Ethical Handling Medical Mgmt Can Avert Litigation

Pay now or pay later. That’s how L. Merrill Shirley, an attorney from Elba, AL, sees what insurers need to do to help control litigation costs in the 21st Century. In a talk to claims professionals from around the country, Shirley drew on his experiences as an insurance defense attorney to drive home how important claim-related interactions can be. His presentation was part of the NAMIC Property Casualty Conference claim seminar, held in Annapolis last week. The event was sponsored by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), the Indianapolis-based trade group. “We need to turn our thinking back to some of the things that are essential,” Shirley said, in his opening remarks. He noted that the burden is greater on insurance companies than other parties in the courtroom.