39 percent of all losses in New England, 50 percent in the Gulf, 

 and 71 percent in California, with the remaining portion shared 

 by partial losses of active wood and steel vessels. Although fire 

 hazard was the least frequently occurring cause, it was the source 

 of the largest average amount of partial loss per claim in all 

 three areas and contributed to the largest portion of total losses 

 in New England and Gulf Area. Weather in New England, navigation 

 hazard in the Gulf, and mechanical failure in California contributed 

 the largest proportion of partial losses. Navigation hazard ac- 

 counted for the largest paxt of total losses in California and was 

 second to fire hazard in total losses in New England. 



2. Protection and indemnity insurance claims . For every one 

 hundred accidents, 80 in New England, and 83 in California consisted 

 of personal injuries during 1950-5^. Hand injuries were the most 

 frequently occurring personal injuries in both areas, while in New 

 England, organic diseases and poisoning, mainly nonoccupational in 

 nature, were more frequent than diseases which generally may be 

 considered occupationeil, such as infections and exposure. 



Petty claims of no more than $250 each were very frequent in 

 New Engl£ind--70 percent of the total number of all claims- -but less 

 frequent in California. Contrary to the prevailing notion, only 52 

 percent of the total amount of all losses in New England were due 

 to large claims of more than $5,000 each, while 83 percent of the 

 total amount of all losses in California were the result of claims 

 amounting to more than $5,000. The amount of losses paid for 

 personal injuries constituted three-fourths of all losses in New 

 England and nine-tenths in California. Hand injuries constituted 

 the most severe personal injuries in New England, with the largest 

 amount of loss per claim and the largest proportion of losses, 

 while foot injuries constituted the most severe personal injuries 

 in California. In terms of amount of losses, nonoccupational 

 diseases--organic diseases and poisoning- -were mor ; severe than 

 occupational ones--infections and cold or exposure. 



3. Concluding remajrks . Examination and discussion of the 

 accident record disclosed a number of points which partly explain 

 the largely unprofitable experience of insurers. 



During 1950-5^, the adverse loss experience of hull insurajice 

 was partly due to the frequency of accidents and partly to large 

 claims. It is interesting to notice that New England, with partial 

 losses amounting to 61 percent of all losses, and Giilf Area, \d.th kQ 

 percent peirtial losses, had worse loss experience than California, 

 with only 29 percent partial losses. Of course, the relatively 

 favorable loss experience for hull insurance in California is partly 

 the result of relatively larger premiums collected in that area than 

 elsevrhere. Yet, the prominence of partial losses in New England 

 primarily, and, to a lesser extent, in the Gulf Area is significant. 



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