Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company

By BJ Gardner, Assistant VP – Information Technology In the age of AI, cyber threats are growing more sophisticated. Email phishing attempts for information are increasingly difficult to differentiate from legitimate email requests. Targeted deepfakes can mimic voices with enough accuracy to extract sensitive data you might otherwise hesitate to share. Given these advancing capabilities, one’s ability to respond to potential cyber threats is a crucial line of defense against cybercriminals.

By Kristine Schmidt, Claims Manager Most vehicle owners have a story to share on a frustrating claims experience after their vehicle was involved in an accident. The same holds true for many lumber and building material business owners, whose drivers become involved in a vehicular accident where they were not at fault.

By Dan Braiman, Loss Control Director For lumber and building materials businesses managing commercial fleets, an unsafe driving habit can become a costly accident in seconds. While motor vehicle records and claims histories provide important information about drivers, they often reveal a problem after an incident has already occurred. Telematics gives fleet managers an opportunity to identify risky behaviors before they result in an accident.

By Natalie Griffith, Business Development Consultant and Mike Zdrojewski, Loss Control Consultant For lumber and building materials (LBM) businesses, the value of an insurance relationship occurs well before a claim does. PLM insureds have direct access to both business development representatives (BDRs) and loss control professionals who can help them address coverage questions, potential hazards and strengthen their operations.

By Sean Briscoe, Vice President – Loss Control, Courtney Flanagan, Vice President – Claims Costs of insurance claims continue to skyrocket due to nuclear verdicts – leaving business owners in high-severity niches like lumber at risk of losing it all. In today’s litigious landscape, plaintiff attorneys are casting a wider net to determine which parties can be held liable when an accident occurs. For lumber and building materials (LBM) businesses, this adds another layer of risk to daily operations.

By Traci Barber, Vice President – Customer Service A quick guide to the reporting process, claims assignment, and next steps. When a motor vehicle accident occurs, timely reporting helps ensure the claim can be reviewed, assigned, and handled as efficiently as possible. Reporting the accident within 24 to 48 hours allows the claims team to gather important details early, confirm coverage, and begin communicating with the parties involved.

By Steve Firko, President I hope you and your families enjoyed a safe, relaxing summer and found time to recharge. As we move into the final months of 2026, I want to share a brief update on our business and the trends we're seeing across the industry.

By Laura Page, Director – Green Tree Risk Partners Walk into almost any workplace today and you’ll likely see something that would have been unusual decades ago: four generations working side-by-side. Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z bring different experiences, expectations, communication styles, and approaches to learning. From my perspective in the workers’ compensation industry, this isn’t simply an HR or training issue. It is a risk management issue.

PLM is proud to recognize John Kennealy following his retirement from PLM and to welcome Courtney Flanagan as his successor as Vice President of Claims. John led PLM's claims function for more than seven years, concluding a distinguished 43-year career in the insurance industry.

By Carolyn Casey, Litigation Claims Manager The insurance industry continues to navigate an increasingly challenging claims environment. Across commercial auto, general liability and property exposures, claim severity is rising and so are the costs associated with resolving losses. One of the most significant trends shaping the market today is the rise of jury awards and settlements exceeding $10 million, commonly referred to as nuclear verdicts.