This article was written by Patricia-Anne Tom. If you wish to contact the author, please email her via the Claims Journal's article link.

The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that a jury should consider a person's failure to use a seatbelt when determining damages for pain and suffering resulting from an automobile accident.

Valuable Hail Damage Information From The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association

Colorado’s damaging hail season is considered to be from mid-April to mid-August. Colorado’s Front Range is located in the heart of "Hail Alley," which receives the highest frequency of large hail in North America and most of the world, so residents usually can count on three or four catastrophic (defined as at least $25 million in insured damage) hailstorms every year.

Article written by Tim Trial, PhD, a polymer scientist for Carlisle SynTec Inc., where he develops formulations for ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM) membranes and flashings, and conducts research on membrane service life.

In the 1950s, ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM) membranes were first used in waterproofing applications by being employed as pond/reservoir liners. The membrane was rolled out to line the tank, seamed, and held in place once water was added. From this came the use of EPDM membranes on roofs, which relied on stone, rather than water, for anchoring.

Article written by The USDA Colorado State Office Rural Development.

The purpose of this Architectural Technical Guide (ATG) is to disseminate information regarding current requirements for the investigation, abatement, and post abatement certification of mold found in construction components in existing single family residences and multi-family housing projects. Mold problems in Rural Development financed properties are presently viewed by the real estate industry as a likely time bomb for future litigation. This ATG is intended to provide educational information on the subject as well as suggested policy.

Article provided by The Tri-County Health Department.

Moisture management in and around a residence is an important part of homeowner maintenance. In order to maintain the structural integrity of your home, reduce maintenance problems, enhance your home's durability and value, and reduce the potential for mold growth, you need to understand the moisture control systems of your home and your own important role in maintaining those systems. In addition, excessive moisture in your home may cause mold growth, which can cause adverse heath effects, especially if the residents are allergic to mold.

Article written by Ronald D. Lucier, reprinted by FLIR Systems from November 2004 issue of Cleaning and Restoration - official publication of ASCR International.

C&R has reported extensively on the time, cost and benefits of using infrared (IR) thermography to inspect buildings in order to trace the source and scope of water damage, and thus potential mold. In addition, IR thermal imaging is extremely fast, noninvasive and provides evidentiary-quality, intuitively understandable data that have a much higher degree of accuracy and reliability than other moisture detection technologies.