Edward J.
Priz is a forensic premium auditor, consultant, author, and expert
witness on the subject of commercial insurance cost and coverage, with
particular expertise on premium audits for Workers Compensation and other
commercial insurance. His expertise
includes underwriting, audits, classifications, experience modifiers, premiums,
Retrospective Rating, Large Deductible policies, and agent/broker professional
standards and duties, and related issues.
He began his insurance career in 1976, starting as a life
and health insurance producer. He began working with commercial property and
casualty insurance in 1978 as an insurance producer/agent/broker at American
Mutual Insurance. His training and experience at American Mutual included
working with Retrospective Rating plans for Workers Compensation insurance and
other commercial liability insurance. He subsequently worked as an insurance
broker for Vanguard Insurance Agency, working with commercial property and
liability insurance for Allied Van Lines agents across seven states. In late
1981 he began working with Alper Services, a company that operated a commercial
insurance brokerage as well as an insurance consulting company, AuditRate. At
Alper he served as an insurance broker and consultant on commercial property and
casualty insurance. Priz also underwrote commercial property and casualty
insurance while working at Alper. With the AuditRate division he also began
consulting on commercial property and casualty insurance, including Workers
Compensation insurance premium charges. With AuditRate, he also trained as a
premium auditor, working on premium audits for clients of the Alper Agency. He
also worked as a consultant on commercial insurance, including Workers
Compensation insurance, for Corporate Policyholders Counsel from January, 1987
through October, 1987.
In late 1987 he established his own
consulting firm to specialize in consulting on Workers Compensation insurance
premiums and audits, along with other lines of commercial property and casualty
insurance, as Advanced Insurance Management. Since
1987, at Advanced Insurance Management he has consulted on Workers Compensation
insurance audits and premiums as well as on commercial insurance coverage and
cost, including General Liability, Commercial Property, Business Auto, and other
commercial liability insurance.
Clients of
this consulting practice have included manufacturers, contractors, utilities,
transportation companies, staffing companies, a federal government agency, a
chamber of commerce, and insurance companies and insurance agencies. Some
well-known clients have included
Caterpillar, Inc., Federal Mogul
Corporation, Walsh Construction,
Bridgestone/Firestone Tire, and the
San Francisco 49ers.
Mr. Priz has also served as a consultant to insurers
XL Insurance America, Lloyds of
London, Zurich American Insurance,
Zenith Insurance, California Insurance
Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance,
Hartford Insurance, Dakota
Truck Underwriters, Diamond Insurance
Company, FCCI Insurance,
7710 Insurance, Starnet Insurance
Company, and Great American Insurance
on issues involving Workers Compensation insurance coverage, premium
computation, underwriting, classifications, experience modifiers, Retrospective
Rating and Large Deductible policies, and premium audits.
He is the author of
Workers Compensation: A Field Guide for Employers, published in
2010, as well as The Ultimate Guide to
Workers Compensation, published in 2005, and
CompControl, published in 1995 (revised edition 2001).
Mr. Priz has served as an expert regarding commercial
property and casualty insurance, with a particular focus on Workers'
Compensation insurance premium computation, insurance agent/broker standards of
care, and other aspects of commercial property and liability insurance, in cases
filed in both federal and state courts and arbitrations in California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
He has been retained as an expert in a number of criminal
cases involving issues of proper Workers Compensation insurance premium and
audits. Two of these cases were in federal courts in Illinois, six in state
courts in California.
In one of these criminal cases, he provided expert
testimony at trial by the United States District Court, Northern District of
Illinois, in the matter of United States of America v. James M. Duff, Patricia
Green Duff, William E. Stratton, John J. Leahy, Edward Wisniewski, Starling
Alexander, and Terrence Dolan,. He was retained by defendants Leahy and
Wisniewski and provided testimony at that trial regarding both Workers
Compensation insurance underwriting, auditing, and insurance broker standards of
care.
Mr. Priz has also assisted a number of clients in appeals
of NCCI decisions at the Arizona Workers Compensation Appeal Board, Illinois
Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, The Colorado Workers Compensation Appeals
Board, the Louisiana Workers Compensation Appeal Board, the Nevada Workers
Compensation Appeals Board, and the Oklahoma Workers Compensation Appeal Board.
Mr. Priz has also assisted clients in legal hearings
before the Illinois Department of Insurance, The Alaska Department of
Commerce-Division of Insurance, and the Nebraska Department of Insurance, and
before the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation.
Mr. Priz holds the professional designation
Chartered Property Casualty
Underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute of Property and Liability
Underwriters, as well as the designation
Associate in Premium Auditing,
from the Insurance Institute of America.
He is a 1974 graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago, receiving a
Bachelor of Arts Degree (With Honors).
Mr. Priz is a member of:
·
The National Society of Chartered Property Casualty
Underwriters;
·
National Society of Insurance Premium Auditors;
·
American Society of Workers Compensation
Professionals.
Insurance Books
by Edward J. Priz
Workers
Compensation: A Field Guide for Employers, published by CreateSpace
Publishing in 2010.
Chapter 22 of the
Illinois Workers Compensation Manual, published by the Illinois
State Chamber of Commerce in 2008.
The Ultimate Guide
to Workers' Compensation Insurance, published in 2005 by Entrepreneur Press.
CompControl,
published in 1995 by Oasis Press, with a revised edition published in 2001.
Reports
“Report on a Study of Small Employers and the South
Carolina Second Injury Fund’s Impact on Workers’ Compensation Insurance Premiums”
commissioned by the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.
This report on problems with experience rating and data
reporting by Workers Compensation insurers in South Carolina led to new
legislation in South Carolina to address the problems found in the report.
Mr. Priz has been retained by both plaintiffs and defendants to consult on matters in litigation, arbitration, and mediation that involve proper Workers' Compensation insurance classifications, audits, experience modification factors, commercial insurance coverage, and insurance agent standards of care.
Mr. Priz has been retained by policyholders, insurance agents and brokers, and insurance companies, as an expert in these fields.
He has also served
as an expert in legal hearings before insurance regulators in
Professional Designations and Degrees
Mr. Priz holds the professional
designation Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
from the American Institute of Property and Liability Underwriters, as well as
the designation Associate in Premium Auditing, from the Insurance
Institute of America. He is a 1974 graduate of Roosevelt University in
Chicago, receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree (With Honors).
National Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters
National Society of Insurance Premium
Auditors
Forensic Expert Witness Association.
Mr. Priz has also served on a task force
organized by the Illinois Department of Insurance to implement new Workers’
Compensation insurance regulations.
Publications
Books:
The Ultimate
Guide to Workers' Compensation Insurance,
published in 2005 by Entrepreneur Press.
CompControl,
published in 1995 by Oasis Press, with a revised edition published in 2001.
Chapter 22 of the
Illinois Workers Compensation Manual, published by the Illinois
State Chamber of Commerce in 2008.
“Report on a Study of Small Employers and the South Carolina Second Injury Fund’s Impact on Workers’ Compensation Insurance Premiums” commissioned by the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.
Articles:
Online article: “Weaponizing Workers Comp Insurance, Part
2”, published March 9, 2022, at:
https://cutcomp.substack.com/p/weaponizing-workers-comp-insurance-c15?s=w
Online article: “Weaponizing Workers Compensation Insurance
Against Small Business” published March 8, 2022, at:
https://cutcomp.substack.com/p/weaponizing-workers-comp-insurance?s=w
Online article: “How Workers Comp Insurance Gets Weaponized
Against Small Biz”, published February 22, 2020 and available online at:
https://medium.com/@edpriz/how-workers-comp-insurance-gets-weaponized-against-small-biz-f4baf41b0b30
Online article: “Experience Modifiers: A Flawed Benchmark
For Safety”, published August 20, 2015, and available online at:
http://www.experts.com/Articles/Experience-Modifiers-Flawed-Benchmark-
Online article: “An Unregulated Workers Compensation
Insurance Market Poses Problems”, published July 10, 2015, and available online
at:
Online article: “Workers Comp Premium Avoidance: The Trap
Employers Need to Avoid”, published March 28, 2014 and available online at:
http://voices.yahoo.com/workers-comp-premium-avoidance-trap-employers12570898.html?cat=3
Online article: “Workers Compensation Insurance Traps For
Small Employers”, published March 27, 2013, and available online at:
http://voices.yahoo.com/workers-compensation-insurance-traps-small-employers12065633.html
Online article: “Upcoming Change in Experience Modification
Factors”, available online at:
http://www.hgexperts.com/article.asp?id=26370
Online article: “Large Deductible Workers Compensation
Policies Not A Panacea For Employers” available online at:
http://www.hgexperts.com/article.asp?id=29700
Mr. Priz also regularly publishes articles on LinkedIn.com on subjects relating to Workers Compensation insurance.
Mr. Priz has also published a number of articles on
Yahoo.com which are no longer available there:
Online article: “Changes in Experience Modifiers Will
Impact Employers’ Workers Comp Costs”, published July 17, 2012, and formerly
available online at:
http://voices.yahoo.com/changes-experience-modifiers-will-impact-employers11576630.html?cat=3
Online article: “What You Should-And Shouldn’t-Expect From
Your Insurance Agent”, published May 4, 2011, and available online at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7996311/what_you_shouldand_shouldn
texpect_from.html?cat=3
Online article headlined: "The NCCI Classification System”,
published February 14, 2011, and available online at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7728968/the_ncci_classification_syste
m.html?cat=3
Online article headlined: “Becoming An Expert Witness”,
published February 14, 2011, and available online at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7725556/becoming_an_expert_witness.
Online article headlined: “Workers Comp Audits-How To
Prepare, How To Survive”, published February 11, 2011, and available online at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7723722/workers_comp_auditshow_to_
prepare_how.html?cat=3
Online article headlined: “Experience Modifiers A Vital
Concern For Construction Companies”, published December 7, 2010, and available
online at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6076628/experience_modifiers_a_vital
_concern.html?cat=3
Online article headlined: “Pros and Cons of Using a PEO”,
published December 16, 2010, and available online at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6077976/pros_and_cons_of_using_a_p
eo.html?cat=3
An online article at Entrepreneur.com headlined “Save
Thousands on Workers Comp” published April 10, 2007, and available online at:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/insurance/typesofinsurance/article176
A Commentary in The
Business Ledger, entitled “Turn Off Lights at Division of Insurance?” in the
September 4, 2006 issue.
An online article at Entrepreneur.com, entitled “Workers’
Compensation 101”, published September 2, 2005, and available online at:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/insurance/typesofinsurance/article795
Article in the July 1987 issue of Corporate Cashflow
magazine, entitled “The New Insurance Rules”.
Mr. Priz is also the author of copyrighted material
regarding Workers Compensation insurance on the internet at
www.cutcomp.com and the blog titled Work Comp Watch at
http://compcontrol.blogspot.com/.
Mr. Priz has presented lectures and seminars before a
number of insurance and business groups, including:
Midwest
Insurance Auditors Association
The Workers Compensation Committee of Alaska
The Southeast Metro Law Club
The Central Illinois Chapter of the American Payroll
Association
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce
The Workers Compensation Claims Association
The International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association
The Greater Peoria Contractors & Suppliers Association
The Central Illinois Employers Association
The Illinois Manufacturers Association
The Missouri Contractors Association
The Midwest Society of Professional Consultants
Caterpillar, Inc.
The Illinois 1752 Club
The Chicago Roofing Contractors Association
The International Recreational Water Professionals
National Association of Women in Construction
Construction Risk Management Conference sponsored by the
International Risk Management Institute
Mr. Priz has conducted
webinars on the subject of Workers’
Compensation insurance premiums for:
Risk & Insurance magazine
M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC
Eli Research
Prior
Sworn Testimony
In the past five years, Mr. Priz has provided sworn
testimony as an expert in the following
matters:
Arbitration
between Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Association and Cannon Cochran
Management Services, Inc. Case No. 01-23-0002-0739, IN THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION
ASSOCIATION. Retained by
Cannon Cochran Management Services, Inc. Provided written report of opinions and
deposition testimony regarding a Workers Compensation group self-insurance plan
in Illinois.
Arizona Labor
Force, Inc., v. WCF National Insurance Company, Case No
CV2022-009615 filed in The Superior
Court of the State of Arizona In and for the County of Maricopa.
Retained by Plaintiff Arizona Labor
Force. Provided multiple written reports and provided deposition
testimony regarding Workers Compensation insurance premiums and classifications
for a staffing company.
Libiano
Construction, Inc. v. Park Western Housing, LP, Case No. 22LBCV000044, filed in
Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles. Retained by
Defendant Park Western Housing,
provided deposition testimony regarding Workers Compensation insurance
classifications and premiums in California.
The Petition for
Workers Compensation Benefits by Daniel Batista v. Hughes Trim/American
Builders, OJCC Case No,
23-004008WWA. Provided deposition testimony regarding NCCI Workers Compensation
insurance classifications in Florida.
Canaan Davis v.
Ceres Environmental Services, et al.
State of Florida,
division of Administrative Hearings, Office of the Judge of Compensation Claims,
Panama City District.
OJCC NO.: 20-024906JPM. Retained by Starnet Insurance Company, insurer of
Employer J&D Construction and Remodeling LLC. Provided deposition testimony
regarding Workers Compensation insurance underwriting and auditing and Residual
Market and Voluntary Market distinctions in Workers Compensation insurance.
Sunshine Workforce LLC v. LII, Inc.
Filed in the Circuit Court of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit In and For Lee
County, State of Florida, Civil Action, Case No. 20-CA-98 Division T. Retained
by Plaintiff Sunshine Workforce. Provided deposition testimony regarding Workers
Compensation insurance premiums, professional duties of insurance brokers and
consultants, experience modification factor calculation and application in
Workers Compensation insurance.
Commerce and
Industry Insurance Company v. Fishbone Safety Solutions, Ltd.
Filed in The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas,
Houston Division, Civil Action No: 4:17-cv-01193. Retained by defendant Fishbone
Safety Solutions Ltd. Provided deposition testimony regarding Workers
Compensation classifications, NCCI manual rules, Workers Compensation insurance
underwriting and auditing practices, and experience modification factors.
Travelers
Property Casualty Company of America v. Castle Property Services LLC f/k/a
Castle Roofing & Construction, LLC.
Filed in State Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia, Civil Action File
NO. 17EV000587. Retained by defendant Castle Property Services. Provided trial
testimony regarding insurance industry custom and practice regarding Independent
Contractors in Workers Compensation insurance coverage and premium computation.
LM Insurance Corporation v. Mullen & Sons Contractors Inc., and Northeast Roofing, Inc. Filed in Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division: Essex County, Docket No.: ESX-L-8201-16. Retained by defendant Mullen. Provided trial testimony regarding proper Workers Compensation classifications, premiums, and audits for Assigned Risk Workers Compensation insurance policies.
Kelley F.
O’Connor v. KC Construction & Maintenance, Inc.
Filed in State of Florida, Division of
Administrative Hearings, Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims, Orlando
District, OJCC Case No. :18-0340698NPP. Retained by Plaintiff O’Connor and
provided deposition testimony regarding Workers Compensation classification
codes under the NCCI classification system used in Florida.
