Universal Insurance Holdings Company Announces Successful Conclusion of Claim Data Review
The review arose when a former employee in the Company’s claims operation who left the company in mid-2018 and who had no involvement in or familiarity with the Company’s data analytics team or Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (“Fund”) reporting procedures alleged that the Company improperly included certain non-Irma claims in preliminary reports submitted to the Fund. The assertions contain numerous fundamental factual inaccuracies and gross mischaracterizations.
The Company’s estimated Hurricane Irma losses during the former employee’s tenure remained well below the Fund threshold. Further, the Fund has an extensive multi-year interim reporting process, in which data is subject to review and examination. The Fund also has a thorough final analysis known as commutation in which the Fund and insurer evaluate loss data to determine a full and final settlement. This process, which is standard for all insurers, resulted in the parties’ mutual commutation agreement.
The Company recognized throughout the review that the underlying assertions lacked merit and were frivolous. The Company monitors and tracks claims data on a daily basis. Over time, information about each claim evolves as the insurer gains information about the cause and origin of the loss. This inherently means that some claims initially identified as hurricane claims are later determined to not be associated with the hurricane, and conversely that some claims intentionally or unintentionally not reported as hurricane claims are determined to be associated with a storm. The Company commenced a comprehensive review of its Hurricane Irma data prior to and during commutation. This extensive analysis resulted in the Company’s reassessment of approximately one percent of its Hurricane Irma claims.
Today’s conclusion includes the state’s full and final dismissal of the former employee’s assertions. The Company has agreed to pay certain fees and costs associated with the review to avoid costs of litigation. Hurricane Irma was the single largest loss event in the Company’s history. Florida’s pre-reform laws and resulting abuses that generated an excessive litigation environment drove the storm’s costs from an initial estimate of
“We are pleased the review has come to a close and the state dismissed the case,” said Chief Executive Officer Stephen Donaghy. “We look forward to continuing to serve Floridians as market reforms are leading to more affordable home insurance options for consumers.”
About Universal
Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UVE) is a holding company providing property and casualty insurance and value-added insurance services. We develop, market, and write insurance products for consumers predominantly in the personal residential homeowners lines of business and perform substantially all other insurance-related services for our primary insurance entities, including risk management, claims management and distribution. We provide insurance products in
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Investors/Media:
Arash Soleimani, CFA, CPA, CPCU, ARe
Chief Strategy Officer
954-804-8874
asoleimani@universalproperty.com
Source: Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc.
