As we mentioned in last week's Big I Buzz, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the month, it's important to be showing support by wearing pink throughout the month, donating to cancer research and reminding yourself of the importance of performing self-exams throughout the entire year!

Raising breast cancer awareness is especially important for all of us at the IIAW. Recently, Trisha Ours, our Director of Insurance Services was diagnosed with breast cancer. A message from Trisha: "My cancer diagnosis is still new (end of September), but so far it appears to be stage 1A triple positive invasive ductal carcinoma. However, I've been told that I can be re-staged multiple times during my battle with breast cancer and at any time can have a recurrence of metastatic disease. This is why it is so important to do self-exams and schedule your mammogram screenings. If I had not been doing self checks or just brushed it off instead of contacting my doctor right away, I could be looking at a much more dire situation."

As the IIAW team raises awareness for breast cancer, we have started a fundraiser for metastatic breast cancer research in Trisha's honor. METAvivor is an organization dedicated to the specific fight of women and men living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. If you would like to donate, please head to our team page: donate.metavivor.org/team/383943. 100% of every donation to METAvivor goes into their research grant. 

Consumers are Splurging on Diamonds. Signet Jewelers Just Hiked Its Full-Year Outlook - Again

For the second time in weeks, Signet Jewelers have raised their fiscal 2022 forecast, as consumer demand increases before the holidays. According to the company, they're not experience any supply chain disruptions unlike many other stores in the retail industry. As consumer demand for diamonds are expected to grow throughout the holiday season, this could be a great time to push insuring expensive jewelry and gifts. 

Feel free to right-click and save this image to share on your social media feeds to encourage followers on Facebook to contact you about insuring their expensive jewelry and gifts throughout the holiday season. If you don't follow our Facebook page already, head to facebook.com/iiaofwi to see our daily posts that you can share onto your own page. 

Insurers in Illinois Now Required to Report Dog Bite Claims

Starting January 1, 2022, home and renters insurance companies must provide certain information regarding dog bites. The new Illinois insurance code asks all insurance companies to document and report information including, "

1. The breed of the dog and whether the identification was made visually, or by the owner, adjuster or insured; 

2. Where the owner of the dog obtained the dog from, such as pet store, breeder, animal shelter or rescue organization, a friend or acquaintance, or if they found the dog or it was a stray; 

3. The sex of the dog and whether or not it was neutered or spayed; 

4. Whether or not the person injured by the dog was observed teasing, tormenting, battering, assaulting, injuring or otherwise provoking the dog; 

5. The type of injury that was sustained by the victim, such as fall or bite; 

6. Whether the injury occurred on the insured's property or at another location, and

7. Whether the dog had received any sort of obedience training, or there have been previous claims or past complaints against the dog." This information must be collected for a two-year period starting January 1, 2022. Read more here: https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2021/10/11/illinois-to-require-insurers-to-report-all-dog-bites-414-211070/

For more news, check out the Action news section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week!