Pate Industrial &
Technical Services, Inc. v. Burrow Global Services, LLC, et al. Filed in
District Court of Jefferson County, Texas, 172nd Judicial District,
Cause No. E-198,813. Retained by Plaintiff Pate Industrial & Technical Services,
Inc. and provided deposition testimony regarding experience modification factors
used in Workers Compensation insurance and NCCI rules regarding combination of
entities.
LM Insurance
Corporation v. Neighborhood Restoration Company. Filed in the Circuit Court
of Cook County, Illinois County Department, Law Division, No. 17 L 7768.
Retained by Defendant Neighborhood Restoration Company and provided written
report of opinions and deposition testimony regarding Workers Compensation
insurance premiums, classifications, audits, and experience modification
factors.
Zurich American
Insurance Company of Illinois v. First Rate Staffing Corporation. Filed in
United States District Court Central District of California—Western Division,
Case No. 2:17-cv-4864-CAS (KSx). Retained by Plaintiff Zurich American Insurance
Company of Illinois. Provided trial testimony and deposition testimony and
written report of opinions regarding WCIRB experience rating rules, premium
audits, and Workers Compensation insurance premium charges.
Zurich American
Insurance Company and American Zurich Insurance Company v. Arnold Transportation
Services, Inc. and LinkAmerica Corporation, AAA Case No. 01-18-0000-4936.
Retained by Zurich. Provided written report of opinions and deposition testimony
regarding Workers Compensation claims and the impact of claims on loss-sensitive
Workers Compensation insurance policies.
LM Insurance
Corporation v. Dubuque Barge and Fleeting Service Company d/b/a Newt Marine
Service. United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa,
Case No. 2:17-cv-01035-MWB. Retained by Defendant Dubuque Barge. Provided
deposition testimony and written report of opinions regarding Workers
Compensation premiums, audits, classifications, remuneration, and experience
modifiers.
Commerce and Industry
Insurance Company v. Staffing Advantage, Inc. United States District Court
for the Eastern District of North Carolina Southern Division, Civil Action No.
7:L17-cv-165-FL. Retained by Defendant Staffing Advantage LLC. Provided
deposition testimony regarding Workers Compensation insurance audits,
classifications, and experience modification factors.
Pennsylvania
Manufacturers’ Association Insurance Company v. Promise Healthcare, Inc.
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Case No.
9:17-cv-80906. Retained by Defendant Promise Healthcare. Provided Preliminary
Report of Opinions and deposition testimony regarding Workers Compensation
insurance and Retrospective Rating, Workers Compensation premium computation and
audited premium charges.
LM Insurance
Corporation and Liberty Mutual Insurance Corporation v. All-Ply Roofing Co.,
Inc. United States District Court, District of New Jersey, Civil Action No.
2:14-cv-04723-JMV-MF. Retained by Defendant All-Ply Roofing Co., Inc. Provided
written report of opinions, rebuttal report, and deposition testimony regarding
proper Workers Compensation insurance classifications, audited premiums,
remuneration, experience modifiers, and insurance producer professional duties.
Samantha Martin’s
Amazing Animals v. Amcomp Insurance, hearing at the Illinois Department of
Insurance. Retained by policyholder Samantha Martin. Provided sworn testimony
regarding proper Workers Compensation classification codes.
Roy Johnson v.
Norfolk Southern Railway Company d/b/a Triple Crown Services Company and Zurich
North America Insurance and Zurich American Insurance Company, U.S. District
Court, Southern District of Illinois No. 3:14-cv-1095MJR-WCW. Retained by
Defendant Zurich American Insurance Company. Provided written report of opinions
and deposition testimony regarding Workers Compensation insurance for
owner/operators in the trucking industry.
In Re: Stone &
Webster, Incorporated, et al., Bankr. No. 00-2142 In the United States
Bankruptcy Court For The District of Delaware. Retained by Stone & Webster.
Provided report of opinions and deposition testimony regarding Workers
Compensation insurance premium calculation.