Claims Organizations:
Loss Executives Association
The site offers the purpose and constitution of this claims association, as well as weather, news and related insurance links, a Year 2000 section, calendar of LEA events and a section on expert resources by location and type.
Independent Auto Damage Appraisers
The national appraiser association's standards, practices and ethics are outlined here, along with a membership directory and an ability to search for appraisers by location.
International Institute of Loss Adjusters
Locate a member adjuster in the U.S. or worldwide, peruse the IILA's newsletter or check membership information and officers.
National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters
Order a copy of the Blue Book of Adjusters, the membership directory of the NAIIA, or review the list of officers and mission of the association.
Organization of Flying Adjusters
This site contains a membership directory, list of officers and information about the OFA's convention.
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
SAMS offers information on surveyors around the world.
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Insurance Organizations:
Alliance of American Insurers
A bookstore, event calendar, association information and press releases can be found on this site from the Schaumburg, Ill.-based insurance company trade group.
American Institute of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters/Insurance Institute of America
The largest and most recognized insurance education organization offers information on courses, order forms to print and mail and examination dates and fees on their site.
American Insurance Association
The insurance company trade group offers a listing of publications, press releases, office locations and a member-only (password-based) section called Access 2000 Legislative Reporting Service.
American Insurance Services Group
The statistic-gathering Property Claims Services can be accessed from here, as well as background on the trade group's data bases PILR and INDEX and information on AISG's services.
CPCU Society
When you graduate with a CPCU degree from the AICPCU (see above), you may join the Society, which offers continuing education and networking. The site offers news from the organization, events, details on its speakers/experts bureau, and extras for members (password-based) that include chat, a post office and chapter/section information.
Insurance Industry Internet Standards Task Force
An organization formed in March 1999, founded by the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel, "to focus on standards, education and policy issues as they relate to the us of the Internet in the communication of insurance claims and policy data." Offers news and white papers on these issues.
Insurance Information Institute
Consumer and media information is available here. The consumer section includes alerts, a helpline, and a catalog of books and brochures. The media section contains insurance facts and disaster information, and insurance background on many national issues, from church fires to Superfund.
Insurance Research Council
The insurance-company-supported research group that produces the Public Attitude Monitor offers all of its reports for sale on the site, along with abstracts and news releases of them. Study areas include auto, catastrophe and public attitudes.
Insurance Services Office
The ISO site contains studies and analyses on many industrywide issues, a catalog of products and services, and seminar listings.
National Association of Independent Insurers
A listing of officers, press releases, and background on this national insurance company trade organization is found on this site. Also, links to state workers' compensation regulators and insurance commissioners, state statutes, federal laws and recent court decisions, and such extras as a glossary of insurance terms are available. A members-only area provides legislation by state, publications and position papers.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
The regulators' group offers regulatory information, white papers on issues, committee activities and model laws, along with names and addresses of all insurance commissioners and links to those with Web sites.
National Association of Insurance Women
The association site contains convention information, articles from Today's Insurance Woman magazine and information about membership.
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
The NAMIC web site includes information on NAMIC's federal legislative and regulatory issues adovocacy and the National Affairs Insider newsletter. You can also subscribe to "Property/Casualty Insurance" magazine, order educational materials and get details on the annual conference.
National Council on Compensation Insurance
Includes products and services listings, press releases, reports on issues, and the excellent Safe Workplace newsletter.
National Safety Council
The site, operated by the organization focused on safety, health and environmental topics, includes an extensive index of its programs, publications, products and services, and education available.
Property Loss Research Bureau
Starting its first full-year of this new program, the PLRB is offering anyone in the claims community (independent adjusters, defense attorneys, experts, or restoration service providers) the opportunity to become PLRB Affiliate Members. PLRB has also introduced web-enabled Distance Learning programs through www.claimsguru.com, created from a combination of new and existing PLRB education materials, plus contributions from many claim experts. Check the PLRB site for updates on educational events and materials.
Reinsurance Association of America
Background on the RAA, its officers and mission, as well as a listing of books and brochures, including complete text of some publications.
Risk & Insurance Management Society
The largest U.S. organization of risk managers operates this site, which includes an outline of each month's issue of Risk Management magazine and an index of articles, conference and seminar details and government affairs activities.
RISKMail
Subscribe to a lively risk and insurance discussion group that operates via e-mail by accessing this site. You can also search the site's archives of information and links.
Self Insurance Institute of America
Industry news and activities, educational conferences and information on health care legislation is offered.
Society of Claim Law Associates
The Society of Claim Law Associates was formed to create a source of professional development for those who have received an SCLA or other AEI designation.
Society of Insurance Research
Article and publication abstracts from research projects can be found on the SIR site, along with background on the organization, officers and events.
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Publications, News Services:
Emergency Net News
Run by an organization called the Emergency Response and Research Institute in Chicago, ENN has correspondents around the world posting items relating to disastrous events. Although focusing on violent crime and terrorism, listings also include industrial explosions and hazardous material incidents.
ClaimInformation.com
Helpful information and tips on auto, medical, homeowners, property and employee claims.
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Insurance Crime:
Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
Text of the Fraud Focus newsletter, press releases, archives of legislation, abstracts and regulations, along with fact sheets on insurance fraud can be found on this site.
Fraud Defense Network
This site, supported by a coalition of law enforcement, associations and vendors, offers fraud news, a newsletter, links to many fraud-fighting sites, a mail drop and job listings.
National Insurance Crime Bureau
The insurer-supported crime-fighting organization's site provides a mechanism to "Report the Ripoff" for people with knowledge about insurance fraud. It also offers insurance fraud facts and reports, details of NICB services and contact information.
