Contingencies and Commitments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Contingencies and Commitments

Contingencies and Commitments

Lawsuits and Legal Proceedings

Companies in the insurance industry have been subject to substantial litigation resulting from claims, disputes and other matters. For instance, they have faced expensive claims, including class action lawsuits, alleging, among other things, improper sales practices and improper claims settlement procedures. Negotiated settlements of certain such actions have had a material adverse effect on many insurance companies. At the time of issuance of this Interim Report on Form 10-Q, except as noted below, the Company does not have pending litigation from which there is a reasonable possibility of material loss.

In 2023, the Horace Mann Insurance Company (HMIC) was named as a defendant in one lawsuit and received various demands for reimbursement and notices of claims related to legacy, long-tail commercial lines claims, including asbestos, environmental, and sexual molestation claims. It is alleged that HMIC reinsured certain commercial lines policies as a member of various insurance pooling arrangements in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The related policies were written prior to the 1975 acquisition of Horace Mann by INA discussed in Part I - Item 1 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K. HMEC’s available records indicate that on January 1, 1975, HMIC entered a quota share retrocession treaty with INA. It is the Company’s understanding that claims arising under these legacy policies were handled by various third parties pursuant to the terms of that treaty and its subsequent amendments entered into on behalf of HMIC. Ultimately, after amendments to the treaty and various corporate transactions involving the reinsurer, these obligations were assumed by companies that were affiliated with R&Q Reinsurance Company (R&Q).

The matters noted above arose following the March 23, 2023, Order of Liquidation in Pennsylvania of R&Q. HMIC is defending itself against the pending litigation and is in the process of investigating and evaluating the other demands and claims notices under a complete reservation of rights. In addition, in order to preserve its rights, HMIC submitted a proof of claim in the pending R&Q liquidation proceeding.

The amounts claimed against HMIC, if successful, could be material. However, based on the preliminary nature of the matters, the information available to date and considering the legal and factual challenges to the litigation and claims, it is not possible to provide a reasonable estimate of any resultant payment.

Investment Commitments

The Company has outstanding commitments to fund investments primarily in limited partnership interests. Such unfunded commitments were $524.6 million and $502.6 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.