Call for Participants: The Protection Gap In Property Insurance

A conference on
The Protection Gap in Property Insurance
Friday, March 29, 2019
Rutgers Law School, Camden, New Jersey

The protection gap is the difference between losses that are insured and losses that could or should be insured.

The protection gap is a global problem, affecting developed and developing nations and different segments of the insurance market in different ways. The Rutgers Center for Risk and Responsibility at Rutgers Law School Conference on The Protection Gap will address the protection gap in residential and commercial property losses and related types of losses in the United States.

The property insurance protection gap can have significant impact on individuals and communities; a property owner who does not have flood insurance may lack the resources to rebuild after a hurricane, for example, and if many property owners lack insurance, an entire community may be hard-pressed to recover.

The concept of a protection gap raises a number of issues, including:

• What is a protection gap? In different settings, what is the optimal level of insurance?
• What protection gaps exist in property insurance? What are the most important protection gaps:
  • Lack of insurance against natural catastrophes?
  • Under-valuation of property?
  • Gaps, exclusions, or limitations in coverage?
• Why do protection gaps occur? What factors lead to protection gaps:
  • The availability and marketing of insurance?
  • Poor consumer decision-making?
  • Legal and regulatory frameworks?
• What solutions are there for protection gaps? What solutions are most needed and can be most effective in particular setting
  • Changes in the marketing and distribution of insurance?
  • Changes in law and regulation?
  • Government alternatives to private insurance?

We invite participation from scholars, insurance industry and other professionals, regulators, and others interested in the topic. The conference will include papers, reports, discussion, and commentary in a variety of formats.

If you are interested in presenting at or otherwise participating in the conference, email Professor Jay Feinman at feinman@law.rutgers.edu with the subject line Protection Gap Conference.