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Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Contingencies
CONTINGENCIES

In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are routinely a defendant in or party to pending or threatened legal actions and proceedings related to the conduct of their insurance operations. These suits can involve alleged breaches of contracts, torts, including bad faith and fraud claims based on alleged wrongful or fraudulent acts of the Company's subsidiaries, and other miscellaneous causes of action. It is inherently difficult to predict the outcome of such matters, particularly when the claimant seeks very large or indeterminate damages or when the matters present novel legal theories or involve multiple parties. An accrued liability is established when loss contingencies are both probably and estimable. However, there is potential loss exposure in excess of any accrued amounts. The Company monitors pending matters for further development that could affect the amount of the accrued liability.

The Company's property & casualty subsidiaries had two actions remaining in Texas filed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike at December 31, 2017. These actions include individual lawsuits with allegations of underpayment of hurricane-related claims. The suits seek a variety of remedies, including actual and/or punitive damages in unspecified amounts and/or declaratory relief. In March of 2018 the Company was notified that the Texas Supreme Court denied a Writ of Application to review an unfavorable decision handed down by the Court of Appeals on one of the two remaining Ike claims. This claim was 95% reinsured by the Company's catastrophe reinsurance coverage and the amount of the settlement, net of reinsurance, did not have a material impact on these consolidated financial statements.  

The Company has reserves set up on litigated claims and the reserves are included in benefit and loss reserves.