document_title: The Dam Busters (film)

question_text: who played guy gibson in the 1954 film the dambusters

text: The Dam Busters (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In the early years of the Second World War, aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis is struggling to develop a means of attacking Germany's dams in the hope of crippling German heavy industry. Working for the Ministry of Aircraft Production, as well as doing his own job at Vickers, he works feverishly to make practical his theory of a bouncing bomb which would skip over the water to avoid protective torpedo nets. When it came into contact with the dam, it would sink before exploding, making it much more destructive. Wallis calculates that the aircraft will have to fly extremely low (150 feet (46 m)) to enable the bombs to skip over the water correctly, but when he takes his conclusions to the Ministry, he is told that lack of production capacity means they cannot go ahead with his proposals.

text: Angry and frustrated, Wallis secures an interview with Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris (played by Basil Sydney), the head of RAF Bomber Command, who at first is reluctant to take the idea seriously. Eventually, however, he is convinced and takes the idea to the Prime Minister, who authorises the project.

text: Bomber Command forms a special squadron of Lancaster bombers, 617 Squadron, to be commanded by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, and tasked to fly the mission. He recruits experienced crews, especially those with low-altitude flight experience. While they train for the mission, Wallis continues his development of the bomb but has problems, such as the bomb breaking apart upon hitting the water. This requires the drop altitude to be reduced to 60 feet (18 m). With only a few weeks to go, he succeeds in fixing the problems and the mission can go ahead.

text: The bombers attack the dams. Eight Lancasters and their crews are lost, but two dams are breached and the overall mission succeeds.

text: Cast[edit]

text: In credits order.

text:
Richard Todd as Wing Commander Guy Gibson, CO of 617 Squadron and pilot of "George"
Michael Redgrave as Barnes Wallis, Assistant Chief Designer, Aviation Section, Vickers-Armstrong Ltd
Ursula Jeans as Mrs Molly Wallis
Basil Sydney as Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, GOC-in-C, RAF Bomber Command
Patrick Barr as Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, Chief Test Pilot, Vickers-Armstrong Ltd
Ernest Clark as Air Vice-Marshal Ralph Cochrane, AOC, No. 5 Group RAF
Derek Farr as Group Captain John Whitworth, Station Commander, RAF Scampton
Charles Carson as Doctor
Stanley Van Beers as David Pye, Director of Scientific Research, Air Ministry
Colin Tapley as Dr William Glanville, Director of Road Research, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Frederick Leister as committee member
Eric Messiter as committee member
Laidman Browne as committee member
Raymond Huntley as National Physical Laboratory Official
Hugh Manning as Ministry of Aircraft Production Official
Edwin Styles as Observer at Trials
Hugh Moxey as Observer at Trials
Anthony Shaw as RAF Officer at Trials
Laurence Naismith as Farmer
Harold Siddons as Group Signals Officer
Frank Phillips as BBC Announcer
Brewster Mason as Flight Lieutenant Richard Trevor-Roper, rear gunner of "George"
Anthony Doonan as Flight Lieutenant Robert Hutchison, wireless operator of "George"
Nigel Stock as Flying Officer Frederick Spafford, bomb aimer of "George"
Brian Nissen as Flight Lieutenant Torger Taerum, navigator of "George"
Robert Shaw as Flight Sergeant John Pulford, flight engineer of "George"
Peter Assinder as Pilot Officer Andrew Deering, front gunner of "George"
Richard Leech as Squadron Leader Melvin "Dinghy" Young, pilot of "Apple"
Richard Thorp as Squadron Leader Henry Maudslay, pilot of "Zebra"
John Fraser as Flight Lieutenant John Hopgood, pilot of "Mother"
David Morrell as Flight Lieutenant Bill Astell, pilot of "Baker"
Bill Kerr as Flight Lieutenant H. B. "Micky" Martin, pilot of "Popsie"
George Baker as Flight Lieutenant David Maltby, pilot of "Johnny"
Ronald Wilson as Flight Lieutenant Dave Shannon, pilot of "Leather"
Denys Graham as Flying Officer Les Knight, pilot of "Nancy"
Basil Appleby as Flight Lieutenant Bob Hay, bomb aimer of "Popsie"
Tim Turner as Flight Lieutenant Jack Leggo, navigator of "Popsie"
Ewen Solon as Flight Sergeant G. E. Powell, crew chief
Harold Goodwin as Gibson's Batman
Peter Arne (uncredited) as Staff Officer to Air-Vice Marshal Cochrane
Edward Cast (uncredited) as Crew Member
Richard Coleman (uncredited) as RAF Officer
Peter Diamond (uncredited) as Tail Gunner
Gerald Harper (uncredited) as RAF Officer
Arthur Howard (uncredited) as RAF Pay Clerk in NAAFI
Lloyd Lamble (uncredited) as Collins
Philip Latham (uncredited) as Flight Sergeant
Patrick McGoohan (uncredited) as RAF Guard [N 1]
Edwin Richfield (uncredited) as RAF Officer
Elisabeth Gaunt (Barnes Wallis's daughter in real life) as photographer in the test tank[4]

text: Development[edit]

text: Following the success of the book The Dam Busters (a RAF-approved history of 617 Squadron), Robert Clark the head of production at Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) approached its author Paul Brickhill about acquiring the film rights as a vehicle for Richard Todd. The company's production manager was, however, of the option that due to its numerous personnel and raids it would not be able to film the book in its entirety. As a result, Clark requested that Brickhill provide a film treatment which described his vision for the film. Brickhill agree to do it without payment in the hope of selling the film rights. To assist him, Clark teamed him up with Walter Mycroft who was the company's Director of Production.[5] Brickhill decided to concentrate the film treatment on Operation Chastise and ignore the later raids.

text: After the Air Ministry agreed to make available four Lancaster bombers at a cheap price which helped make the production viable, Associated British decided to proceed with the film and agreed with Brickhill on the film rights in December 1952 for what is believed to have been ₤5,000.[6] After considering C.S. Forester, Terence Rattigan, as well as Emlyn Williams and Leslie Arliss, R. C. Sherriff was selected as the screenwriter with planned August delivery of the screenplay.[7] Sherrif agreed with Brickhill's opinion that the film needed to concentrate on Operation Chastise and exclude the later operations covered in the book.

text: In preparation for writing the script, Sherrif met with Barnes Wallis at his home, later returning accompanied by Brickhill, Walter Mycroft and production supervisor W.A. "Bill" Whittaker on 22 March 1952 to witness Wallis demonstrating his original home experiment. To Wallis's embarrassment he couldn't get it to work, no matter how many times he tried.[8]

text: Just prior to the film's scheduled release, Guy Gibson's widow Eve took legal action to prevent it, and Brickhill and Clark were mired in months of wrangling with her until references to her husband's book Enemy Coast Ahead were included.

text: Production[edit]

text: The flight sequences of the film were shot using real Avro Lancaster bombers supplied by the RAF. The aircraft, four of the final production B.VIIs, had to be taken out of storage and specially modified by removing the mid-upper gun turrets to mimic 617 Squadron's special aircraft, and cost £130 per hour to run, which amounted to a tenth of the film's costs. A number of Avro Lincoln bombers were also used as "set dressing".[9] (An American cut was made more dramatic by depicting an aircraft flying into a hill and exploding. This version used stock footage from Warner Brothers of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, not a Lancaster.)

text: The Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire (the test area for the real raids) doubled as the Ruhr valley for the film.[10] The scene where the Dutch coast is crossed was filmed between Boston, Lincolnshire and King's Lynn, Norfolk, and other coastal scenes near Skegness. Additional aerial footage was shot above Windermere, in the Lake District.

text: While RAF Scampton, where the real raid launched, was used for some scenes, the principal airfield used for ground location shooting was RAF Hemswell, a few miles north and still an operational RAF station at the time of filming. Guy Gibson had been based at Hemswell in his final posting and the airfield had been an operational Avro Lancaster base during the war. At the time filming took place it was then home to No. 109 Squadron and No. 139 Squadron RAF, which were both operating English Electric Canberras on electronic countermeasures and nuclear air sampling missions over hydrogen bomb test sites in the Pacific and Australia. However, part of the RAF's fleet of ageing Avro Lincolns had been mothballed at Hemswell prior to being broken up and several of these static aircraft appeared in background shots during filming, doubling for additional No 617 Squadron Lancasters. The station headquarters building still stands on what is now an industrial estate and is named Gibson House. The four wartime hangars also still stand, little changed in external appearance since the war.[11]

text: Serving RAF pilots from both squadrons based at Hemswell took turns flying the Lancasters during filming and found the close formation and low level flying around Derwentwater and Windermere exhilarating and a welcome change from their normal high level solo Canberra sorties.

text: Three of the four Lancaster bombers used in the film had also appeared in the Dirk Bogarde film Appointment in London two years earlier.[12]

text: The theatre scene showing the spotlights was filmed at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith. There is no reference in the film' s credits to who the dancers were. The BBC Television Toppers were on loan for one day filming, under contract from the BBC.

text:
The film featured several actors who would go on to be stars of cinema and TV. Robert Shaw was featured as Gibson's engineer Flt Sgt Pulford[13] while George Baker played Flt Lt Maltby.[14] Patrick McGoohan had a bit part as a sergeant[15] and Richard Thorp played Sqn Ldr Maudsley.
[16]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The Dam Busters March by Eric Coates, is for many synonymous with the film, as well as with the exploit itself, and remains a favourite military band item at flypasts and in the concert hall.

text: Other than the introduction and trio section theme, the majority of the march as performed is not featured in the film soundtrack. Coates himself avoided writing music for the cinema, having been advised against it by Edward Elgar, and he only agreed to provide an overture for the film after he was persuaded by the film's producers it was of "national importance" and pressure was put on him via his publisher, Chappell. A march he had recently completed was found to fit well with the heroic subject and was thus submitted.[17] The majority of the soundtrack including the theme played during the raid sequence in the film was composed by Leighton Lucas.

text:
Philip Lane, who reconstructed parts of Leighton Lucas's orchestral score (which had been lost) notes that Lucas created his own main theme "which seems to play hide and seek with Coates’s throughout
the film, both vying for supremacy."[18] The variety hall sequence in the film features the 1942 song "Sing Everybody Sing" by John P Long.[19]

text: Censorship[edit]

text: In 1999, British television network ITV broadcast a censored version of the film, removing all utterances of "Nigger" (the real name of the unit's mascot, a black labrador). ITV blamed regional broadcaster London Weekend Television, which in turn alleged that a junior staff member had been responsible for the unauthorised cuts. When ITV again showed a censored version in June 2001, it was condemned by the Index on Censorship as "unnecessary and ridiculous" and because the edits introduced continuity errors.[20] The British Channel 4 screened the censored American version in July 2007, in which the dialogue was dubbed so as to call the dog "Trigger", this screening took place just after the planned remake was announced. In September 2007, as part of the BBC Summer of British Film series, The Dam Busters was shown at selected cinemas across the UK in its uncut format. The original, uncensored, version was also shown on 1 and 5 January 2013, by the British broadcaster Channel 5. It was the version, distributed by Studio Canal, containing shots of the bomber flying into a hill.

text: Historical accuracy[edit]

text: The film is largely historically accurate, with only a small number of changes made for reasons of dramatic licence. Some errors derive from Paul Brickhill's book, which was written when much detail about the raid was not yet in the public domain.

text:
Barnes Wallis said that he never encountered any opposition from bureaucracy. In the film, when a reluctant official asks what he can possibly say to the RAF to persuade them to lend a Vickers Wellington bomber for flight testing the bomb, Wallis suggests: "Well, if you told them that I designed it, do you think that might help?" Barnes Wallis was heavily involved with the design of the Wellington, as it used his geodesic construction method, but he was not the chief designer.
Instead of all of Gibson's tour-expired crew at 106 Squadron volunteering to follow him to his new command, only his wireless operator, Hutchinson, went with him to 617 Squadron.
Rather than the purpose as well as the method of the raid being Wallis' sole idea, the dams had already been identified as an important target by the Air Ministry before the war.
Gibson did not devise the spotlights altimeter after visiting a theatre; it was suggested by Benjamin Lockspeiser of the Ministry of Aircraft Production after Gibson requested they solve the problem. It was a proven method used by RAF Coastal Command aircraft for some time.[21]
The wooden "coat hanger" bomb sight intended to enable crews to release the weapon at the right distance from the target was not wholly successful; some crews used it, but others came up with their own solutions, such as pieces of string in the bomb-aimer's position and/or markings on the blister.
No bomber flew into a hillside near a target on the actual raid. This scene, which is not in the original version, was included in the copy released on the North American market (see above). Three bombers are brought down by enemy fire and two crashed due to hitting power lines in the valleys.[22]
Some of the sequences showing the testing of Upkeep in the film are of Mosquito fighter-bombers dropping the naval version of the bouncing bomb, code-named Highball, intended to be used against ships. This version of the weapon was never used operationally.
At the time the film was made, certain aspects of Upkeep were still held classified, so the actual test footage was censored to hide any details of the test bombs (a black dot was superimposed over the bomb on each frame), and the dummy bombs carried by the Lancasters were almost spherical but with flat sides rather than the true cylindrical shape.
The dummy bomb did not show the mechanism which created the back spin.
Ammunition shown being loaded into a Lancaster is .50 caliber for M2 Browning heavy machine guns, not that for the .303 calibre machine guns found on the Lancaster in 1943.
The scenes of the attack on the Eder Dam show a castle resembling Schloss Waldeck on the wrong side of the lake and dam. The position and angle of the lake in relation to the castle suggest that in reality the bombing-run would have needed a downhill approach to the west of the castle.
Wallis states that his idea came from Nelson's bouncing cannonballs into the sides of enemy ships. (He also states that Nelson sank one ship during the Battle of the Nile with a yorker, a cricket term for a ball that bounces under the bat, making it difficult to play.) There is no evidence for this claim. In a 1942 paper, Wallis mentioned the bouncing of cannonballs in the 16th and 17th centuries, but Nelson was not mentioned.[23]
In the film Wallis (Redgrave) tells Gibson and Young that the technical problem has been solved as the engineers had the correct oil in store. This is false; there was a mechanical problem with the release gear which was solved by Sgt Charles Sackville-Bryant who was awarded the BEM for this.[citation needed]

