When you think of industries with rising claims, cavity wall insulation (CWI) is probably not one of your top choices. However, we are seeing clients that have received thousands of claims from new ‘specialists’ against CWI contractors for negligent installation. There are several points to consider as businesses try to address this issue: How retrofit insulation has emerged The reason why they’ve emerged from the ‘plasterwork’ Items that make a property fit or unfit for CWI The attri

What do we discuss with our colleagues and peers at meetings, conferences and around the proverbial water cooler? What are the topics we read about in trade publications or LinkedIn posts?  What causes risk managers and those who develop claims’ management strategies to question, ponder and explore?  The answers are as diverse as the questions posed. As we near 2019, the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the workers’ compensation industry continue to proliferate. Howev

In what may be the closest I’ve ever come to an “Undercover Boss” moment in my life, I had a chance this week to experience Sedgwick’s property services on a personal level. The surge of hurricane activity in the state of Florida, most recently this week’s historic impact of Hurricane Michael, put me in need of our capabilities and allowed me to get a rare consumer-side view of what we do.  My family lives in Chicago, but we own a rental property in the panhandle of Florida. Sitting so

On September 27, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) made a remarkable move. The agency placed a cannabidiol (CBD) containing product, Epidiolex, into Schedule V (classified as having low potential for abuse) so that it could be manufactured in the U.S. following a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Epidiolex is a pure, standardized form of CBD indicated for the treatment of two severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Approval for Epidiolex by

Like many others that have come before it, this is an article about how we can combat the opioid epidemic. But if the educational tips here help even one person think more carefully about opioid alternatives, it has accomplished what it set out to do. In fact, educational initiatives continue to make a difference, one small step at a time. One recent study put into perspective how small steps toward opioid education can make a big impact. The study, funded in part by the National Institute on A

Vivid memories of desperate nursing home residents in wheelchairs submerged waist-high in flood waters will forever be etched in our minds, especially during hurricane season. The shocking photos and tragic heat-related deaths of numerous skilled nursing and assisted living residents caught in the throes of and aftermath of hurricanes such as Harvey and Irma underscore the need for each long-term care facility to have an effective emergency preparedness plan and evacuation strategy. As we deal

This week, Sedgwick once again experienced a significant milestone in our almost 50-year history with the announcement that The Carlyle Group will become our majority investor. This is the fifth time in the last 20 years we have seen ownership change; each time, our new partners seeing the value of Sedgwick’s long-term stability and the potential for our future. During each transition, the company has experienced continued growth, outpacing our industry and the market, even during the

In my spare time, I enjoy reading and learning about the strangeness of the subatomic world. Quantum theory is difficult to understand and really hard to believe because it is counterintuitive and contrary to what we witness in reality. Quantum physics provide us with such terms and phrases as: wave-particle duality, The Higgs Boson, Schrodinger’s cat, Plank’s law, quantum tunneling, and supersymmetry, among many others. For a brief (five-minute) look into the irrational world of quantum physics

Jailhouse heroin, Suzie Qs, Squirrel, Quell, Baby heroin, Maq-Ball (marijuana + quetiapine) or Q-ball (cocaine + quetiapine) – these are all street names for a prescription drug called quetiapine. Quetiapine is an antipsychotic medication that antagonizes serotonin, dopamine, histamine and the alpha-1 receptor, and it is used for the treatment of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Psychotropic agents like quetiapine have been traditionally used for the treatment of s

This week, I spoke at the WCI 2018 conference in Orlando regarding the choices we make and the impact they have both short- and long-term in our lives, our careers and the lives of others we connect with each day. Currently, you have a choice to read this synopsis or, instead, view the video of my full speech. Each of us has a moral compass or set of values that guide us. Our parents or mentors provide advice on what we should do in life. Society has created expectations about how we should int

With locations around the world tracking record-setting temperatures and hazardous drought conditions persisting in places such as the Pacific Northwest, Scandinavia and parts of Australia, where the drought has been considered to be among the worst the continent has endured, it should not be surprising to hear we are experiencing what may be the fourth hottest summer to ever be recorded. Unfortunately, this continuous heat and abnormally dry weather has resulted in dangerously dry soil conditio

On April 16, Sedgwick announced the completion of the Cunningham Lindsey acquisition. Although the activity leading up to this important notice was significant, we knew that the real advantages for our clients would come in the near future.  Sedgwick’s origins are rooted in the U.S. workers’ compensation market. In the decades following our founding in 1969, we broadened our focus to include disability and absence management, managed care, liability and other claims specialties. Thanks to

Rita, a 48-year-old patient, was preparing for outpatient surgery when surgery nurse, Paula, was assigned to support her case. Paula learned during their initial discussion that Rita had a heart attack at age 44, which raised concerns – pre-op cardiac testing had not yet been done for clearance, and this patient with heart attack history was scheduled for outpatient instead of inpatient surgery. Paula contacted the surgeon and he immediately scheduled testing with a cardiologist and changed the

Following recent legislation signed by Governor Charlie Baker, Massachusetts is now preparing for a new paid family and medical leave requirement. This program, known as the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML), makes Massachusetts the sixth state to make paid family leave a requirement – following California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington State. As directed by the legislature, premium payments begin on July 1, 2019 and benefits can be taken st

Espionage, terrorism and disruption: Coverage complexities in an era of uncertainty Business owners are faced with scenarios today that would have been almost unthinkable just a year ago – or only in Tom Clancy novels from the 1980s. Yet, this year on March 4, Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found collapsed on a bench in the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. They had been poisoned using Novichok, a nerve agent secretly developed in the Soviet Union, which is one of the most deadly ch