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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)<br />
(14) Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses<br />
The liabilities for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses are based upon estimates of the ultimate claim costs<br />
associated with property and casualty claim occurrences as of the balance sheet dates including estimates for incurred but not<br />
reported (“IBNR”) claims. Considerable judgment is required to evaluate claims and establish estimated claim liabilities. A<br />
reconciliation of the changes in liabilities for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses of our property/casualty insurance<br />
subsidiaries for each of the three years ending December 31, 2013 is as follows (in millions).<br />
2013 2012 2011<br />
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses:<br />
Gross liabilities at beginning of year .......................................... $64,160 $ 63,819 $ 60,075<br />
Ceded losses and deferred charges at beginning of year ........................... (6,944) (7,092) (6,545)<br />
Net balance at beginning of year ............................................. 57,216 56,727 53,530<br />
Incurred losses recorded during the year:<br />
Current accident year ...................................................... 23,027 22,239 23,031<br />
Prior accident years ....................................................... (1,752) (2,126) (2,202)<br />
Total incurred losses ...................................................... 21,275 20,113 20,829<br />
Payments during the year with respect to:<br />
Current accident year ...................................................... (10,154) (9,667) (9,269)<br />
Prior accident years ....................................................... (10,978) (10,628) (8,854)<br />
Total payments ........................................................... (21,132) (20,295) (18,123)<br />
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses:<br />
Net balance at end of year .................................................. 57,359 56,545 56,236<br />
Ceded losses and deferred charges at end of year ................................ 7,414 6,944 7,092<br />
Foreign currency translation adjustment ....................................... 93 186 (100)<br />
Business acquisitions ...................................................... — 485 591<br />
Gross liabilities at end of year ............................................... $64,866 $ 64,160 $ 63,819<br />
Incurred losses recorded during the current year but attributable to a prior accident year (“prior accident years”) reflect the<br />
amount of estimation error charged or credited to earnings in each calendar year with respect to the liabilities established as of<br />
the beginning of that year. Incurred losses shown in the preceding table include the impact of deferred charge assets established<br />
in connection with retroactive reinsurance contracts and discounting of certain assumed workers’ compensation liabilities.<br />
Deferred charge and loss discount balances represent time value discounting of the related ultimate estimated claim liabilities.<br />
Before the effects of deferred charges and loss discounting, we reduced the beginning of the year net losses and loss<br />
adjustment expenses liability by $1,938 million in 2013, $2,507 million in 2012 and $2,780 million in 2011. In each of the<br />
years, the reduction primarily derived from reinsurance assumed business and from private passenger auto and medical<br />
malpractice coverages. The reductions in liabilities related to reinsurance assumed business, excluding retroactive reinsurance,<br />
were attributable to generally lower than expected reported losses from ceding companies with respect to both property and<br />
casualty coverages. Individual underlying claim counts and average amounts per claim are not utilized by our reinsurance<br />
assumed businesses because clients do not consistently provide reliable data in sufficient detail. In 2013, we increased liabilities<br />
under retroactive reinsurance contracts by approximately $300 million primarily due to net increases in asbestos and<br />
environmental liabilities. In 2011, we recorded a $1.1 billion reduction in retroactive reinsurance liabilities primarily due to<br />
lower than expected losses under one contract. The reductions in private passenger auto liabilities reflected lower than<br />
previously anticipated bodily injury and personal injury protection severities. The reductions in medical malpractice liabilities<br />
reflected lower than originally anticipated claims frequencies and severities. Accident year loss estimates are regularly adjusted<br />
to consider emerging loss development patterns of prior years’ losses, whether favorable or unfavorable.<br />
Incurred losses for prior accident years also include charges associated with the changes in deferred charge balances related<br />
to retroactive reinsurance contracts incepting prior to the beginning of the year and net discounts recorded on liabilities for<br />
certain workers’ compensation claims. The aggregate charges included in prior accident years’ incurred losses were $186<br />
million in 2013, $381 million in 2012 and $578 million in 2011. Net discounted workers’ compensation liabilities at<br />
December 31, 2013 and 2012 were $2,066 million and $2,155 million, respectively, reflecting net discounts of $1,866 million<br />
and $1,990 million, respectively.<br />
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