Government must take the lead in tort reform, and
the public must demand it, Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Haley
Barbour said today at the University of Mississippi.
Speaking to the eighth annual Ole Miss Insurance Symposium, Barbour talked
about a variety of legal and political issues facing the insurance
industry.
“Lawsuit abuse threatens access to medical coverage, as well as quality
health care,” he said. “The state of Mississippi cannot wallow in lawsuit
abuse. The damage has already been too great.”
Barbour, a 1973 UM law school graduate, is chairman and CEO of Barbour
Griffith & Rogers Inc., a Washington, D.C., policy issues firm. He also is
former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Hosted by the Risk Management Insurance program at UM’s School of Business
Administration, the symposium was attended by insurance professionals and
students.
Opening session speaker John E. Cay III, chairman and CEO of Palmer & Cay
Inc. of Savannah, Ga., spoke to the future of company-agency
relationships. “The most important element affecting our success as
independent agencies is strong insurance company relationships,” he said.
First-time attender Diane Hesselbein of Jackson, who works for Farm Bureau
of Mississippi, said she hoped to benefit from hearing conference
speakers. “If I can gain experience and get even one helpful bit of
knowledge to take home and make my business better, it will be worth it.”
Larry Cox, event coordinator and UM’s Robertson Chair of Insurance, said
more than 220 professionals were registered for the symposium, in addition
to a large group of students. “It’s good to see so many people in the
insurance industry here to listen to our speakers and discuss issues that
are in the news every day,” he said.
“Every conference helps to recharge my batteries,” said Marti Stark with
State Farm in Oxford.
UM senior Noe Woods of Oxford said the event is helpful for students, too.
“We get the benefit of the educational experience, as well as getting to
meet dozens of potential employers.”
The university’s RMI program is ranked the country’s eighth largest with
80 majors, but Business Dean Michael Harvey reported 175 undergraduates in
the current introductory insurance classes.
“I believe our RMI program will be in the nation’s top five in the next
few years,” he said.
More than a dozen insurance experts were slated as speakers and panelists
throughout the day.
--C.L. Arnold
Location: http://www.bus.olemiss.edu/viewnews.aspx?articleno=283