CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

The Company and Employers Mutual and its other subsidiaries are parties to numerous lawsuits arising in the normal course of the insurance business.  The Company believes that the resolution of these lawsuits will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or its results of operations.  The companies involved have established reserves which are believed adequate to cover any potential liabilities arising out of all such pending or threatened proceedings.

The participants in the pooling agreement have purchased annuities from life insurance companies, under which the claimant is payee, to fund future payments that are fixed pursuant to specific claim settlement provisions.  The Company’s share of case loss reserves eliminated by the purchase of those annuities was $110,000 at December 31, 2017.  The Company had a contingent liability for the aggregate guaranteed amount of the annuities of $183,000 at December 31, 2017 should the issuers of those annuities fail to perform.  Although management is not able to verify the amount, the Company would likely have a similar contingent liability at June 30, 2018.  The probability of a material loss due to failure of performance by the issuers of these annuities is considered remote.