The Company depreciates the cost of property and equipment over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, primarily using the straight- line method. Intangible Assets Intangible assets arise from acquisitions and are amortized over 15 to 40 years using the straight-line method.
Management periodically evaluates the recoverability of intangible assets.
The Company self-insures certain insurable risks consisting primarily of professional liability, employee medical and disability, workers' compensation, and auto liability. Provision for claims under the self-insured program is made based on the Company's estimate of the aggregate liability for claims incurred. The Company is the world's largest independent provider of claims and risk management, loss adjustment, healthcare management, class action administration, and risk information services to insurance companies, self-insured corporations, and governmental entities. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries after elimination of all significant intercompany transactions. The financial statements of the Company's international subsidiaries outside North America and the Caribbean are included in the Company's consolidated financial statements on a two-month delayed basis in order to provide sufficient time for accumulation of their results.