By Porter Wright on Nanotechnology has often been touted as a new and potentially revolutionary way to improve nearly every aspect of modern life, but has also faced doubt from skeptics who have raised concerns about the downside to incorporating such innovative technology in everyday life. Possible dangers include the unintended consequences of the accumulation of nanoparticles in the … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on For anyone interested, I am presenting my recently approved Virginia CLE presentation "Insurance, Nanotechnology, and Risk" in mid-September to a national intellectual property law firm based here in D.C. The presentation covers issues related to the alleged environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risks accompanying certain nanoscale materials from the perspective of both the insured and insurer. … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on For anyone who might be interested, I will be speaking on nano-related insurance issues at the opening plenary of the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s upcoming Oct. 6 -7 conference and workshop on Nanomaterials and the Environment & Instrumentation. The draft agenda for the conference can be found here, and the plenary is also supposed to be broadcast … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Zurich North America recently published the June 2009 edition of its Industry Insight online magazine which focuses exclusively on nanotechnology issues. The magazine contains four informative articles which are well worth reading: "At the leading edge: Zurich’s thought leadership on nanotechnology;" "No small thing: The enormous potential of nano;" "The kings of small things: The regulatory … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Chubb Insurance is hosting a one-day nanotechnology insurance conference on October 13, 2009 in North Branch, New Jersey: "Nanotechnology: What is the Best Safety and Risk Management Approach?" From the conference website: "This conference brings together prominent nanotechnology speakers who will review nanotechnology background, health and safety, and potential insurance and liability issues. Current risk … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Nanotechnology Health and Safety Forum which is being sponsored by Battelle, Porter Wright, University of Washington, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and several others is taking place on June 8 – 9, 2009 at the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle, Washington. Keynote speakers include: Dr. Leroy Hood, Co-Founder of the Institute for Systems Biology; Dr. … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Battelle Memorial Institute, the University of Washington, and the University of Oregon are co-sponsoring the international Nanotechnology Health and Safety Forum (NHSF) in Seattle, Washington on June 8 – 9, 2009. The NHSF is coinciding with the first world-wide meeting of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC 229 — Nanotechnologies being held in the United States, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Published in the March 2009 issue of Environmental Science & Technology, this article discusses the difficulties insurance companies are having in assessing the risk to themselves in insuring manufacturers using nanomaterials in their products, particularly carbon nanotubes, due to a lack of reliable data on the potential effects of nanomaterials on the environment, workers health, and … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Earlier today, Continental Western Insurance Group issued what appears to be one of the first nano-specific commercial insurance exclusions in the United States. Although Continental originally posted the exclusion and two supporting documents on its website, the materials were removed after BNA published an article about the exclusion this morning. We managed to print out … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Another insurance company has entered the nanotechnology risk debate. In addition to Lloyd’s and Swiss re, ACE Casualty Risk recently released both a white paper and podcast discussing nanotechnology issues.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Lloyd’s of London recently issued another nano-related insurance document: D. Baxter, "Nanotechnology: An insurer’s perspective," Emerging Risks, Lloyd’s of London. First, Lloyd’s notes that several types of insurance may be impacted by potential EHS risks related to nanotechnology including: (i) professional indemnity, (ii) medical malpractice, (iii) director’s and officer’s liability, (iv) general liability, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Earlier this week Lloyd’s Emerging Risks Team published a 26-page report entitled "Nanotechnology: Recent Developments, Risks and Opportunities." At the outset, Lloyd’s notes its "report aims to provide an up-to-date view to inform the . . . insurance industry about the risks and opportunities that may exist in this developing area," and is intended to "enable insurers to … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on No, I’m not talking about the insurance policy that you may need for buying that big holiday gift. Rather, I’m talking about the conference that Lloyd’s of London has scheduled to discuss nanotechnology risks in the context of insurance.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Robert Blaunstein recently published an article in Insurance Networking News: “Unfamiliar Exposure: Nanotechnology deals in tiny particles, but its potential risk to insurers is sizable and nearly impossible to calculate.” The article begins by noting the "enabling" role the insurance industry has often taken with new technologies. Dr. Blaunstein argues this "enabling" function is fulfilled … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The insurance industry makes a great effort to research and identify potential liability trends. In a recent Orlando Sentinel article, a commercial insurance expert expressed concern that the explosive growth of nanotechnology could have unintended health consequences, and if it proves harmful, “lawsuits will fly.” Frank Coyne — CEO of Insurance Services Office Inc. — … Continue Reading