text: Release[edit]

text: The Dambusters received a Royal world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square on 16 May 1955, the twelfth anniversary of the raid. Princess Margaret attended along with Eve Gibson, Guy Gibson's widow and his father. Richard Todd, Barnes Wallis and the surviving members of 617 Squadron who had taken part in the mission were all guests of honour.[24] The premiere helped to raise money and awareness for various RAF charities.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Reviews upon its release were positive. Variety described the film as having great attention to detail.[25] Over time, the film's reputation has grown and is now regarded as a beloved classic of British cinema.[26] In a contemporary review, The Guardian stated that The Dam Busters remains very well made and entertaining.[27] The film was the most successful film at the British box office in 1955.[28]

text: The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Special Effects, and was also nominated for BAFTA awards for Best British Film, Best Screenplay and Best Film From Any Source.[29]

text: The British Film Institute placed The Dam Busters as the 68th greatest British film. In 2004, the magazine Total Film named The Dam Busters the 43rd greatest British film of all time. Richard Todd considered the film as one of his favourites of all those that he appeared in, and went on to appear at many Dambusters themed events.[30] As of May 2014, The Dam Busters currently holds 100% maximum approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating universal acclaim. At the same time, the film holds a 7.4/10 on IMDb.

text: The film was not shown on British television until 30 May 1971.[31]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: On 16 May 2008, a commemoration of the 65th anniversary was held at Derwent Reservoir, including a flypast by a Lancaster, Spitfire, and Hurricane. The event was attended by actor Richard Todd, representing the film crew and Les Munro, the last surviving pilot from the original raid, as well as Mary Stopes-Roe, the elder daughter of Sir Barnes Wallis.

text: On 17 May 2018, a commemoration of the 75th anniversary was held, in which a restored version of the film was broadcast live from the Royal Albert Hall, and hosted by Dan Snow. The film was simulcast into over 300 cinemas nationwide.[32]

text: Remake[edit]

text: Work on a remake of The Dam Busters, produced by Peter Jackson and directed by first time director Christian Rivers, began in 2008. Jackson said in the mid-1990s that he became interested in remaking the 1955 film, but found that the rights had been bought by Mel Gibson. In 2004, Jackson was contacted by his agent, who said Gibson had dropped the rights. In December 2005, the rights were purchased by Sir David Frost, from the Brickhill family.[33] Stephen Fry wrote the script.[34]

text: In March 2007, it was announced it will be distributed by Universal Pictures, and StudioCanal.[35] Filming was planned to commence in early 2009, on a budget of US$40 million,[36] although no project specific filming had begun by May 2009.[37] The project was delayed because Jackson decided to make The Hobbit.

text: Weta Workshop was making the models and special effects for the film and had made 10 life size Lancaster bombers.[38] Fry said Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog "Nigger" will be called "Digger" in the remake to avoid rekindled controversy over the original name.[39] For the remake, Peter Jackson has said no decision has been made on the dog's name, but is in a "no-win, damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don't scenario", as changing the name could be seen as too much political correctness, while not changing the name could offend people.[40] Further, executive producer Sir David Frost was quoted in The Independent as stating: "Guy sometimes used to call his dog Nigsy, so I think that's what we will call it. Stephen has been coming up with other names, but this is the one I want."[41][N 2] Les Munro, a pilot in the strike team, joined the production crew in Masterton as technical advisor. Jackson was also to use newly declassified War Office documents to ensure the authenticity of the film.[43]

text: After Munro died in August 2015, Phil Bonner of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre said he still thinks Jackson will eventually make the film, citing Jackson's passion for aviation. Jackson said, "There is only a limited span I can abide, of people driving me nuts asking me when I’m going to do that project. So I’ll have to do it. I want to, actually, it’s one of the truly great true stories of the Second World War, a wonderful, wonderful story."[44]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text:
The attack on the Death Star in the climax of the film Star Wars is a deliberate and acknowledged homage to the climactic sequence of The Dam Busters. In the former film, rebel pilots have to fly through a trench while evading enemy fire and fire a proton torpedo at a precise distance from the target to destroy the entire base with a single explosion; if one run fails, another run must be made by a different pilot. In addition to the similarity of the scenes, some of the dialogue is nearly identical. Star Wars also ends with an Elgarian-style march, like The Dam Busters.[45] The same may be said of 633 Squadron, in which a squadron of de Havilland Mosquitos must drop a bomb on a rock overhanging a key German factory at the end of a Norwegian fjord.[46] Gilbert Taylor, responsible for Special Effects Photography on The Dam Busters, was the Director of Cinematography for Star Wars.
In the 1982 film Pink Floyd The Wall, scenes from The Dam Busters can be seen and heard playing on a television set several times during the film. Particular emphasis is placed on scenes in the film where characters mention Nigger, Guy Gibson's labrador. "The reason that The Dam Busters is in the film version of The Wall," explained the Floyd's Roger Waters, "is because I'm from that generation who grew up in postwar Britain, and all those movies were very important to us. The Dam Busters was my favourite of all of them. It's so stuffed with great characters."[47] Waters had previously introduced the band's song 'Echoes' at live shows as 'March of the Dam Busters'.
The 1984 video game The Dam Busters was partially based on the film.
Two television advertisements were made for a brand of beer, Carling Black Label, which played on the theme of The Dam Busters. Both were made before the English football team broke a 35-year losing streak against Germany. The first showed a German guard on top of a dam catching a number of bouncing bombs as if he were a goalkeeper. The second showed a British tourist throwing a Union Flag towel which skipped off the water like a bouncing bomb to reserve a pool-side seat before the German tourists could reserve them with their towels. Both actions were followed by the comment "I bet he drinks Carling Black Label".[48] The adverts were criticised by the Independent Television Commission, although UK newspaper The Independent reported "a spokeswoman for the German embassy in London dismissed the idea that Germans might find the commercial offensive, adding: 'I find it very amusing'".[49]


