Category: Legal

Finding Gold In Discarded Policies

Posted on by Jeff Carnahan

By Neela Eyunni
As Published in Law Week Colorado, Sept. 1, 2008, Vol. 6, No. 35

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DENVER—Archeologist David O’Neill meticulously sifts trough historical artifacts in an attempt to reconstruct the past, O’Neill, however, isn’t searching for fossils or prehistoric creatures. Instead, he’s looking for old insurance policies.

O’Neill is the director of Policy Find, an insurance “archeology” firm that recovers lost insurance policies to provide indemnity for clients struggling with long-term claims, various state courts have evolved to revive general and product liability insurance policies that were once considered expired, said O’Neill.
“These lost or discarded policies have he potential to fund costly environmental investigations or pay product liability defense costs, often saving corporate and small business policyholders from economic ruin,” he said. Continue reading “Finding Gold In Discarded Policies”

Claim Digger

Posted on by Jeff Carnahan

Written by Scott Olson
Published in IBJ Article August 25-31, 2008 Vol 29 No. 25

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Like an archeologist combing through artifacts of the ancient past. O’Neill labors to construct liability insurance policies once considered expired. They often are as valuable as lost treasures-funding expensive environmental investigations or paying product liability defense costs, and ultimately saving corporate and small business policyholders from economic ruin. Continue reading “Claim Digger”

With DERF Deadline Looming, Old CGL Insurance can be Vital Protection

Posted on by Jeff Carnahan

Published in Wisconsin Fabricare Institute’s Impressions July/August 2008 issue

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As most dry cleaners know, the deadline to enter sites into the Dry Cleaner Environmental Response Fund (DERF) Program is quickly approaching. Simply stated, if soil and groundwater samples are not collected at your site and you have not entered you site into the DERF program by August 30, 2008, you will not be eligible with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Continue reading “With DERF Deadline Looming, Old CGL Insurance can be Vital Protection”

Indiana Dave and the Insurer of Doom

Posted on by Jeff Carnahan

Insurance archaeologist helps keep matters out of litigation

By Dennis Pillsbury

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Anyone who has perused cases involving clean-up of Superfund-identified hazardous waste sites probably winds up shaking his or her head at the complexity of the claims and the often inane resolutions where only the attorneys seem to leave happy. There was one case where a business was required to pay for the clean-up of lead pollution that dated back to a Revolutionary War armory that once occupied the site. Needless to say, that armory was no longer around to help pay for the clean-up. And the pollution had leeched into the ground water. It was not an inexpensive proposition. Continue reading “Indiana Dave and the Insurer of Doom”

Interview with Steve Henshaw and David O’Neill

Posted on by Jeff Carnahan

U.S. INSURANCE LAW REPORT
David O’Neill & Stephen Henshaw, Edited for continuity and clarity.
Vol. 1, No. 2,Thursday, January 29, 2004

Stephen Henshaw is the founder and President/CEO of EnviroForensics (headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana), the only environmental consulting firm in the country (to our knowledge) that combines environment investigation/engineering/design expertise with insurance coverage and settlement resolution expertise. It is this latter specialty that interested us the most, as over the years the company has carved a niche for itself in the field of insurance archaeology, especially for small to mid-sized businesses. David O’Neill is the company’s chief insurance archaeologist. O’Neill, an attorney, with an insurance background, and Henshaw, in the following interview, gave us a primer on insurance archaeology. Continue reading “Interview with Steve Henshaw and David O’Neill”