Success Stories

S.H. Smith continues to be dedicated to going the extra steps in difficult situations to service and retain accounts insuring a long term partnership.

Modification of a contract
A retailer with a reputable account located in Illinois (738 busses) contacted us concerning their insured's Waiver of Subrogation. The insured and agent were not pleased with the existing form, stating that the wording was not in their favor. The S.H. Smith team quickly assembled in conjunction with the contract holder to rework the specific language and phrasing involved. The particulars involved decreasing potential exposures that the insured never contemplated; resulting in an acceptable contract for all parties involved. The insured was able to keep his contract with a format directly pertaining to the true exposures present and the retailer demonstrated reliability to the insured.

True nature of the risk
A four unit charter bus operator out of Texas who travels in the Southwestern zone was showing a 1.2 million loss on their loss runs. The S.H. Smith bus team examined the files to review the loss history and discovered that the driver was never cited nor at fault for the accident. Upon detailed review, it was discovered that the prior carrier was closing the claim but had yet to remove the reserve amount. In this instance, what could have been a difficult account to place developed into an appreciated partnership between the insured and retailer and also the retailer/S.H. Smith Bus Program.

Finding a market
The S.H. Smith Bus Program was presented with a potential account involving a experienced bus owner entering into a new start-up venture containing one bus out of Pennsylvania. The retailer had few options available other than the assigned risk pool for the potential insured. The owner's reputation and business plan made the risk worth giving a detailed review. After a favorable phone inspection was concluded a quote was given. Once the account was bound, the insured welcomed the recommendations and worked with our engineering department to make the new venture as strong as possible for future growth.

Working within the exposure
An established charter bus operation out of California had an excellent loss history for many years. The busses were newer models but some of their long term employees had poor motor vehicle records. Excluding these operators was not a viable option for the insured. A cohesive agreement had to be achieved. A defensive driving enrollment plan was immediately put into place. A monthly employee monitoring system was created allowing the insured to review results as needed. The S.H. Smith bus program worked with the insured to accomplish a feasible working plan that suited the needs of all involved.

An in depth understanding of a risk
When a New York based bus company came to the S.H. Smith program they were recovering from a poor loss history. The owner had over 9 years of experience in the transportation industry including 8 years of ownership with his current venture. Traveling between Connecticut and New Jersey on a fleet of 17 busses and an average of 1.3 million miles per year the retailer was having difficulty finding a market. S.H. Smith worked with Zurich Insurance Company to pre-engineer the risk. The resulting report showed a very well run business. The solution was a quote with full coverage and a liability deductible. This insured is still with us today and we look forward to many additional years of servicing his needs.