document_title: Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino

question_text: who built the rio hotel in las vegas

question_tokens: who built the rio hotel in las vegas

root

text: Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino

text: History[edit]

text: The Rio opened on January 15, 1990, as a locals casino; it had been constructed and owned and operated by Marnell Corrao Associates. The opening acts were the Brazilian Group Sérgio Mendes '99 and Henrietta Alves of New Orleans, bringing the first two-piano act to Las Vegas, with various co-performers. A 20-story expansion tower was added to the current Ipanema Tower in 1993. Masquerade Village, a hotel tower and casino expansion including the Masquerade Show in the Sky, opened in 1997, at a cost of over $200 million. The Rio was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment in 1999 for $888 million. After the purchase, the Culinary Workers Union organized the Rio employees through card check recognition by enforcing the neutrality clause of the existing Harrah's contract on the new acquisition.[2]

tag: p

text: Danny Gans, after moving from the Stratosphere Las Vegas, opened as the headliner in 1998. He later moved to The Mirage in 2000. Penn & Teller have been the resident headline entertainers since 2001.

text: The Rio's Penn & Teller Theater was the host venue of the 30th Anniversary Special for the hit CBS game show The Price Is Right and has been used for Live! with Regis and Kelly, Hell's Kitchen and numerous Penn & Teller television projects. The hotel hosted the World Series of Poker in 2005, the first time this event was not held at Binion's. Binion's was used for the final three tables and the last two days of the competition as part of the celebration of Las Vegas' centennial. Since 2005, the Rio has been the home for the tournament.

text: Features[edit]

text: KISS by Monster Mini Golf[edit]

text: KISS by Monster Mini Golf is a franchise of the popular Monster Mini Golf chain; as the name suggests, this location is based on legendary classic rock band KISS. In addition to the 18-hole miniature golf course, the venue also boasts a Rock and Roll Themed wedding chapel called the "I Love It Loud Wedding Chapel", the world's largest KISS gift shop, and a KISS Museum featuring memorabilia from the band's storied career on display. It also hosts regular appearances by KISS band members, both past and present.[3]

text: Sapphire Pool[edit]

text: On May 30, 2008, the Rio opened the Sapphire Pool in conjunction with a local club. The daylight-hour, adults-only club surrounded one of the property's outdoor pools and featured dancers. It opened with a $30-per-male-customer admission price.[4][5] The venture was a high-profile joint venture between a casino company and a topless business, and was notable because the possibility of bringing in criminal activity at the club had caused the Nevada Gaming Control Board to balk at previous collaborations; some in the media questioned whether the risk was worth the potential payoff for the hotel.[4][5]

text: In late July 2009, the Rio hotel asked the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) to do a routine undercover investigation of the Sapphire Pool, as casino-resorts in Nevada are held responsible for the activities held on their premises. The request was a part of the resort's effort to show good faith to the Gaming Control Board.[6] The July 25 visit resulted in 11 arrests. Upon finding out the results of the investigation, the Rio immediately shut down the pool.[7][8]

text: Events[edit]

text: When Creation Entertainment lost the "Star Trek mecca" for its annual Official Convention after the closing of Star Trek: The Experience at the adjoining former Las Vegas Hilton, the convention moved to the Rio in 2011 and has grown ever since. For 2016, the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, the event expands to a fifth day and by Dec. 31, 2015, had already broken a room-reservation record with 12,000+ rooms reserved by attendees, guests and vendors.

text: The SKUSA SuperNationals, a kart racing event to which international kart and car drivers are invited (Michael Schumacher raced in 2009),[9] takes place each year at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, a circuit is set on the hotel parking lot.[10]

text: The DEF CON hacker convention took place at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino from 2011 to 2014.

text: The Computer Measurement Group (CMG) annual conference took place at the Rio in December 2012.

text: "The Best Seminar Ever," considered to be one of the premier dental events in The United States, took place at the Rio on November 11–12, 2016.


document_title: Inner ear

question_text: which inner ear organ senses the position of the head in space

text: Inner ear

text: Structure[edit]

text: The labyrinth can be divided by layer or by region.

text: Bony vs. membranous[edit]

text: The bony labyrinth, or osseous labyrinth, is the network of passages with bony walls lined with periosteum. The membranous labyrinth runs inside of the bony labyrinth. There is a layer of perilymph fluid between them. The three parts of the bony labyrinth are the vestibule of the ear, the semicircular canals, and the cochlea.

text: Vestibular vs. cochlear[edit]

text: In the middle ear, the energy of pressure waves is translated into mechanical vibrations by the three auditory ossicles. Pressure waves move the tympanic membrane which in turns moves the malleus, the first bone of the middle ear. The malleus articulates to incus which connects to the stapes. The footplate of the stapes connects to the oval window, the beginning of the inner ear. When the stapes presses on the oval window, it causes the perilymph, the liquid of the inner ear to move. The middle ear thus serves to convert the energy from sound pressure waves to a force upon the perilymph of the inner ear. The oval window has only approximately 1/18 the area of the tympanic membrane and thus produces a higher pressure. The cochlea propagates these mechanical signals as waves in the fluid and membranes, and then converts them to nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain.[3]

text: The vestibular system is the region of the inner ear where the semicircular canals converge, close to the cochlea. The vestibular system works with the visual system to keep objects in view when the head is moved. Joint and muscle receptors are also important in maintaining balance. The brain receives, interprets, and processes the information from all these systems to create the sensation of balance.

text: The vestibular system of the inner ear is responsible for the sensations of balance and motion.  It uses the same kinds of fluids and detection cells (hair cells) as the cochlea uses, and sends information to the brain about the attitude, rotation, and linear motion of the head.  The type of motion or attitude detected by a hair cell depends on its associated mechanical structures, such as the curved tube of a semicircular canal or the calcium carbonate crystals (otolith) of the saccule and utricle.

