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Scott E. Bushnell

Mr. Bushnell is a Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years of experience providing Forensic Accounting services through national and global professional services firms. Know as the “numbers guy” his professional expertise covers Business Interruption Claims, Economic Damage Analysis, and Fraud Investigations. Mr. Bushnell has advised clients in mediation, arbitration and appraisal as a third…

In A Hurry To Get To Destinations Not Considered

It is often said that the police and firemen run towards the danger when others are running away from the danger. Thing is, the danger is generally a known danger, not an unknown one.

AAIMCo Members Featured in latest CLEW Newsletter

•Wrongful Designation by Thomas M. Braniff, JD, CPCU and Robert P. Gaddis, JD;
•The Essential Bookshelf for Expert Witnesses by Kevin Quinley, CPCU, ARM, AIC;
•The 411 on Becoming an Expert Witnesses by Elise M. Farnham, CPCU, ARM, AIM, CPIW;
•Working as an Expert Witnesses by Douglas R. Emerick; and
•“Be Careful What You DON’T Ask For” By Bill Wilson, CPCU, ARM, AIM, AAM.

Contingent Business Interruption Claims, What Happens When the Loss You Experience is Not Your Own?

In today’s business climate more focus is placed on lean operations. This trend is becoming increasingly more commonplace as corporations are divesting of business lines and returning to core competencies. As decentralization continues to grow and corporations are relying on supply and sales agreements with non-related parties, the impact of a supplier or customer’s loss on a business’ operations increases substantially.

A Review of the Modern Claims Made Form

“Since its creation, “claims made” wording’s use has expanded outside of the “profession” and professional liability realm, finding use in diverse liability coverages. But the roots of “claims made” wording, and its most common use still, is found in covering the exposures created by a “professional’s” activities. As seen by the list of true “professions,” professionals are individuals who provide a service to society which, if done poorly, could cause extreme or irreparable personal or financial harm. …

The expansion of claims made policy forms beyond “professions” caused the basic “claims made” concept to diverge and evolve into two distinct forms. One evolutionary branch commenced in professional liability coverages (known also as “errors and omissions” coverages in this series) and the second branch grew out of the financial services industry and the need for directors and officers liability protection, fiduciary liability and employment practices liability (referred throughout this series as “executive liability” coverages).

Although both branches attach to the tree at the same point; greatly different “claims made triggers” have resulted. Additionally, coverage terms, conditions and definitions differ between the two branches.”

The risks inherent in diminishing limit policies

“Diminishing limits policies create a host of potential problems for insurance company claim departments. As is well known the insurance industry has long been plagued with “nuisance” claims. While in some instances insurance companies make quick settlements of nuisance claims to avoid defense cost expenditures, in others, insurers will attempt to resist such claims to avoid setting a precedent, thereby sending a message to the plaintiff’s bar that nuisance claims will not be honored. Considering that defense costs are deducted from the policy’s aggregate limits, either course of action places an insurance company in a difficult position. … “

Claim Auditing

The claims audit is the anathema of day-to-day claim operations. Nothing is more disruptive. Yet, if properly defined, nothing is more informative and helpful in improving a claim management program. This article will examine the need for a regular auditing program and provide a recipe for a three-dimensional approach to the process in order to maximize the accuracy of the audit results.

The need to conduct regular claims audits has already been widely discussed. With the magnitude of self-insured claims programs (including self-funded programs) and the millions of dollars spent on claim administration fees, what better way to verify whether the money spent has been justified or wasted? In essence, an audit of closed and open claims should accomplish several things.

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