DENVER, August 13, 2003 – For making workplace safety a priority, members of the Denver Painting and Decorating Contractors of America of Colorado workers’ compensation insurance group dividend plan are receiving checks totaling $100,658 from Pinnacol Assurance.

The association earned the sizeable dividend by having a strong commitment to safety and an active safety committee dedicated to its members. Members of Pinnacol Assurance’s group dividend plans receive a number of complimentary, safety-focused services including educational seminars, safety programs, videos, brochures, and access to our team of investigators for fraud prevention and detection. Pinnacol Assurance’s experts help members identify areas that can be improved so the chances of illness and injury are greatly reduced. To be eligible for the group dividend plan, each employer must be a member of the Denver PDCA, be insured with Pinnacol Assurance through Commercial Risk Solutions, Inc., attend two safety sessions annually and agree to implement at least three steps from Pinnacol Assurance’s six-step safety program.

The group had an annual premium of more than $500,000 during the July 1, 2001, to July 1, 2002, policy period for which the dividend was issued. By combining the individual premium of group dividend members, a larger premium is established, allowing Pinnacol Assurance to reduce costs and return dividends to members based on loss histories. The dividend payment will be split among group members based on individual loss ratios for each member company. Each member’s premium is based on his or her own individual loss experience. Members with few claims receive a greater portion of the dividend; those with a number of claims receive little or no portion of the dividend. The group had 21 members participating in the workers’ compensation insurance program during the dividend period.

CRS Commercial Risk Solutions, Inc., is the designated broker for the Denver PDCA workers' compensation insurance group dividend plan. For more information on the plan, contact Scott White of CRS at 303-996-7822.