Alabama Gets Its Own Insurance Information Service

Many of Alabama’s personal and commercial lines insurers have established the Alabama Insurance Information Service (AIIS), a not-for-profit, non-lobbying trade association to provide news and information to the public.

AIIS is based in Montgomery and plans to work primarily through the state’s news media about issues relating to auto insurance, homeowners and renters insurance, flood and earthquake insurance, workers, compensation and consumer safety information, according to AIIS Executive Director David Colmans.

Colmans said the Alabama group will be modeled after similar industry groups in other states. The Alabama service is an expansion of the Georgia Insurance Information Service, for which Colmans is also executive director.

“There are a number of insurance trade associations in the Southeast including in the states of Georgia, South and North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky and Louisiana,” he said. “Our member companies believe that an insurance information service is needed in Alabama and this goal is now achieved.”

Colmans said AIIS will work with several affiliated industry organizations including the Insurance Information Institute; the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; the Institute for Business and Home Safety; the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes; the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and others.

It also plans to work with state agencies including the Alabama Department of Insurance; the Alabama State Patrol; the Alabama Emergency Management Agency; the Alabama Department of Transportation to provide information to member companies and the public.

Colmans worked in Alabama in both Montgomery and Birmingham in the 1960s and 1970s. His background includes reporter/anchor positions with WCOV-TV in Montgomery and WVTM-TV in Birmingham (WAPI at the time). His trade association positions included Associated Industries of Alabama and the Birmingham Area Board of Realtors.

The member companies of the new AAIS are:

ALFA Insurance

Allstate Insurance Co.

AssuranceAmerica

Baldwin Mutual Insurance

Cotton States Insurance

Farmers Insurance

FCCI Insurance Group

GEICO Insurance

GMAC Insurance

Grange Insurance

Infinity Insurance

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

Mercury Insurance Group

Nationwide Insurance

Progressive Insurance

State Farm Insurance

Travelers Insurance

USAA

The AIIS web site offers two special services. Its free home inventory software helps homeowners catalog everything in the household including descriptions and pictures of each item. AIIS also posts a bi-weekly “Inside Insurance” column that provides consumer information on issues of insurance as well as home, auto and business safety.