LAWRENCE COUNTY Insurance cost rises more than expected

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County is going to have to dig into its contingency fund to pay for insurance this year.
Charleen Micco, the county's chief clerk-administrator, said the county's general liability insurance went up 41.83 percent this year.
The county was expecting only a 10 to 15 percent increase, she said.
Insurers attribute the increased cost to problems they experienced from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Micco said.
Commissioners agreed to three insurance contracts at a caucus meeting Tuesday. Coregis Insurance Group of Chicago will handle the county's general liability, and P Comp, an insurer set up by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, will handle worker's compensation insurance. The county's previous insurance policies expire Sunday.
The county also will retain its insurance with American Empire of Cincinnati for coverage on the county nursing home, Hill View Manor.
The total cost of insurance from those three companies will be $376,019, which is $110,905 more than last year, Micco said.