The ALS Group Risk Management Articles

Postponing Tuesday night’s Knicks game not only prevented fans from watching their team but kept fans away from Madison Square Garden. The N.Y. Knicks game was postponed due to suspicion that asbestos related material was falling from the rafters at Madison Square Garden.

Over the last 10 years the advent of an Owner Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) has gained popularity for many reasons. Theoretically, buying one Program for the benefit of all parties to the Project provides cost efficiency and ease of claims administration. There is reduced “finger pointing” among [contractor] insurers and “control” of the site generally improves.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. It is also the number one consumer complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission, accounting for approximately 255,565 complaints in 2008. In addition, more than 30 states have enacted legislation requiring companies to notify consumers if their personal information may have been compromised. Even in states where notification is not required by law, failure to notify an individual of a potential identity breach may result in severe civil, regulatory and legal liability costs, as well as potential damage to a company’s reputation and loss of consumer confidence. Nearly 10 million Americans

We recently highlighted the importance of the full disclosure of broker compensation and the New York State Department of Insurance’s effort to expand mandatory disclosure rules. A recent case out of Massachusetts only serves to reiterate the danger to customers of undisclosed fees: