Backchat May 2022

Benevolent Bots

US-based insurtech Lemonade has launched its own podcast series in mid-April, named Benevolent Bots. The six-part series aims to explore the topic of artificial intelligence (AI).

The series is hosted by Lemonade’s chief executive Daniel Schreiber, as well as its AI ethics advisor Tulsee Doshi, who is also Google’s AI head of product – responsible AI and machine learning fairness. Each episode also features a special guest - the first episode, for example, starred AI research scientist Meg Mitchell.

Seeking slice of compensation

A meat processing plant worker will be paying his employer £20,000 after a judge ruled that he had been fundamentally dishonest.

The 26-year-old male butcher from Romford tried to claim more than £100,000 for a knife injury after he accidentally cut himself on the job. He alleged that the injury “destroyed his life” to the extent that he was unable to pay rent or buy food. His employer accepted liability for the accident.

Aviva, which represented the meat processing plant, became aware that the butcher’s recovery was taking longer than usual. Furthermore, his social media accounts revealed him to be living a normal life, socialising and holidaying in Italy. During the trial, the butcher said these images were taken prior to the accident - this was found to be inconsistent with other evidence.

Not plain sailing

On 14 April 1912, ocean liner RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg during its maiden voyage. Lloyd’s of London has noted that this incident caused one of the insurance market’s biggest losses. 

On 9 January that same year, broker Willis Faber had arrived at Lloyd’s underwriting room to insure the ship and its sister vessel, RMS Olympic, on behalf of British shipping company White Star Line. A blog post on Lloyd’s of London’s website stated that insuring the vessels was considered a “prestigious risk” – cover for the hull alone was worth £1m.

Following the sinking of the Titanic, its insurers paid out in full.

Scrum lunch

Insurance Times rubbed shoulders with sporting royalty last month as editor Katie Scott sat next to former England and Harlequins rugby union player Jack Clifford when attending the 60th anniversary lunch for The Rugby Union Writers’ Club – a celebration that has been delayed by two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clifford cashed in on a career ending injury insurance policy, broked by Gallagher, after a shoulder injury and subsequent unsuccessful surgeries forced him to retire in 2020 at the age of 27. Clifford now works for Gallagher as a business development executive – he joined the broker in November 2021.