XML 58 R13.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Claim and Claim Adjustment Expense Reserves | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2013
Insurance Loss Reserves [Abstract] |
Claim and Claim Adjustment Expense Reserves | Note F. Claim and Claim Adjustment Expense Reserves The Company's property and casualty insurance claim and claim adjustment expense reserves represent the estimated amounts necessary to resolve all outstanding claims, including IBNR claims as of the reporting date. The Company's reserve projections are based primarily on detailed analysis of the facts in each case, the Company's experience with similar cases and various historical development patterns. Consideration is given to such historical patterns as field reserving trends and claims settlement practices, loss payments, pending levels of unpaid claims and product mix, as well as court decisions, economic conditions including inflation, and public attitudes. All of these factors can affect the estimation of claim and claim adjustment expense reserves. Establishing claim and claim adjustment expense reserves, including claim and claim adjustment expense reserves for catastrophic events that have occurred, is an estimation process. Many factors can ultimately affect the final settlement of a claim and, therefore, the necessary reserve. Changes in the law, results of litigation, medical costs, the cost of repair materials and labor rates can all affect ultimate claim costs. In addition, time can be a critical part of reserving determinations since the longer the span between the incidence of a loss and the payment or settlement of the claim, the more variable the ultimate settlement amount can be. Accordingly, short-tail claims, such as property damage claims, tend to be more reasonably estimable than long-tail claims, such as workers' compensation, general liability and professional liability claims. Adjustments to prior year reserve estimates, if necessary, are reflected in the results of operations in the period that the need for such adjustments is determined. There can be no assurance that the Company's ultimate cost for insurance losses will not exceed current estimates. Catastrophes are an inherent risk of the property and casualty insurance business and have contributed to material period-to-period fluctuations in the Company's results of operations and/or equity. The Company reported catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance, of $39 million and $28 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012. Catastrophe losses in the first quarter of 2013 related primarily to U.S. storms. Net Prior Year Development The following tables and discussion include the net prior year development recorded for CNA Specialty, CNA Commercial, Hardy and Corporate & Other Non-Core segments. Net Prior Year Development
Three months ended March 31, 2013 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(In millions) | CNA Specialty |  | CNA Commercial |  | Hardy |  | Corporate & Other Non-Core |  | Total
Pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development | $ | (15 | ) |  | $ | (11 | ) |  | $ | (1 | ) |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | (26 | )
Pretax (favorable) unfavorable premium development | (8 | ) |  | (10 | ) |  | 4 |  |  | 1 |  |  | (13 | )
Total pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year development | $ | (23 | ) |  | $ | (21 | ) |  | $ | 3 |  |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | (39 | )
Three months ended March 31, 2012 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(In millions) | CNA Specialty |  | CNA Commercial |  | Corporate & Other Non-Core |  | Total
Pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development | $ | (6 | ) |  | $ | (14 | ) |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | (18 | )
Pretax (favorable) unfavorable premium development | (9 | ) |  | (17 | ) |  | 1 |  |  | (25 | )
Total pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year development | $ | (15 | ) |  | $ | (31 | ) |  | $ | 3 |  |  | $ | (43 | )
For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, favorable premium development was recorded for CNA Commercial primarily due to premium adjustments on auditable policies arising from increased exposures. CNA Specialty The following table provides further detail of the net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development (development) recorded for the CNA Specialty segment for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012.
Three months ended March 31 |  |  |
(In millions) | 2013 |  | 2012
Pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development: |  |  |
Medical Professional Liability | $ | (3 | ) |  | $ | (6 | )
Other Professional Liability | (1 | ) |  | 4 |
Surety | 1 |  |  | 1 |
Warranty | — |  |  | (1 | )
Other | (12 | ) |  | (4 | )
Total pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development | $ | (15 | ) |  | $ | (6 | )
2013 Overall, favorable development for medical professional liability reflects favorable experience in accident years 2009 and prior. Unfavorable development was recorded for accident years 2010 and 2011 due to higher than expected large loss activity. Other includes standard property and casualty coverages provided to CNA Specialty customers. Favorable development for other coverages was primarily due to better than expected loss emergence in property coverages in accident years 2010 and subsequent. 2012 Favorable development for medical professional liability was primarily due to reductions in the estimated frequency of large losses in accident years 2008 and prior. CNA Commercial The following table provides further detail of the development recorded for the CNA Commercial segment for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012.
Three months ended March 31 |  |  |
(In millions) | 2013 |  | 2012
Pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development: |  |  |
Commercial Auto | $ | (5 | ) |  | $ | — |
General Liability | (21 | ) |  | 8 |
Workers' Compensation | 25 |  |  | (19 | )
Property and Other | (10 | ) |  | (3 | )
Total pretax (favorable) unfavorable net prior year claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development | $ | (11 | ) |  | $ | (14 | )
2013 Favorable development in the general liability coverages was primarily due to better than expected loss emergence in accident years 2002 and prior. Unfavorable development for workers' compensation was primarily due to higher than expected large losses and increased severity in the state of California in accident year 2010. 2012 Overall, favorable development for workers' compensation reflects favorable experience in accident years 2001 and prior. Unfavorable development was recorded in accident year 2010 related to increased medical severity.

X
- Definition Disclosure of Claim and Claim Adjustment Expense Reserves + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cna_ClaimAndClaimAdjustmentExpenseReservesTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | cna_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InsuranceLossReservesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration