Insureds Should Be Prepared for Complex Renewals

Denise GillinInsurance, News

By Emma Brenner for Risk & Insurance In a world that continues to be with unexpected risks, it’s no surprise that insurance markets also experience the same ups and downs. Last year was the most chaotic insurance market the casualty space has seen in the last 30 years. Marked by dwindling capacity, rate increases and non-renewals, the year was a whirlwind for insureds and insurers alike. 2021 is proving to be only somewhat less chaotic. Risk Placement Services’ “U.S. Casualty Market Outlook: Mid-Year 2021” report detailed the trends in the casualty market during the first half of the year and how carriers can craft successful responses for the risks that lie ahead. Key Takeaways>>>

2022 and new beginning concept, hand show icon global network line, growth plan for business.

Top 10 Technology and Business Trends of 2022

Denise GillinNews

By Anis Uzzaman, General Partner and CEO, Pegasus Tech Ventures for Inc.com The impact of Covid-19 continues to be felt as several technologies are poised to pick up steam in the new year. As Covid-19 vaccinations increase globally, life is getting back to normal. However, it’s no longer the world we experienced before the pandemic. The long-term nature of this global crisis has changed customer needs and daily lifestyles. This will, in turn, change what I expect the world to look like in 2022 and beyond. Let’s review the top 10 technology and business trends that we’ll likely encounter in the coming year. Click for more information>>>

Addressing the Ag Industry’s Supply Chain Challenges

Denise GillinAgribusiness, News, Risk Management

By Gina Ekstam for AssuredPartners Weather, geopolitics, structural issues, consumer demand, and labor shortages represent just some of the many issues working together to compound the global supply chain problem for the ag industry. This confluence of factors has made it difficult to move product, contributing to supply chain inflation and concerns about food security. Supply chain problems are likely to stick around for the foreseeable future and addressing them will take time. To protect your agribusiness, you must understand what makes your operation vulnerable and look for opportunities to do things differently. Click here for resilience-building measures>>>

The Supply Chain Crisis’ Latest Woe

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management, Transportation

By Dani Romero for Yahoo!finance With a number of cargo containers bottlenecked at California’s ports, another problem has ensnared the companies trying to ship goods, and the customers and shops waiting for those supplies. Theft. The worsening supply chain troubles are making stolen shipments an increasingly common problem that’s affecting shoppers, already facing long delays and soaring prices. Cargo that finally makes its way out of backlogged ports on the West Coast is being aggressively targeted by criminals eyeing containers filled with electronics amid the chip shortage. What are the implications>>>

Improve Operational Health, Maximize Flexibility to Mitigate Drought Risk

Denise GillinAgribusiness, Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Gina Ekstam for AssuredPartners According to NOAA, the average global surface temperature was the sixth highest for August 2021 since global records began in 1880. Further, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports that over 46% of the contiguous U.S. experienced moderate to exceptional drought in August. These extreme weather conditions are impacting ag operations across the country. Decreased water availability leads to production losses, increased pests and diseases, and lower livestock productivity. Matt Carstens, president and CEO of Landus in Ames, Iowa, adds, “drought conditions affect weed and fungi control, changes the products that are stored, and impacts the health of livestock. Operationally, severe weather events can lead to supply chain and infrastructure disruption. For example, a lack of corn …

Infrastructure Lacks Critical Funding

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, News

By Kevin Rettberg for AssuredPartners With the September House passage of the latest infrastructure spending bill tagged somewhere around $3.5 trillion, there is still one issue that this bill has not addressed: commercial truck parking. To understand why this is an issue, we need to provide context. It goes without saying, but there is consensus that our nation’s highways and roadways are infrastructure, and as a country there is a continued investment of billions of dollars to maintain and improve them. Another point of agreement, especially having gone through the COVID pandemic, is that our commercial truck drivers are the lifeblood of our economy. Finally, the work that has been done in the industry to make the job safe is …

Flagger holds up stop sign for traffic in construction zone

OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

By Toby Graham for KPA Hot off the press… the new OSHA Top 10 list is here! Every year OSHA compiles a list of the ten most-cited standard violations from the previous fiscal year.  OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take necessary steps to find and fix recognized hazards before OSHA shows up. The 2021 fiscal year statistics, which ended Sept. 30th, have just been released. They show some slight changes from the 2020 list. Not surprisingly, the list’s actual violations stayed the same as the previous year, though some standards moved up or down. Click to see the complete list>>>

To Pay or Not to Pay: Is That the Question?

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Scott Sinder for LeadersEdge We are on the heels of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and many of us lived the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act debates that followed. The widely shared expectation at the time was that 9/11 was just the first of what we thought would be a long litany of terrorist events on U.S. soil. But those never materialized, and, to date, not one claim has been paid through the TRIA program. The recent exponential growth in “ransomware” claims, however, seems to have bucked that trend. There is a spate of more well publicized cases—Colonial Pipeline and CNA?—but as Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, recently noted, the overall “rate of ransomware attacks …

Biden’s Vaccine Mandate & Delta’s Surcharge Signal Sweeping Changes for Employers & Employees

Denise GillinHealth Benefits, Human Resources, News

By Nathanael M. Alexander, Esq. for AssuredPartners Since we last blogged about the changes in the world of COVID-19 vaccines there have been plenty of headlining developments that are worthy of mention including the August 23, 2021 FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, a woman being arrested in Hawaii for attempting to skirt the state’s entry requirements via the use of a fake vaccination card, and various state law mandates for teachers, healthcare workers, etc. This is all coupled with much enthusiasm from employers hoping to follow in the footsteps of Delta Air Lines’ recent decision to add a $200 monthly health insurance charge for their unvaccinated staff members. This heightened enthusiasm has led many employers to explore the various ramifications (both legal and …

September is National Preparedness Month

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

According Ready.gov, National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” Weekly Themes: For more information and resources to regarding National Preparedness Month, go to Ready.gov/september. Questions? Contact a member of the Murray Risk Management Team at 717.397.9600