Rough Notes
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Occupancy requirement doesn’t thwart public policy Jason Rahimzadeh was on his bicycle when he was struck by a vehicle, suffering serious injuries. The owner of t...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Non-owned truck used for business On April 26, 2018, Martin Montano Jr., an employee of Casas Custom Floor Care, LLC, was running late to an assignment due to fee...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Arbitrator umpire’s action was authorized In April 2018, Le’Onsha Scott sustained severe injuries in a car accident with Ellen Cahill. The latter, who admitted th...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS Sorry, you’re bound by the appraisal Mesco Manufacturing, LLC, (Mesco) filed a claim under its business insurance policy that was issued by Motorists Mutual Insur...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
A prevention-first guide for advisors to protect clients from contractual coverage gaps Without contractual obligations that clearly define coverage, endorsements, and duration, a COI is meaningless. By Randy Boss, CRM, CIC, SPHR In my work with cont...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
Must-have skills for the new world of work There is no doubt that AI will replace humans. Humans who understand how to leverage AI’s strengths and weaknesses and effectively position themselves will replace humans who don’t. By Kimberly Paterson, CEC...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
Renewal and relationship are not one and the same [We] must frame our conversations with clients in a way that supports the agency’s service model as a differentiator separate and distinct from the insurance contract. By Scott Naugle The annual renew...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
High-leverage moves to finish the year strong and “plant seeds” for a successful spring If you’re not proactively checking in with your clients before the year wraps, you’re leaving relationship capital—and likely revenue—on the table. By Carolyn Smi...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
The power of local philanthropy for independent agents [You] do not need a huge platform or a million-dollar budget to make a difference. It can start with one dollar, one hour or simply the effort to spread awareness around a cause. By Sarah Stephen...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
Planning, measuring, recruiting, getting organized, communicating Why be intentional about retention? It starts with caring about clients and results in profitability. By Cheryl Koch, CPCU, ARM, AAI, ACSR, AFIS, and Mary Belka, CPCU, ARM, ARe, RPLU...
Posted: Oct 02, 2025
Vertical vs. wide growth [T]rue agency strength comes not from how many clients you have, but how well you serve the right ones. By Kari Glennon Not all growth is equal, particularly when revenue growth is involved. Increasingly, we have deep concern...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
“Arising out of” or “directly caused by”: That is the question By Paul Broussard In today’s cyber risk landscape, invoice manipulation has emerged as a common exposure that sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, social engineering, and third-part...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
A seasonal guide for insurance agents By Christopher Reid As trusted advisors, insurance agents play a critical role in helping clients protect their homes from seasonal risks. Since 2020, purchases of secondary and vacation properties have surged in...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Left: Rollo Insurance Group has truly been a “family” endeavor. Co-owners B.J. and Jason Rollo (in doorway) with their four children from left, Jackson (with his wife, Kate, and their children), Jenna, Julia, and Josiah (with his wife, Nikki, and the...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
First row, left to right: Brian O’Reilly, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer; John Glomb, President and CEO; John Doyle, Executive Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer Second row, left to right: Bob Pottle, Executive Vice P...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
The science behind a healthy sales pipeline By Ryan Smith Some say “sales is a numbers game.” While it is to an extent, there’s a lot going on behind those numbers, and better understanding them can show you where to focus on improving. You probably...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Arkansas young pro begins second term as Big “I” National Emerging Leaders Chair By Christopher W. Cook In the insurance industry, certain dedicated young professionals stand out among their peers and are members of an elite squad of individuals. The...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Sam Berman (left) presenting The Rough Notes Community Service Award to Clay Snellings, CPCU, principal and chairman of the board of Snellings Walters, and Vicki Nix, associate director, Georgia chapter, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Helping Cystic Fib...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Five common mistakes to correct with the right mindset and strategy By Brandon Aguirre There is no shortage of advice for new insurance producers. Much of it sounds good in theory, but after spending time in the trenches myself as a producer, working...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Conference sessions discuss workers compensation/employers liability and agritainment By Christopher W. Cook It’s that time of year again. Harvest time. Disclaimer: I know we’re all in a hurry, but please give farmers room on the road. As I mentioned...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
It’s generally a pretty stable line, but here comes artificial intelligence By Joseph S. Harrington, CPCU If the market for professional liability insurance were a body of water, you could say it was one of strong currents but few tempests. From time...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Product responds to needs and advances in care and more By Len Strazewski Twenty-five years or so ago, hospital indemnity insurance was a throw-in benefit, an inexpensive supplemental insurance that paid per diem cash benefits to hospitalized employe...
Posted: Oct 01, 2025
Being ready as industry reactions affect commercial clients’ cost and access to capacity More and more, this is business by science, not gut feeling. Quoting is increasingly tied to quantified engineering and survey evidence rather than generic clas...
Posted: Sep 25, 2025
A federal court lets a CGL insurer settle a case on its own terms In North Carolina, an insured under a CGL policy recently learned the hard way how a high deductible combined with the insurer’s discretion regarding settlements can severely reduce c...
Posted: Sep 17, 2025
INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASESDigested from case reports published onlineCOURT DECISIONS You violated our privacy! Mullins Food Products, Inc., an Illinois-based company that manufactured food ingredients, was sued under a state act regarding informat...
Posted: Sep 05, 2025