HURRICANE KATRINA: CLAIMS GREATEST CHALLENGE

The greatest natural disaster to ever face the continental United States has just befallen the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast. For those who personally rode out Hurricane Camille in 1969 and thought it was the storm to end all storms, Hurricane Katrina has once again reminded us of the ultimate power of nature.  Yet, as the people and governments of Mississippi and Louisiana, backed by the power and commitment of the Federal Government, begin the challenge of putting their lives and property back together, there is yet another challenge to be borne.

Despite all of the catastrophes of the past, the losses sustained from this mighty hurricane will no doubt present our insurance industry with its own greatest challenge, and this challenge will not stop at the borders of this great country. Reinsurers around the world will be called upon to stand up and participate in the financing of this recovery effort.

This disaster will call upon the leaders of this great industry to remember one of the original purposes of insurance: to safeguard and protect consumers from loss, and keep the promises made to its customers.  We hope that these leaders will remember that times like these call upon our moral obligations as much or more than our financial ones.

So too, though, will our nation’s claims professionals be called upon to deliver their greatest effort yet-an effort that will challenge the depths of our commitment, and the limits of our resolve, to stay true to the tenets of our cause.  To those of us who have committed our lives to claims, and to those who have recently joined our ranks, it is critical that we remember our ultimate purpose and mission: to help those who have suffered loss and adjust these losses to the satisfaction of both consumer and company.

It is here that we must balance our knowledge and skills with heart and compassion, remembering that we will be dealing with people who have lost everything, who are suffering, and who will not be blessed with the knowledge, experience, presence of mind, or patience of those of us who are not living the disaster.

The Association of Property & Casualty Claims Professionals (PCCP) currently represents the interests of over 20,000 property and casualty claims professionals across Florida and the Southeastern United States.  Over the next several weeks we will be working closely with one of Mississippi’s largest insurance brokers and a major independent adjusting company to establish one of the largest Catastrophic Claim Centers ever seen, based right in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Growing up in Mississippi, I personally lived through Hurricane Camille. I served in the Red Cross shelters and schools helping give out food and clothing to survivors.  I lived and walked through the devastation of that great disaster. And I personally saw how experienced and sympathetic claims adjusters made life a little bit easier for all of us who
had suffered from that great storm.  A decade later I began following in the footsteps of my own father, a man who built a reputation of honesty, fairness, empathy and professionalism as one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s most fondly remembered claims professionals.

After 26 years as a professional in the property, casualty and workers’ compensation claims industry, I am committing the full resources and efforts of the Association of Property & Casualty Claims Professionals and those who would join with us, to the efforts and memory of all of those claims professionals who have come before, in a gargantuan effort to show what “Claims” is all about - to bring the ultimate assistance to those who have suffered tremendous loss - and to proudly prove to the people that we will be there for them when they need us.

Whether you're handling workers' compensation, property, automobile, general liability, or any of the many other lines of claims business, I hope that all adjusters, claims professionals and insurance industry participants who receive this message will draw strength from their hearts and courage from their souls as we enter will can be our finest moment.  As we move forward to address this challenge, we appreciate your support and ask that all who work in and support the claims initiative give it your best shot, and remember who we are and who we're here for.

James W. Greer, CPCU<br>
AE21 Incorporated<br>
Association of Property & Casualty Claims Professionals (PCCP)
Association of Workers’ Compensation Claims Professionals (WCCP)