The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-15
MUCH CASUALTY
INSURANCE HERE
Business Has Grown With Expan-
sion of Manufactories-Local Con-
Germs Well Managed.

Detroit Ia an important center OF
the casualty insurance business OF the
country, some of the largest organi'
cations in that line of business having
their main offices in this city. To Q
large extent the whole business Of
casualty insurance has grown lp
within very recent period and as
would be expected, Detroit companies
have had a large share In the ad-
vancement Of the business to it's
present Importance.
Casualty insurance Of various sorts
accident, sickness, and the many
lines that come under this head-has
become an important factor In bust
ness, partly on account OF the educa-
ton OF the public to the extent OF the
losses brought about by sickness and
injuries, but more especially by the
very general agitation for striCter
laws governing the payment OF the
liability OF employers for the safety
OF their workmen.
These laws have brought out the
need of distributing the toll that in
dustrial accidents lay upon the en-
SO that IL may finally be put upon So
ciety at large, which receives The
benefit of the product of the skill of
the worker and the capital OF the
manufacturer. Accident insurance is
rapidly becoming part OF the cost
of every manufactured article that
the public buys, and In this way the
burden Of the injuries and loss OF life
which has hitherto been borne en-
trely by the manufacturer and the
workmen is being shifted to the place
where 1t logically belongs-upon the
public.
The agency through which this dis
tribution of the risks incident to com
mercial and Industrial progress Is &C
complished is the casualty insurance
company. In the development Of the
business throughout the country the
companies which have their head
quarters in Detroit have done a large
share and they have profited accord
ingly until they are now considerable
factors In the financial system OF the
city.
AS might be expected In the de
yelopment OF business Of this ma
ture there were a good many costly
mistakes in connection with the writ.
ing of accident insurance. For time
there was not the close state super
vision that is exercised over other
forms of insurance, and az a result.
there were many failures and de-
faults. Detroit companies, however,
were managed upon conservative bust
ness lines from the start and have
kept up with the rapid progress that
has been made in the proper develop
ment OF the business. AS a result, De-
troit companies have been able to
pay their claims promptly and theirs
has been no touch OF scandal to b,
found In the records of the casualty
insurance companies of the city. In
the insurance world, Detroit has stood
for stability and conservatism.
A notable indication of the impor'
ance of Detroit companies in this
field is the recent decision of the ma
tional organization OF casualty insur-
ance companies to establish their
bureau of publicity and legislation in
this city. Shortly after the organlza-
ton OF this bureau, however, tn
chief, former commissioner OF the
state insurance department, was call
ed to accept an important position In
one of the largest life insurance com.
panies in the country and the work
has been let drop for the present
In addition to the many large COM
panies doing a business In accident
insurance, there is a number of small
organizations conducting a business
in accident insurance. Most of these
are run by fraternal or other social
organizations, some OF them wi h
general connections, some purely
local
In addition to insurance against
sickness and accident casualty insur-
ance includes many other forms OF in
surance most OF which are handled
by Detroit companies One OF the
most important OF these is plate glass
Insurance. Another which has as
sumed considerable importance with.
in the past few years with the grow.
ing number OF automobiles In use
throughout the country has been auto
mobile insurance.
1t is now possible to insure under
safe and carefully calculated rates
practically any contingency that az
fects business or commercial or per-
sonal activities, so that the charge
has to be added to the cost of doing
your business can be distributed over
all the business that you do instead
of being falling like the disaster Il.
self all in lump sum that may Grip
pie your resources at a stroke.
Practically all the forms Of casual.
ty insurance offered anywhere in the
United States can be written by De-
troit companies that have proven
themselves capable of scientifically
carrying the risks of business for
the insured as well az the risks OF
personal injury or sickness.
The Importance of Detroit as a cen
ter of casualty insurance is bound "a
grow within the next ten years, first
cause OF the establishment of large
interests in that line OF insurance that
have already been made In Detroit
and secondly because OF the enlarge
ment OF the field offered by the grea;
industrial growth Of Detroit.