text: Development[edit]

text: The human inner ear develops during week 4 of embryonic development from the auditory placode, a thickening of the ectoderm which gives rise to the bipolar neurons of the cochlear and vestibular ganglions.[4] As the auditory placode invaginates towards the embryonic mesoderm, it forms the auditory vesicle or otocyst.

text: The auditory vesicle will give rise to the utricular and saccular components of the membranous labyrinth. They contain the sensory hair cells and otoliths of the macula of utricle and of the saccule, respectively, which respond to linear acceleration and the force of gravity. The utricular division of the auditory vesicle also responds to angular acceleration, as well as the endolymphatic sac and duct that connect the saccule and utricle.

text: Beginning in the fifth week of development, the auditory vesicle also gives rise to the cochlear duct, which contains the spiral organ of Corti and the endolymph that accumulates in the membranous labyrinth.[5] The vestibular wall will separate the cochlear duct from the perilymphatic scala vestibuli, a cavity inside the cochlea. The basilar membrane separates the cochlear duct from the scala tympani, a cavity within the cochlear labyrinth. The lateral wall of the cochlear duct is formed by the spiral ligament and the stria vascularis, which produces the endolymph. The hair cells develop from the lateral and medial ridges of the cochlear duct, which together with the tectorial membrane make up the organ of Corti.[5]

text: Histology[edit]

text:
Organ of Corti
A cross section of the cochlea illustrating the organ of Corti.
Section through the spiral organ of Corti. Magnified.IdentifiersMeSH
D007758TA
A15.3.03.001FMA
60909
Anatomical terminology[edit on Wikidata]

tag: table

text: Rosenthal's canal or the spiral canal of the cochlea is a section of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear that is approximately 30 mm long and makes 2¾ turns about the modiolus, the central axis of the cochlea that contains the spiral ganglion.

text: There are several specialized types of cell in the inner ear. Among these are hair cells, pillar cells, Boettcher's cells, Claudius' cells and Deiters' cells (phalangeal cells).

text: The hair cells are the primary auditory receptor cells and they are also known as auditory sensory cells, acoustic hair cells, auditory cells or cells of Corti. The organ of Corti is lined with a single row of inner hair cells and three rows of outer hair cells. The hair cells have a hair bundle at the apical surface of the cell. The hair bundle consists of an array of actin-based stereocilia. Each stereocilium inserts as a rootlet into a dense filamentous actin mesh known as the cuticular plate. Disruption of these bundles  results in hearing impairments and balance defects.

text: Pillar cells are found in the organ of Corti and act as supporting cells for hair cells. They are divided into two types: inner and outer. Outer pillar cells are unique in that they are free standing cells with no contact to adjacent cells except at the bases and apices. Both types of pillar cell are characterized by the presence of thousands of cross linked microtubules and actin filaments in parallel orientation. They  provide mechanical coupling between the basement membrane and the mechanoreceptors on the hair cells.

text: Boettcher's cells are found in the organ of Corti where they are present only in the lower turn of the cochlea. They lie on the basilar membrane beneath Claudius' cells and are organized in rows with the number of rows the number of which varies between species. The cells interdigitate with each other, and project microvilli into the intercellular space. They are supporting cells for the auditory hair cells in the organ of Corti. They are named after German pathologist Arthur Böttcher (1831-1889).

text: Claudius' cells are found in the organ of Corti located above rows of Boettcher's cells. Like Boettcher's cells they are considered supporting cells for the auditory hair cells in the organ of Corti. They contain a variety of aquaporin water channels and appear to be involved in ion transport. They also play a role in sealing off endolymphatic spaces. They are named after the German anatomist Friedrich Matthias Claudius (1822-1869).

text: Deiters' cells (phalangeal cells) are a type of neuroglial cell found in the organ of Corti and organised in one row of inner phalangeal cells and three rows of outer phalangeal cells. They are the supporting cells of the hair cell area within the cochlea. They are named after the German pathologist Otto Deiters (1834-1863) who described them.

text: Hensen's cells are high columnar cells that are directly adjacent to the third row of Deiters’ cells.

text: Hensen's stripe is the section of the tectorial membrane above the inner hair cell.

text: Nuel's spaces refer to the fluid filled spaces between the outer pillar cells and adjacent hair cells and also the spaces between the outer hair cells.

text: Hardesty's membrane is the layer of the tectoria closest to the reticular lamina and overlying the outer hair cell region.

text: Reissner's membrane is composed of two cell layers and separates the scala media from the scala vestibuli.

text: Huschke's teeth are the tooth shaped ridges on the spiral limbus that are in contact with the tectoria and separated by interdental cells.

text: Physiology[edit]

text: Neurons within the ear respond to simple tones, and the brain serves to process other increasingly complex sounds. An average adult is typically able to detect sounds ranging between 20 and 20,000 Hz. The ability to detect higher pitch sounds decreases in older humans.

text: The human ear has evolved with two basic tools to encode sound waves; each are separate in detecting high and low frequency sounds. Georg von Békésy (1899-1972) employed the use of a microscope in order to examine the basilar membrane located within the inner-ear of cadavers. He found that movement of the basilar membrane resembles that of a traveling wave; the shape of which varies based on the frequency of the pitch. In low frequency sounds, the tip (apex) of the membrane moves the most, while in high frequency sounds, the base of the membrane moves most.[6]

text: Clinical significance[edit]

text: Interference with or infection of the labyrinth can result in a syndrome of ailments called labyrinthitis.  The symptoms of labyrinthitis include temporary nausea, disorientation, vertigo, and dizziness. Labyrinthitis can be caused by viral infections, bacterial infections, or physical blockage of the inner ear.[7][8]

text: Another condition has come to be known as autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED). It is characterized by idiopathic, rapidly progressive, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. It is a fairly rare disorder while at the same time, a lack of proper diagnostic testing has meant that its precise incidence cannot be determined.[9]

text: Comparative anatomy[edit]

text: Birds have an auditory system similar to that of mammals, including a cochlea. Reptiles, amphibians, and fish do not have cochleas but hear with simpler auditory organs or vestibular organs, which generally detect lower-frequency sounds than the cochlea.

