Post - 2010-07-22
Articles in this issue
Post Magazine – 22 July 2010
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Medicals Direct buys rival
North London-based medical services provider Medicals Direct Group has acquired competitor Medibureau for an undisclosed sum.
Career development & CSR news: Markerstudy creates workforce programme
Markerstudy has launched a programme aimed at improving the skills of its entire workforce.
ABI: liability classes lead rise in fraud detection
Figures from the Association of British Insurers published this week are expected to reveal the amount of insurance fraud detected and prevented last year by its members rose again, reaching a total of 122 000 cases — up from 107 00 in 2008 — with a…
Ex-Erinaceous boss returns
Former Erinaceous boss Andy Halstead has returned to the insurance market with a new property venture called Rent On Time.
Aon broker threw laptop into pond to cover tracks
A senior Aon broker who admits dumping a laptop in a pond to cover up his involvement in a major tender that allegedly breached the terms of his gardening leave has been told he could face imprisonment.
Medical report highlights insurance market failure
The UK's midwifery associate bodies are poised to step up their bid to gain insurance cover for independent practitioners, following the publication of the Finlay Scott report on the issue.
Date due to be set for Autofocus court case
The trial window for the long-awaited legal battle between credit hire organisation Accident Exchange and reporting firm Autofocus is likely to be decided by the High Court next month.
Fraud named as factor for motor insurance premium rise
Insurance giants Zurich and Axa have identified fraud as a factor in recent rises in motor insurance premiums.
Kelly quits ABI
The Association of British Insurers is on the hunt for a new director general following the announcement that Kerrie Kelly has stepped down.
Chaucer in Buenos Aires
Chaucer has opened a new office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to access facultative property and related risks in Latin America on behalf of Chaucer Syndicate 1084.
Octagon joins aggregator
Motor insurer Octagon has joined the panel of aggregator Compare the Market. Octagon, which launched last November, was previously available exclusively on Go Compare.
Lloyds chooses Crawford over adjusting trio after review
A trio of loss adjusters will no longer work with Lloyds Banking Group after it moved to a solus arrangement with Crawford & Company.
ABI supports MoJ data protection review
The Association of British Insurers has backed a Ministry of Justice review of the Data Protection Act.
Brownsword founder leaves
David Brownsword has left his role as executive chairman of Brownsword Group, two years after returning to the fraud investigation company that he founded.
Top five Post stories
The five most popular stories at postonline.co.uk over the past seven days were:
Axa uses headhunters
Axa Insurance is understood to have employed headhunters to look for a candidate to fill an extended role to that of Anthony Middle, managing director of commercial lines, who has left to join Aviva in December.
QBE hires Scotland head
QBE has appointed Maureen Robertson as commercial manager, leading its business in Scotland.
Bluefin joins PE alliance
Axa-owned Bluefin has become an inaugural member of Equity Risk Partners Global, a worldwide alliance focused exclusively on the needs of the private equity sector.
Halliwells sells to BLG
Halliwells' insurance business has been acquired by London-based Barlow Lyde Gilbert, after the deal was approved by its board.
Quinn: PI insurers losers after defeat
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision to uphold an earlier ruling denying Quinn Direct access to confidential information on a small firm of solicitors that it insured.
Editor's comment: ABI headhunt back on
There is no other way of looking at the Kerrie Kelly debacle than as a bit of an embarrassment for the Association of British Insurers.
Deloitte retention stats rejected
Allianz has rejected claims that the increasing cost of personal lines policies will lead to a reduction in customer retention.
Arista heads to Leeds
Arista is set to open a Leeds office, as the firm looks to broaden its footprint in the North of England.
Brit deal in the balance
Private equity house Apollo is not expected to up its offer for Brit, meaning the chances of the deal being successful are 50:50, according to Jefferies International.
Lloyd's affirmed as A+
Ratings agency Fitch has affirmed Lloyd's of London's insurer financial strength rating at A+.
VRS snatches Tesco property contract from GAB Robins
VRS Adjusters is poised to replace rival GAB Robins as the sole loss adjuster for Tesco's global property portfolio.
Cowens launches new SME arm for sub-£2m clients
Insurance broker Cowens Survival Capability is poised to spin off its SME arm to create a new specialised intermediary.
Travel insurers escape Goldtrail claims
Travel insurers are likely to escape a surge in claims following the collapse of holiday company Goldtrail, with the UK Civil Aviation Authority set to pick up the bill.
Swinton: no plans to "materially" grow branch network
High street broker Swinton has reiterated its support to its network of 600 shops but has no plans to grow this materially in the future.
LJM Partnership move
Insurance broker LJM Partnership has moved to new premises in Bredbury, Stockport, in a move it claims positions it for further expansion.
Taylor joins Bartlett
The former branch director of Aon's Leeds branch Richard Taylor has joined Bartlett Insurance Brokers Group.
Willis ups contingent ante
Willis has stepped up its campaign against contingent commissions, issuing a white paper highlighting the conflicts of interest created by the payments.
Equity Direct gets Mazda
Equity Direct Broking has landed a three-year deal with Mazda UK to run its car insurance scheme.
Bollington affinity deal
Commercial broker Bollington has entered an affinity partnership with fleet management specialist Fleet Support Group.
Property restructure sees Tonge join Keelan Westall
Barbon has restructured its property division and appointed former Erinaceous boss and Towergate director Wayne Tonge as head of business within its wholesale broking business, Keelan Westall.
Intermediaries back Law Commission plan over payments
Insurance intermediaries have backed Law Commission plans to introduce legislation making policyholders formally responsible for the payment of their premiums.
Ex-Giles retail MD returns as a consultant
Former Giles Insurance Brokers retail managing director Howard Pearson has returned to the insurance industry as a consultant.
Private equity firm steps in with £115m MCS deal
Swedish restoration services firm Munters has sold its moisture control services business to private equity firm Triton in a move that will see a number of key partnerships in the UK insurance market change ownership.
Insurers braced for subsidence claims
Property insurers are preparing for a raft of subsidence claims in the South-east of England following a long period of dry weather.
WNS Cheadle move heralds growth plans
WNS Assistance has laid out its plans to grow its business over the next three years, after moving to an office in Cheadle.
Fewer uninsured drivers saves industry £80m
Motor Insurers' Bureau chief executive Ashton West has revealed he expects 5% fewer uninsured drivers on the UK's roads in 2010.
Overseas illness costs
The Association of British Insurers has highlighted that the cost of falling ill abroad has hit a record high, as travel insurers helped an unprecedented number of people needing emergency medical treatment while overseas.
Wiper water warning
Auto Windscreens is warning insurers to be aware of a potential rise in personal injury claims, after research by the Health Protection Agency found windscreen wiper water may be the cause of 20% of cases of Legionnaires' disease in England and Wales.
Interview - Glynn Keeling: Out from under the radar
With a high-profile Ebay affinity deal recently signed, Leigh Jackson met Autonet managing director Glynn Keeling to talk about the firm's foundations and its future plans.
News comment - aggregators: Behind the myths
Despite being a top concern for insurers, Matthew Donaldson looks into why aggregators should no longer be considered their bête noire.
View from the top: Taking a stand over PI
There is a crisis brewing in the solicitors' professional indemnity market and finding the culprits is an open and shut case: the handful of rogue lawyers who cost their insurers millions of pounds each year and all too often, disappear into thin air.
Postbox: Positive vibes from an insurer are welcomed
We are pleased for Allianz that it expects to make significant savings as a result of the new claims process for road traffic accidents.
Personal injury - unsolicited SMS: Text pests
With a rise in unsolicited text messages encouraging recipients to make personal injury claims, Daniel Dunkley looks into what the industry can do to tackle this undesirable correspondence.
Credit hire: Stuck on you
After Axa spurned the Association of British Insurers' general terms of agreement, many thought other motor insurers would follow suit. Rachel Gordon examines why a mass exodus has not occurred.
Hurricanes - financial impact: A storm is coming
After a good year in 2009 for the reinsurance industry, Philip Alexander warns of the perils heralded by the Atlantic forecast for this year, as 2010 looks to be beset by stormy weather.
Claims - low speed impact - More haste, less speed
With personal injury claims resulting from low-speed road traffic accidents on the rise, Pamela Davies explains the factors behind the upturn and ways the industry could protect itself from spiralling costs.
Legal update - costs: Recommended costs
Lord Justice Jackson recommended judges be given more powers to manage costs. Rob Williams examines the case of O'Beirne v Hudson to show how a more flexible approach is already being taken.
Career development & CSR News: Financial Services staff upbeat about next 12 months
Financial services professionals feel more positive about the next 12 months, compared to most other sectors.
Postscript - 50 years ago: Unstable government worries
Looking through Post's back catalogue paints a unique picture of more than 150 years of insurance news, as this highlight from 50 years ago reveals.
Postscript - 30 years ago: Alexandra Palace costs awaited
Looking through Post's back catalogue paints a unique picture of more than 150 years of insurance news, as this highlight from 30 years ago reveals.
Postscript - five years ago: RBS merry-go-round continues
Looking through Post's back catalogue paints a unique picture of more than 150 years of insurance news, as this highlight from five years ago reveals.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny was saddened to learn of the death of fellow socialite and raconteur Alan MacDonald earlier this year.
Law report: Forced treatment in best interest of cancer victim
DH NHS Foundation Trust v PS (Family Division—26 May 2010)
Law report: Claimant finds lies don’t pay
Yeganeh v Zurich Insurance Company (Queen’s Bench Division—24 May 2010).
Law report: Conflicting claim decisions for substantially same issue
Churchill Insurance Company v Wilkinson; Evans v Equitable Claims (Court of Appeal—19 May 2010)