1. Research Publications
  2. Research Publications

Research Publications

Small Business Attitude Monitor 1991

Surveys of small businesses released in 1991 and 1989 explore attitudes and beliefs about insurance-related topics as they apply to U.S. businesses having between 2 and 49 employees. Topics covered include insurance coverages held, shopping patterns, availability/cost of business insurance, and claim satisfaction. The more recent study also reports on perceptions about the relative costs of business insurance and attitudes and beliefs about fraudulent insurance claiming behaviors.

A Comparative Study of Liability Law and Compensation Schemes in Ten Countries and the United States, Werner Pfennigstorf with Donald G. Gifford

This book compares principles and applications of liability law in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Foreign perspectives are provided by Werner Pfennigstorf, who served as research attorney and project director of the American Bar Foundation 1973-86 and now is in private law practice in the Federal Republic of Germany. American perspectives are provided by Donald G. Gifford, Dean of the College of Law, West Virginia University.

Medical Cost Containment in Casualty Claims

Rising medical costs are a major cause of higher insurance costs for workers' compensation, general liability and automobile insurance. This report explores medical cost containment techniques used by insurers of those coverages and offers an assessment of their effectiveness.

Business Attitude Monitor

Surveys of small businesses released in 1991 and 1989 explore attitudes and beliefs about insurance-related topics as they apply to U.S. businesses having between 2 and 49 employees. Topics covered include insurance coverages held, shopping patterns, availability/cost of business insurance, and claim satisfaction. The more recent study also reports on perceptions about the relative costs of business insurance and attitudes and beliefs about fraudulent insurance claiming behaviors.

Surveys on Liability Insurance for Government Entities

Survey responses from 66 liability insurers and 679 government entities (municipalities, counties, school districts, etc.) provide the basis for this study, which explores problems in obtaining liability insurance, the reasons for those problems, and steps that might be taken to alleviate them. Specific questions were asked about cancellations and nonrenewals, premium increases, loss control measures, and favorable and unfavorable states.

Pollution Liability: The Evolution of a Difficult Insurance Market

Due to a number of complex and inter-related factors, insurers have had major difficulties in developing a broad market for pollution liability insurance. This study explores some of the forces that have hampered development of a market. These include trends in the civil justice system that make it difficult to assess risk, Superfund legislation and regulations, adverse selection and the lack of a broad base of demand for the product. The report also contains an analysis of underwriting procedures and practices of property-casualty insurers writing pollution liability insurance during late 1984 and early 1985.

Due to a number of complex and inter-related factors, insurers have had major difficulties in developing a broad market for pollution liability insurance. This study explores some of the forces that have hampered development of a market. These include tre

This report describes how insurance companies assess the physical hazards involved in handling substances that can pollute the environment and generate liability insurance claims. Findings are based on a survey of 14 insurance companies writing pollution liability coverage and nine environmental consultants active in providing risk assessments for insurance purposes. The survey explores guidelines and procedures used by insurers and consultants to conduct pollution liability risk assessment, the technical skills and backgrounds of staff risk assessors, and the types of information that are most critical for completing a risk assessment.

Pollution Liability Claims Administration

Due to a number of complex and inter-related factors, insurers have had major difficulties in developing a broad market for pollution liability insurance. This study explores some of the forces that have hampered development of a market. These include trends in the civil justice system that make it difficult to assess risk, Superfund legislation and regulations, adverse selection and the lack of a broad base of demand for the product. The report also contains an analysis of underwriting procedures and practices of property-casualty insurers writing pollution liability insurance during late 1984 and early 1985.

Availability and Use of Business Insurance by Urban Small Businesses: A Survey

A survey of 1,845 owners of small mercantile and service businesses in Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles and Philadelphia explores perceptions about availability and affordability of business insurance, and reports on experiences in buying it.

Catalog of Indices

This is a compendium of information about frequently quoted indices relevant to property and casualty insurance, published by public and private sources. The report describes the characteristics of each index and provides ordering information.