Commitments And Contingencies | 9 Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Sep. 30, 2011 | |||
| Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract] | |||
| Commitments And Contingencies |
Legal Proceedings The Company is, from time to time, involved in various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. The Company purchases insurance and reinsurance policies covering such risks in amounts that it considers adequate. However, there can be no assurance that the insurance and reinsurance coverage that the Company maintains is sufficient or will be available in adequate amounts or at a reasonable cost. The Company does not believe that the resolution of any currently pending legal proceedings, either individually or taken as a whole, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition. There is a greater potential for disputes with reinsurers who are in a runoff of their reinsurance operations. Some of the Company's reinsurers' reinsurance operations are in runoff, and therefore, the Company closely monitors those relationships. The Company anticipates that, similar to the rest of the insurance and reinsurance industry, it will continue to be subject to litigation and arbitration proceedings in the ordinary course of business. On December 4, 2008, a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) returned a $24.0 million verdict in favor of United National Insurance Company ("United National"), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, against AON Corp., an insurance and reinsurance broker. On July 24, 2009, a federal judge from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) upheld that jury verdict. In doing so, the U.S. District Judge increased the verdict to $32.2 million by adding more than $8.2 million in prejudgment interest. AON filed its Notice of Appeal and a Bond in the amount of $33.0 million. Oral arguments were heard by the Appellate Court on October 26, 2010. In January, 2011, we settled with AON for $16.3 million. We realized approximately $7.5 million, net of income taxes and attorney's fees. |