Web Exchange

Richard Betterley, president of Betterley Risk Consultants, says cyber liability policies have evolved quite a bit in the 10 or so years they have been around, and carriers are doing a good job of providing the coverage. In this interview, Betterley discusses what some of the current trends are in the cyber liability market.

Dan Barton, geotechnical division manager at Rimkus Consulting Group, describes tests used to evaluate sinkhole claims, and explains why they occur, the damage they cause and repair options for buildings damaged by a sinkhole.

In an interview with Claims Journal, Mark Hoedel, a claims examiner who handles motorcycle property damage claims for Wis.-based Markel American Insurance Co., describes his passion for restoring and racing motorcycles, how he parlayed his skills into a career and how his experience has helped him handle claims.

Advocates Push Idea of Requiring Gun Insurance
Some lawmakers are hoping the insurance market might offer incentives to curb gun-related violence.

Legislation recently filed in Massachusetts would require gun owners to purchase liability insurance. The insurance policies would give those injured by a weapon a legal recourse, backers of the bill say, but they also would create financial incentives that could reduce accidents and fatalities. Gun owners, for example, might see lower insurance rates if they agreed to take firearms training courses and properly stored their weapons.

The idea is already meeting with resistance for gun rights advocates, who say it amounts to more regulation aimed at law-abiding gun owners.

Craig Baenziger, who works at a gun and ammunition seller in North Attleboro, Mass., called Northeast Trading Co., said requiring liability insurance for guns makes little sense because it targets people who buy the weapons legally instead of going after criminals who illegally possess them.

“Insurance on your gun isn’t really going to decrease crime or accidents. Nobody shoots their friend on purpose. It’s not going to do anything,” Baenziger said. “It’s just a way to increase revenue for the state.”

Under the bill proposed in Massachusetts, there would be specific penalties for anyone found in possession of a gun without insurance. The fines would range from $500 to $5,000 or up to a year in jail. (Steve LeBlanc and Jay Lindsay/AP)

The Associated Press story generated several comments from readers. Read a few of the comments below: