Insurance Speak: Claims disrupted
David Vanalek and Ian Stewart discuss legalized marijuana, cybersecurity, the sharing economy and more in the latest podcast.
Carriers and their clients are learning to operate in a new environment, and the latest Insurance Speak podcast highlights some of the issues creating the changes. Ian Stewart, a partner with Wilson Elser and chair of their cannabis law practice, and David Vanalek, claims chief operating officer for Markel, discuss what they’re seeing, the impact of COVID-19 on different areas of claims and how insurers should prepare for these risks.
With more people working remotely, cybersecurity threats have grown as ransomware, phishing attacks, smishing, social media attacks, spoof payments and other risks have increased. “Companies need better security for remote workers,” shares Stewart, “but they have to balance the liability against data privacy and security.” State privacy statutes are also starting to affect the type of information businesses can collect and store, and federal agencies will need to provide better guidance going forward.
The coronavirus has had a significant impact on the sharing economy, but the insurance industry is still working to build-out products to serve these new businesses. As demands for coverage change, says Vanalek, carriers will continue to create products to meet those demands.
Another area where there have been changes involves the cannabis market. Stewart explains that the capital market for those businesses is drying up and less money is available. Many multi-state operators grew quickly, focusing on their growth as opposed to their profitability, and now the pandemic has created some financial issues for those companies, despite many states identifying them as ‘essential’ when decisions were made to close non-essential operations.
Legalization efforts have stalled to some extent across the country, but Stewart says that several states have legislation on their ballots this year to legalize medical and adult-use marijuana. He finds that there is ample commercial general liability coverage available for these businesses, but agrees that it is hard to find adequate coverage for cargo, errors & omissions and EPLI claims.
Listen to the full Insurance Speak podcast to hear all of their insights on the factors affecting insurance claims and join them for a conversation during the America’s Claims Executive Virtual Forum and Expo (ACE) on Wednesday, July 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
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