ways to reduce your chance of damage from a power surge or fire. That is why State Farm has joined forces with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) in recognition of Lightning Awareness Week, June 21-27.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7452831-state-farm-weather-preparedness/
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released its annual Hot Wheels report which identifies the 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2013.
Also in today’s release is a list of the top 25 2013 vehicle makes and models that were reported stolen in calendar year 2013.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/70506512-national-insurance-crime-bureau-nicb-hot-wheels-10-most-stolen/
At 37 years old, with a thriving concrete business, a wife and three young children, dying was the last thing on Travis Roberts’ mind. But after a doctor’s visit for a kidney stone, Roberts learned he had cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile duct. His survival rate was zero.
Roberts shared his story as part of Northwestern Mutual’s ongoing Client Stories series, which highlights the importance of financial security in the face of life’s most difficult circumstances.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7100753-northwestern-mutual-financial-security-cancer-diagnosis-disability-insurance/
The Island of Bantayan in Northern Cebu in the Philippines watched their country’s boxing hero Manny Pacquiao fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. during a live public screening on the island, which brought boundless inspiration to many who were still recovering from the effects of Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines in late 2013.
The public screening on the island was made possible with the effort of a large British life insurance company operating in the country in its bid to bring inspiration to the typhoon survivors. The screening was for the first time held simultaneously in Santa Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos municipalities on Bantayan Island.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7516751-prudential-corporation-asia/
In a new round of evaluations, 5 of 7 small SUVs earn good ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for occupant protection in a passenger-side small overlap front crash.
The ratings bring to 16 the number of small SUVs the Institute has evaluated in the passenger-side small overlap front test, which was introduced in 2017 to encourage manufacturers to offer the same level of protection for front-seat passengers as drivers in this type of crash.
The BMW X1; Chevrolet Equinox and its twin, the GMC Terrain; Jeep Compass and Mitsubishi Outlander earn good ratings in the passenger-side small overlap front test. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport earns a marginal rating, and the Ford Escape earns poor. For the 2018 model year, the Equinox shed weight to join the small SUV size class. Earlier models were classified as midsize.
None of the newly rated 2018 models earns better than acceptable marks for structure. (The Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 are the only small SUVs evaluated so far to earn good ratings for structure in the passenger-side small overlap front test.) The Outlander Sport is marginal, and the Escape is rated poor. Both the Outlander Sport and Escape allowed too much intrusion into the occupant compartment on the right side.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) are warning motorists of a growing problem with unauthorized tow truck operators in the LA area.
These “bandit” tow truck operators monitor police radios and respond to accidents seeking to hook up vehicles and tow them to body shops or storage facilities where they are held hostage until the motorists and their insurance companies pay inflated towing, storage and possibly repair charges to get the vehicle back.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/70506514-nicb-lapd-bandit-tow-truck-scams/
Knowing what is important in life became clear to Michael and Kim Jones after Michael was diagnosed with terminal neck cancer. “It changed us dramatically,” Kim said of the diagnosis and the ensuing five-year journey that followed.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7100755-northwestern-mutual-client-stories-life-insurance/
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today issued a warning to the public about an organized scam involving sales of vehicles through the popular online market place, Craigslist.
Working with law enforcement agencies in the Chicago area and across the Midwest, NICB has identified nearly 100 instances of sales of vehicles that went sour when phony bank checks were used to pay for the vehicle.
“These scams are well organized and have all the appearances of being legitimate,” said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. “But in the end, the criminal gets the car and the sellers or their financial institutions are left on the hook for thousands of dollars still owed on the car.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523151-nicb-craigslist-auto-sales-scam/
Tornado and high winds are some of the most destructive forces of nature. While tornadoes are frequent in the Great Plains, South, and Midwest, there is no state in the country that isn’t at risk. As the nation’s largest property insurer, State Farm wants to make sure you and your family are prepared for the destructive and potentially deadly force of a tornado.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7452831-state-farm-weather-preparedness/
The Fourth of July is an excellent time to take a moment to acknowledge all of the men and women who are bravely serving in the United States military at home and overseas. Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and Mercury Insurance are doing more than just saluting our troops’ service, as the two organizations partnered to host a “packing party” yesterday to assemble care packages for Marines and Sailors from local bases – Camp Pendleton and MCAS Miramar – currently deployed in Afghanistan. More than 50 Mercury employees and agents, local little leaguers and Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy and community representatives stuffed 1,000 backpacks in right field at Petco Park following the July 2 Padres-Reds game.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7264451-mercury-insurance-san-diego-padres-assemble-care-packages-for-afghanistan-troop/
Parking crashes usually don’t result in serious injuries, but repair costs can quickly mount, along with the hassle of going without the family vehicle while waiting for the body shop to finish work. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has launched a rear crash prevention ratings program to help consumers identify models with the technology that can prevent or mitigate low-speed backing crashes. Two systems earn the highest rating of superior, and four earn the second-highest rating of advanced.
Rear crash prevention encompasses several technologies. Parking sensors issue warning beeps and/or seat vibrations when the equipped vehicle gets too close to another vehicle or object directly behind it, or, in some cases, in front of it. Rear cross-traffic alert warns drivers of approaching vehicles that might cross their path as they back up. Rear automatic emergency braking systems detect objects behind a reversing vehicle and may automatically brake if the driver doesn’t heed alerts to stop.
IIHS engineers evaluated rear autobrake systems on six popular 2017 model vehicles — the BMW 5 series sedan, Cadillac XT5 SUV, Infiniti QX60 SUV, Jeep Cherokee SUV, Subaru Outback wagon and Toyota Prius hatchback.
Under the three-tier rating scheme, models with optional or standard rear crash prevention systems are rated superior, advanced or basic. Ratings are determined by whether the vehicles have available rear autobrake and, if so, how it performs in a series of car-to-car and car-to-pole tests with different approach angles. The availability of parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert also is factored in.
The Outback and XT5 earn a superior rating when equipped with optional rear autobrake, parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert. The Cherokee, 5 series, QX60 and Prius earn an advanced rating with this optional gear.
The recent flooding in Texas means the end of the road for an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 insured vehicles that suffered water damage.
That’s the current estimate from Copart, a company that works on behalf of insurers to handle the vehicles damaged in catastrophes. About 2,500 cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs and other vehicles have already been towed to one of Copart’s locations, a 200-acre processing facility in Houston.
After a disaster, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) works with its member companies, law enforcement and companies like Copart to identify the vehicles that have had an insurance claim filed and to process them for sale. All of the cars will be retitled with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the new title will indicate the fact that the vehicle has been flood damaged. Most of the vehicles are sold to parts companies who will dismantle them and re-sell usable parts that were not damaged by the flooding.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523152-nicb-texas-floods/