text: The cochlear system[edit]

text: In reptiles, sound is transmitted to the inner ear by the stapes (stirrup) bone of the middle ear. This is pressed against the oval window, a membrane-covered opening on the surface of the vestibule. From here, sound waves are conducted through a short perilymphatic duct to a second opening, the round window, which equalizes pressure, allowing the incompressible fluid to move freely. Running parallel with the perilymphatic duct is a separate blind-ending duct, the lagena, filled with endolymph. The lagena is separated from the perilymphatic duct by a basilar membrane, and contains the sensory hair cells that finally translate the vibrations in the fluid into nerve signals. It is attached at one end to the saccule.[10]

text: In most reptiles the perilymphatic duct and lagena are relatively short, and the sensory cells are confined to a small basilar papilla lying between them. However, in birds, mammals, and crocodilians, these structures become much larger and somewhat more complicated. In birds, crocodilians, and monotremes, the ducts are simply extended, together forming an elongated, more or less straight, tube. The endolymphatic duct is wrapped in a simple loop around the lagena, with the basilar membrane lying along one side. The first half of the duct is now referred to as the scala vestibuli, while the second half, which includes the basilar membrane, is called the scala tympani. As a result of this increase in length, the basilar membrane and papilla are both extended, with the latter developing into the organ of Corti, while the lagena is now called the cochlear duct. All of these structures together constitute the cochlea.[10]

text: In mammals (other than monotremes), the cochlea is extended still further, becoming a coiled structure in order to accommodate its length within the head. The organ of Corti also has a more complex structure in mammals than it does in other amniotes.[10]

text: The arrangement of the inner ear in living amphibians is, in most respects, similar to that of reptiles. However, they often lack a basilar papilla, having instead an entirely separate set of sensory cells at the upper edge of the saccule, referred to as the papilla amphibiorum, which appear to have the same function.[10]

text: Although many fish are capable of hearing, the lagena is, at best, a short diverticulum of the saccule, and appears to have no role in sensation of sound. Various clusters of hair cells within the inner ear may instead be responsible; for example, bony fish contain a sensory cluster called the macula neglecta in the utricle that may have this function. Although fish have neither an outer nor a middle ear, sound may still be transmitted to the inner ear through the bones of the skull, or by the swim bladder, parts of which often lie close by in the body.[10]

text: The vestibular system[edit]

text: By comparison with the cochlear system, the vestibular system varies relatively little between the various groups of jawed vertebrates. The central part of the system consists of two chambers, the saccule and utricle, each of which includes one or two small clusters of sensory hair cells. All jawed vertebrates also possess three semicircular canals arising from the utricle, each with an ampulla containing sensory cells at one end.[10]

text: An endolymphatic duct runs from the saccule up through the head, and ending close to the brain. In cartilaginous fish, this duct actually opens onto the top of the head, and in some teleosts, it is simply blind-ending. In all other species, however, it ends in an endolymphatic sac. In many reptiles, fish, and amphibians this sac may reach considerable size. In amphibians the sacs from either side may fuse into a single structure, which often extends down the length of the body, parallel with the spinal canal.[10]

text: The primitive lampreys and hagfish, however, have a simpler system. The inner ear in these species consists of a single vestibular chamber, although in lampreys, this is associated with a series of sacs lined by cilia. Lampreys have only two semicircular canals, with the horizontal canal being absent, while hagfish have only a single, vertical, canal.[10]

text: Equilibrium[edit]

text: The inner ear is primarily responsible for balance, equilibrium and orientation in three-dimensional space. The inner ear can detect both static and dynamic equilibrium. Three semicircular ducts and two chambers, which contain the saccule and utricle, enable the body to detect any deviation from equilibrium. The macula sacculi detects vertical acceleration while the macula utriculi is responsible for horizontal acceleration. These microscopic structures possess stereocilia and one kinocilium which are located within the gelatinous  otolithic membrane. The membrane is further weighted with otoliths. Movement of the stereocilia and kinocilium enable the hair cells of the saccula and utricle to detect motion. The semicircular ducts are responsible for detecting rotational movement.[11]

text: Additional images[edit]

text:
Ear labyrinth

Inner ear

Temporal bone

Internal ear

tag: ul


document_title: Allstate

question_text: who is the president of allstate insurance company

text: Allstate

text: History[edit]

text: In 1925, Sears held a national contest to decide the name of a new brand of car tires. After over two million name submissions, "Allstate" was chosen as the winner; the trademark was adopted the very next year. The tires' success in both the catalog and retail stores prompted Sears Chairman General Robert E. Wood to praise the Allstate tire's contribution to Sears' retail store success.[1]

text: The idea for Allstate Insurance Company came during a bridge game on a commuter train in 1930, when insurance broker Carl L. Odell proposed to Wood, his neighbor, the idea of selling auto insurance by direct mail. The idea appealed to Wood, and he passed the proposal to the Sears board of directors, which approved it. Allstate Insurance Company, named after Sears’ tire brand, went into business on April 17, 1931, offering auto insurance by direct mail and through the Sears catalog.[7] This was in line with one of the objectives of a company to sell automobile insurance in the same manner as Sears sold its merchandise.[8]

text: Lessing J. Rosenwald was Allstate's first board chairman, and Odell was named vice president and secretary.[9]

text: In 1933, at the Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago, Allstate’s Richard E. Roskam sold insurance at a booth in the Sears pavilion. In 1934, Allstate opened its first permanent sales office in a Chicago Sears store.[10]

text: In 1941, only about a quarter of U.S. drivers had auto liability insurance. This led to the state of New York passing a law which established the financial responsibility of drivers for damage or injuries resulting from auto mishaps. That law inspired legislation in other states, and by the mid-1950s nearly every state had some sort of financial responsibility law on its books.[7]

text: In 1949 the Allstate Headquarters Building was completed at 3245 W. Arthington Street in Chicago.[11] The mid-rise building is currently vacant (as of 2013) and in danger of demolition. The building is noted for its early post-war mid-rise construction. This location was vacated at some point when the company relocated in the post-war years.

text: The company’s "You're in Good Hands with Allstate" slogan was created in 1950 by Allstate’s general sales manager Davis W. Ellis. At the end of the decade, it was used in the company's first network television advertising campaign, which featured actor Ed Reimers.[9]

text: Allstate added products throughout the 1950s, including fire insurance in 1954 and homeowners and life insurance in 1957. Allstate began selling insurance to Canadians in 1953. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada was incorporated in 1964.[7] (In 1952 and 1953, Sears also sold an automobile called Allstate.)

