Liberty Mutual Activates Toll Free Numbers to Report Hurricane Frances Claims

Business Wire, Sept 2, 2004

BOSTON -- Sixth-largest P&C insurer also mobilizes catastrophe teams

Liberty Mutual auto and homeowner customers can report their claims 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-2-CLAIMS (1-800-225-2467). Liberty Mutual and Wausau Insurance commercial customers can also report claims 24 hours a day at 1-800-259-2184.

Prudential PruPac customers with auto or homeowner policies can call 1-800-437-3535 24 hours a day to report your claim. Former Prudential PruPac home and auto customers now insured by Liberty Mutual can call 1-800-2-CLAIMS.

To aid customers in their recovery and help secure their safety, Liberty Mutual has catastrophe claims teams ready to serve the areas hardest hit by Frances. The company cautions customers that the aftermath of a hurricane can be especially dangerous. The following tips will help home and business owners keep their families, employees, and personal and commercial property safe during the storm recovery.

Home/Family Safety After a Hurricane and/or Flooding: (A complete checklist is available in the Claims section at www.libertymutualinsurance.com.)

1. Wait for an OK from an official agency, either police or local emergency management, before re-entering your home or leaving the reinforced room in which you have been waiting out the storm.

2. Boil tap water before drinking or cooking, or use bottled water.

3. Keep circuit breakers turned off until the power is back on. Then investigate for electrical system damage for frayed wires or burning smells. Turn the electricity off if you detect these or other problems.

4. Stay away from power lines.

5. Check for gas leaks. If you detect a leak, get away from the house immediately and notify the gas company at once from a safe location.

6. Pump out flooded basements gradually - about one-half of the floodwater per day - to avoid further structural damage.

7. Be alert for animals that may have entered your house with the floodwater. Snakes - including poisonous ones - are a relatively common sight after a flood.

8. Throw out any medicines or food - even canned goods - touched by floodwater.

9. Let your car dry out before trying to start it.

10. Take an inventory of any damaged property or possessions. Do not dispose of any items without the prior approval of your insurance claims adjuster.

Liberty Mutual reminds homeowners that only a flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program will cover flood damage. Customers can contact their local Liberty Mutual sales representative to review their policy coverage.

Commercial Property Safety After a Hurricane and/or Flooding:

1. Secure your site and provide watch service if necessary.

2. Survey facilities for damage and contact your insurance representative if damage has occurred.

3. Survey the site for safety hazards such as live electrical wires, leaking gas, flammable liquids, corrosive/toxic materials and damage to foundations or underground piping.

4. Conduct 2 main drain and alarm tests on automatic fire protection sprinkler systems to verify public water supply availability.

5. Begin salvage as soon as possible to prevent further damage. Cover broken windows and torn roof coverings immediately and separate damaged goods.

6. Clean roof drains and remove debris from roofs.

7. Visually check any open bus bars, conductors, and exposed insulators before re-energizing electrical systems.

8. Limit access to freezers and refrigerated areas during periods of interrupted power to maintain the temperatures as long as possible.

9. Check refrigerated items for spoilage if there has been a power failure.

About Liberty Mutual Group (LMG)

Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group (LMG) is a leading global insurer and sixth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. whose largest line of business is personal auto based on 2003 direct written premium. As of December 31, 2003, LMG had $64.4 billion in consolidated assets and $16.6 billion in annual consolidated revenue and ranked 116th on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the United States for 2003.

In 2001 and 2002 LMG reorganized into a mutual holding company structure. The three principal mutual companies of the group, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company and Employers Insurance Company of Wausau, each became separate stock insurance companies under the ownership of Liberty Mutual Holding Company, Inc. This structure provides LMG with better capital market access and greater strategic flexibility to pursue acquisitions and alliances, while aligning its legal structure with its operating structure and preserving mutuality.

LMG offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, assumed reinsurance, fire and surety.

LMG employs nearly 38,000 people in nearly 900 offices throughout the world.