Agency Markets’ Barbara Parker Wins National Honor for Fighting Fraud

Second straight year the F. Lee Brininger Award Goes to Agency Markets investigators

Boston, MA - December 10, 2007 – Liberty Mutual Agency Markets senior special investigator Barbara Parker was recently honored by the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators (NSPII) with the 2007 F. Lee Brininger Award, which annually recognizes one insurance professional’s outstanding contribution to the fight against insurance fraud.

A member of the Agency Markets Special Investigations Unit since 2000, Ms. Parker was nominated by a fellow investigator from another carrier for her work in Ohio on behalf of Indiana Insurance, one of eight Agency Markets regional companies. Ms. Parker was instrumental in locating key witnesses in a large exposure-policy limits fraud case, in which the statements she obtained absolved an Indiana Insurance policyholder of liability. She also successfully located an at-fault party in a large uninsured motorist-bodily injury case, resulting in a positive outcome for both the policyholder and Indiana Insurance.

“As investigators, we add value to the claims department by locating witnesses and determining whether the facts of an investigation support a loss,” said Ms. Parker. “Whether large or small, any claim that comes SIU’s way is reviewed with an eye towards verifiability. If there’s fraud involved, it’s our obligation to uncover it.”

Ms. Parker graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Criminology and Sociology. She began her insurance career as a field auto adjuster with Crawford and Company and joined Indiana Insurance in 1987 as a multi-line adjuster. She was later promoted to multi-line unit supervisor handling suspicious claims, with the additional responsibility as SIU Coordinator.

Named posthumously for a founding member and first president of NSPII, the F. Lee Brininger Award was presented in 2006 to Liberty Mutual Agency Markets senior special investigator Joel Abbey. Based in Indiana, Mr. Abbey was instrumental in the four year investigation of a Marion County chiropractic clinic that was shut down following allegations that it billed insurers for services that were never provided. Mr. Abbey’s work led to a grand jury’s indictment of the attending chiropractor on 22 counts, including theft, insurance fraud, and forgery. The case is scheduled for trial in January. 

“The fact that the last two recipients of this prestigious honor have come from within our SIU team speaks volumes about our program, and more importantly, the character and integrity of this staff,” said Joseph M. Zuromsky, manager, Agency Markets Special Investigations Unit. “The dedication and tenacity of Barb, Joel, and the rest of this unit reflects our zero tolerance for insurance fraud, a crime that affects insurers and policyholders alike.” 

<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size="2">About Liberty Mutual Agency Markets

Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a Strategic Business Unit of Liberty Mutual Group, consists of property and casualty, and specialty insurance carriers that distribute their products and services primarily through independent agents and brokers.

Core property and casualty products, including a comprehensive set of personal and commercial coverages, are available in most states by the following companies:

1. America First Insurance™ (Gulf Region)
2. Colorado Casualty™ (Mountain Region)
3. Golden Eagle InsuranceÔ (California)
4. Indiana Insurance™ (Midwest Region)
5. Liberty Northwest™ (Pacific Northwest Region)
6. Montgomery Insurance™ (Southeast Region)
7. Ohio Casualty™ (Mideast Region)
8. Peerless Insurance™ (Northeast Region)

National Companies and Specialty Operations include:

1. Wausau Insurance Companies (middle-market commercial products and services)
2. Summit Holding Southeast, Inc. (mono-line workers’ compensation)
3. Agency Markets Specialty Products Group
   §  Liberty Mutual Surety™ including Ohio Casualty Bond
   §  Excess Casualty and Umbrella
   §  Farm, Inland Marine, and Schools

Liberty Mutual Group ranks 95 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations based on 2006 revenues. The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company, A2 (Good) from Moody’s Investors Service, and A (Strong) from Standard & Poor’s.

About NSPII

Formed in 1983, the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering investigative ideas, procedures, and techniques. NSPII sponsors annual national and regional seminars, publishes a newsletter, and conducts regular meetings to inform and develop professionals in the areas of insurance fraud recognition, prevention, and investigation.

Contact:

Christopher Goetcheus , 774-279-5923
or [email protected]