text: In 1967, the company's home office was moved from Skokie to Northbrook, Illinois. Allstate continued to sell additional types of insurance to customers throughout the decade, including worker's compensation insurance in 1964, surety bonds in 1966, inland-marine coverage in 1967 and a business package policy in 1969.[9]

text: The brand itself expanded in the 1950s and 1960s and could be found on a variety of products like fire extinguishers and motor scooters. In 1952, an Allstate car was produced, but it was a flop; it was pulled from stores by 1953. The Allstate brand was eventually limited to insurance, tires, and car batteries by the late 1960s before becoming insurance-only in the mid-1970s.[1] In 1991, the company went public[4] before becoming completely independent in 1995.[1]

text: In 1984, Neighborhood Office Agent program was introduced to make agents more accessible to customers

text: In 1985, Allstate began to move agents out of Sears stores and locate agents in neighborhood offices. In June 1993, 19.8 percent of Allstate became public through a stock offering. Allstate became completely independent in June 1995, when Sears spun off the remaining 80 percent stake in the company, distributing 350.5 million shares of Allstate stock to its stockholders.[7]

text: In 1993, Allstate went public when Sears sold 19.8% of the company. At the time, it was the largest IPO to date.

text: In 1996, their website www.allstate.com was launched.

text: In 1999, Allstate unveiled a new business model that created a single contract for exclusive, independent agents selling Allstate insurance. It also created a network of call centers.

text: In 1999, Allstate purchased the personal lines division of CNA Financial[12] and subsequently renamed it to Encompass Insurance Company which is written by independent insurance agents, as opposed to the direct writing that constitutes the core part of its business.[13]

text: In 2003, actor Dennis Haysbert became Allstate’s spokesman, using the tagline "That’s Allstate’s stand."[14]

text: In 2010 the actor Dean Winters became a part of Allstate’s campaign "Mayhem" “personifying the pitfalls, like collisions and storm damage, that can befall drivers”.

text: In 2012 Allstate Solutions Private Limited (also called Allstate India) was inaugurated in Bangalore which is a technology and operations centre to provides software development and business process outsourcing services to its US parent. [15] Allstate's Bangalore operation is focused on the areas of business intelligence, analytics, testing and mobility.

text: Corporate leadership[edit]

text: The people in this section are key members of corporate leadership.[16]

text: CEOs[edit]

text: Since going public in 1993:

text:
Thomas J. Wilson (2007–present)
Edward Liddy (1999–2006)
Jerry D. Choate (1995–1999)
Wayne E. Hedien (1993–1994)

text: Current leadership[edit]

text:
Thomas J Wilson - Chairman, CEO, The Allstate Corporation
Matthew Winter - President, The Allstate Corporation and CEO, Allstate Life Insurance
Don Civgin - President, Emerging Business
Thomas Clarkson - President, Allstate West Territory, Allstate Personal Lines
Mary Jane Fortin - President, Allstate Life and Retirement
Suren Gupta - Executive VP Allstate Technology & Strategic Ventures
Harriet Harty - Executive VP, Human Resources
Guy Hill - Executive VP, Product Integration & Management
Susan Lees - Executive VP, General Counsel, Secretary
Katherine Mabe - Executive VP, Allstate Brand Distribution
David Prendergast - President, Allstate East Territory
Glenn Shapiro - Executive VP, Claims
Steven E. Shebik - Executive VP, CFO, Interim Chief Investment Officer
Steven P. Sorenson - Executive VP, Product Operations

text: Advertising[edit]

text: "Good hands"[edit]

text: Allstate's slogan "You're in good hands" was created in the 1950s by Allstate Insurance Company's sales executive, Davis W. Ellis based on a similar phrase he used to reassure his wife about a doctor caring for their child. It has been the slogan ever since 1950. Allstate also referred to themselves as the Good Hands People.

text: In the 1960s and 1970s, TV, print and radio advertising featured Allstate’s spokesman, Ed Reimers. Reimers was often shown making the cupped-hand gesture. For 22 years, he remained the spokesman.[17]

text: A study in 2000 by Northwestern University's Medill Graduate Department of Integrated Marketing Communications found that the Allstate slogan "You're in good hands" ranked as the most recognizable in America.[18]

text: "Allstate’s stand"[edit]

text: Beginning in 2003, as policy growth slowed, Allstate’s television commercials used spokesman Dennis Haysbert. The ads were intended to carry the message that Allstate's service was superior to that from low-cost providers Geico and Progressive.[19] Haysbert appeared in more than 250 commercials between 2003 and 2016.

text: Mayhem[edit]

text: Beginning in 2010, Allstate used Dean Winters as "Mayhem", mean to personify the hazards drivers face. The ads conclude with Haysbert asking "Are You In Good Hands?"[20]

text: Social media[edit]

text: In January 2011, Allstate released The Lines,[21] a multi-episode TV drama web series starring actors Teresa Cesario, Kyle Sandgate-Blix, Jackson Schultz, Bridgette Pechman, Chase Maser, and Corey Doyle cast as High-School seniors. The series, filmed in the style of a television drama, depicts the cast in common situations facing teens with respect to driving (Texting while driving in particular). The series appears aimed at promoting interest and support in favor of responsible teen driving and road-safety in general. The Lines spans a total of 8 episodes, each 6–8 minutes in length. Allstate and other large corporations are attracted to the rapid growth of social media for use in their advertising campaigns.

text: Organization[edit]

text: Allstate Corporation owns and operates 18 companies around the United States, Canada and India.[22]

text: Based in San Francisco, California:

text: Esurance, Inc.

text: Based in Northbrook, Illinois:

text:
Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company
Allstate Insurance Company
Allstate Indemnity Company
Allstate Life Insurance Company
Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company
Encompass Insurance Company

text: Based in Bridgewater, New Jersey:

text:
Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company
Allstate New Jersey Property and Casualty Insurance Company

text: Based in Hauppauge, New York:

text: Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York

text: Based in St. Petersburg, Florida:

text:
Castle Key Insurance Company
Castle Key Indemnity Company

text: Based in Irving, Texas:

text:
Allstate County Mutual Insurance Company
Allstate Texas Lloyd's

text: Based in Jacksonville, Florida:

text: American Heritage Life Insurance Company

text: Based in Markham, Ontario:

text: Allstate Insurance Company of Canada[23]

text: Based in Bangalore, India:

text: Allstate Solutions Private Limited

text: Based in Pune, India:

text: Allstate Solutions Private Limited

text: Sponsorship[edit]

text: Allstate Arena[edit]

text: Allstate holds naming rights to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, near the company's headquarters.

text: College football[edit]

text: Allstate sponsors branded field goal nets at over 67 colleges and universities. For each field goal and extra point kicked, Allstate donates into collegiate general scholarship funds. To date, those donations exceed $2.9 million. Allstate also sponsors branded nets during field goals and extra points at over 20 college bowl games, including the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the BCS National Championship Game.