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Legal Resources:
Defense Research Institute
The nation's largest association of defense attorneys hosts a site containing a membership search directory, and an extensive list of Internet links to law libraries and collections, court systems and the federal government. It also has a searchable data base of members, and member-only data bases to search for expert witnesses and other services.
Federation of Insurance & Corporate Counsel
A public section for this association of attorneys offers the most recent edition of its FICC Quarterly newsletter, the Legal Locator to find members geographically, and links to courts in many states and jurisdictions.
Rand Institute for Civil Justice
A listing of hot issues tops this site, along with highlights of analyses by Rand researchers, the organization's research agenda, and publications accessible through an extensive searchable data base.
THOMAS, Legislative Information on the Internet
Details of proposed legislation, the Congressional Record, weekly information on activity in Congress, listing of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate and much more can be found in this service of the U.S. Congress operated through its Library.
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General Disasters:
Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration
ASCR's site offers information about the National Institute of Disaster restoration, a referral finder, emergency restoration tips and information on its technical research. Links to many sites, the association's conference and other cleaning and restoration industry details are provided.
Institute for Business and Home Safety
Information is offered on the association's Annual Congress on Natural Hazards Loss Reduction, its partners and educational offerings.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Provides research on natural disasters, and an extensive set of links to other disaster-related sites. FEMA lists disasters by type -- earth, wind, fire and water -- and shows details such as recently updated seismic activities and hurricane trackings. Technological disasters, from hazardous materials to terrorism, are listed, with advice such as "Preparing for a building explosion." FEMA Web pages are heavy on consumer information.
Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder
This is possibly the most complete site on natural hazards. The NHC site lists information, research, an on-line newsletter called Disaster Research and a library of data. The site also lists centers and institutes focusing on hazards and disasters, information sources such as government agencies and academic institutions, disaster-related periodicals and upcoming conferences.
The American Red Cross
Lists news of recent events for which the organization has been providing emergency help, and an archive of disaster news.
Michigan Tech University's "Volcano Page"
An extensive site related to volcanoes.
American Rescue Team
Tells about the non-profit, non-governmental, volunteer group that sends teams of relief workers into disaster stricken areas.
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Automobile Safety:
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
This alliance of consumer groups, safety organizations and insurers promotes highway safety. The site includes policy statements, fact sheets, reports and legislative testimony.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute
The site contains an extensive listing of statistics, regulations and laws from this insurance-supported organization, along with consumer information on vehicle safety ratings. The Highway Loss Data Institute section contains injury, collision and theft loss details by make and model of car, along with the 1997 best/worst theft results. A search section provides test results on vehicle safety.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the NHTSA provides information on safety products such as air bags and child car seats, vehicle safety statistics, analysis and test results, and details on recalls.
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Weather Information:
The Unidata Integrated Earth Information Server (IEIS)
This site contains listings from 125 participating universities that log near-real-time environmental data. It includes current weather maps and forecasts, as well as oceanographic, seismic and other environmental details, and includes striking color maps of sea surface temperature.
Unisys Weather Information Services
The site offers satellite weather maps and archived information on hurricanes and other weather data using the weather Processor (WXP) analysis package. Also offered: surface and upper air data, radar data, forecasts.
Weather Channel
The cable television channel's Web site shows current conditions and five-day forecasts in 900 cities. Conditions include temperature, precipitation and barometric pressure. A national weather map, and general weather information and definitions also can be found there.
NOAA's National Weather Service
The NWS web site lists official forecasts and active warnings. Called the Interactive Weather Information Network, it lists details of flash floods, floods, hurricanes/tropical storms, special marine items, severe thunderstorms, winter storms and tornadoes.
National Oceanographic and Atomospheric Administration
Extensive government site covering climate issues, that includes links to the National Weather Service, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, environmental satellite data and information on many weather issues such as El Nino.
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Climate Change:
www.unep.ch The United Nation's Environment Programme This U.N. site offers information on the climate change conventions, plus country information, official documents and other links
www.ipcc.ch The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Also under the aegis of the U.N., this organization offers technical papers and reports from its working groups on this site.
www.dir.ucar.edu/esig/socasp/weather1/ Workshop on the Social and Environmental Impacts of Weather This site presents the results of the April 1997 conference, sponsored by a number of U.S. agencies and associations.
www.swissre.com/ Swiss Re's Environmental Involvement This company site tells about the reinsurer's activities on climate change, sustainability and related issues. The "Focus" section tells more about the Insurance Industry Initiative on climate change, including an interview with Swiss Re's chief scientist.
http://eetd.lbl.gov The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Center for Building Science This site from a preeminent research organization reports on many energy-related construction issues, including one on "Energy Efficiency as an Insurance Loss Prevention Strategy."
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Earthquake Information:
The National Earthquake Information Center
Operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, the site contains plentiful maps of earthquake positions throughout the U.S. and the world. Current seismicity information can be accessed here, as well, listing the latest quakes with maps, dates, latitude/longitude, magnitude, location quality and comments. The site also lists much educational information on plate tectonics, Richter and Mercalli scales, offers a glossary and lists other resources.
Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis
This Web site focuses on the New Madrid fault and lists research on the subject, seismic information and public information on the Central Region Earthquake Emergency Response Program.
Seismological Society of America
An association devoted to the advancement of earthquake science, the SSA will help you keep up with the latest thinking among the earthquake experts. The site lists data centers, agencies supporting earthquake research and other earth science societies.
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Wind Information:
The National Hurricane Center
Another NOAA division lists tropical cyclone public advisories, with current watches and warnings, as well as forecasts and advisories. The listings include discussions on the advisories, and updates every six hours.
The National Severe Storms Laboratory
The site for weather research on tornadoes, floods, lightning, damaging winds and hail. Located at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, the center hosts an area where people can report sightings of storms, and operates creating an area where visitors can search for specific events or types of events, based on date and time.
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