text: Additionally, Allstate is a partner of the Southeastern Conference and its 20 sports, including football.[24]

text: Sugar Bowl[edit]

text: Since 2007, Allstate has been the title sponsor of the Sugar Bowl, one of the four games that make up the Bowl Championship Series. The game is played at the Louisiana Superdome, which is also the home of the New Orleans Saints. Allstate is also a sponsor of the New Orleans Saints.

text: The 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played on January 9, 2012 and broadcast on ESPN.

text: Allstate Wrigleyville Classic[edit]

text: The Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini played a collegiate football game at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010. It was the first football game at Wrigley Field since 1970 and the first collegiate football game at Wrigley Field since 1938 when DePaul University played its regular games at Wrigley.[9] Allstate title sponsored this game.[25]

text: Allstate AFCA Good Works Team[edit]

text: Allstate advertises through the American Football Coaches Association "Good Works Team" in which local Allstate agents surprise players with trophies in key Allstate marketing regions.

text: Soccer[edit]

text: In 2007, Allstate became a sponsor of the Mexico National Team, and in 2011 partnered with Major League Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation.[26]

text: NASCAR[edit]

text: Allstate was a sponsor of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from 2005-2009 – the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late summer.[27] Driver Kasey Kahne was featured in advertisements.

text: Products available[edit]

text: Allstate is the largest publicly traded property casualty insurance company in the US.[28] Products include:

text: Insurance products[edit]

text: Asset protection: auto insurance, homeowners insurance, condominium, renters, scheduled personal property, business umbrella, commercial auto, commercial inland marine, small business owner, customizer and business package policy, landlord package, manufactured home, mobile home, motor home, motorcycle, boat, personal umbrella, comprehensive personal liability, recreational vehicle, off-road vehicle, motor club, loan protection and flood protection.

text: Wealth transfer[edit]

text: Estate planning products, business succession planning products, fixed survivorship life, and variable survivorship life family protection insurance, term life, universal life, variable universal life, long-term care and supplemental health

text: Financial products[edit]

text: Asset management and accumulation, life insurance and retirement

text: Environmental record[edit]

text: Allstate has a Sustainability Leadership Team composed of officers and senior staff from all areas of the company. The team focuses on sustainability efforts from a company-wide perspective — including environmental initiatives that embed “green” programs and processes throughout their operations.[29]

text: Criticism[edit]

text: In July 2008, the American Association for Justice ranked Allstate No. 1 among nation's worst insurers. This ranking was given because: “While Allstate publicly touts its ‘good hands’ approach, it has instead privately instructed its agents to employ a ‘boxing gloves’ strategy against its policyholders,” said American Association for Justice CEO Jon Haber. They've since revamped their approach.[30] Allstate criticized the report, with a spokesman noting that "The personal injury lawyers behind this report provide no support for their statements other than decade old recycled allegations that have been shown to be without merit in courts of law." [31] In 2009 Allstate successfully fought to obtain Federal government TARP fund eligibility only to decline it once they obtained eligibility.[32]

text: Auto insurance claims[edit]

text: An investigative report in February 2007 by CNN found that major car insurance companies, like Allstate, are increasingly fighting auto insurance claims from those who incurred injuries by their insured members.[33] Allstate currently commands 18% of the auto insurance market in the United States.[34]

text: Homeowners claims[edit]

text: The PBS television program Now,[35] in conjunction with Bloomberg Markets magazine, did an exposé regarding Allstate and other major insurers' homeowners insurance policies.

text: Catastrophe exposure management[edit]

text: Allstate has stated intentions of reducing its exposure in hurricane-prone Florida. In November 2006, Allstate did not renew 120,000 policies that were expiring at that time. Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet passed a 90-day emergency order to temporarily prevent insurance companies from nonrenewing policies.[36] On February 20, 2007, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty clarified the order, stating that insurance companies can nonrenew policies if they satisfy certain conditions, including filing new, lower rates with the state and give customers 100 days’ notice.[37]

text: From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves[edit]

text: This is the title of a book written by David Berardinelli, JD;, Michael Freeman, PhD, DC, MPH; and Aaron DeShaw, DC, JD with a foreword by Eugene R. Anderson.[38]

text: The book relates profit-boosting strategies that consulting firm McKinsey & Company presented to Allstate to maximize profits and diminish the amount of money sent to clients who put in a claim. McKinsey specializes in redesigning product delivery systems for Fortune 100 companies (including controversial clients such as Enron) to maximize profits. McKinsey’s recommendation to Allstate, according to Berardinelli, was to low-ball claims so that desperate customers in dire straits would be more likely to accept a settlement offer while Allstate continued to make a profit and collect interest on the insurance payment. Allstate would offer its "good hands" in the way of a low-ball claim and, if the customer did not accept, to get out "boxing gloves." [39]

text: The book was reviewed by Business Week magazine.[40] According to that article, Allstate responded to Berardinelli's allegations by claiming that Berardinelli's allegations were "unfounded and unproven." Rather than trying to cheat customers, the company stated that its major goal was to benefit policyholders by identifying "exaggerated and fraudulent claims" and that its "processes are absolutely sound . . . to investigate, evaluate, and promptly resolve each claim fairly, based on the merits."[40]

text: Court decisions on the issues debated by Berardinelli and Allstate have gone both ways. According to the Business Week article, as of 2006, "Courts and regulators in a number of states, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, have forced Allstate to halt or change its practice of handing out a controversial 'Do I Need an Attorney?' form to people involved in accidents." On the other hand, the article also states that "Although plaintiffs have had piecemeal success in bad-faith cases against Allstate, the insurer points to seven court rulings that have rejected attacks on CCPR. Last December a Montana state court noted that while CCPR practices may be illegal 'if misapplied in a particular case, they nevertheless are neutral with no manifestly illegal purpose.'" While many of the cost-reduction strategies McKinsey recommended at Allstate remain in place, some have been reined in following legal and regulatory challenges in several states.[40]

text: Use of Colossus[edit]

text: Many criticisms leveled against Allstate (and other insurers), including Barardinelli's book, involved the use of a software program called "Colossus" to process claims. In 2010, Allstate paid a $10 million fine to settle a lawsuit brought by 41 states concerning inconsistencies in the manner in which Colossus was used. It also agreed to standardize its use of the software. However, “it is important to note that we found no systemic underpayment of bodily injury claims,” New York Insurance Superintendent James J. Wrynn said in a press release.[41]