ASBESTOS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Liability for Asbestos and Environmental Claims [Abstract]
ASBESTOS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS	ASBESTOS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS The Company has exposure to asbestos and environmental related claims associated with the insurance business written by the parties to the pooling agreement and the reinsurance business assumed from Employers Mutual by the reinsurance subsidiary. Asbestos and environmental losses paid by the Company have averaged $2.8 million per year over the past five years. Reserves for asbestos and environmental related claims for direct insurance and assumed reinsurance business totaled $11.6 million and $11.7 million ($11.1 million and $11.4 million net of reinsurance) at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Estimating loss and settlement expense reserves for asbestos and environmental claims is very difficult due to the many uncertainties surrounding these types of claims. These uncertainties exist because the assignment of responsibility varies widely by state and claims often emerge long after a policy has expired, which makes assignment of damages to the appropriate party and to the time period covered by a particular policy difficult. In establishing reserves for these types of claims, management monitors the relevant facts concerning each claim, the current status of the legal environment, social and political conditions, and claim history and trends within the Company and the industry. At present, the pool participants are defending approximately 1,737 asbestos bodily injury lawsuits, some of which involve multiple plaintiffs. Most of the lawsuits are subject to express reservation of rights based upon the lack of an injury within the applicable policy periods, because many asbestos lawsuits do not specifically allege dates of asbestos exposure or dates of injury. The pool participants’ policyholders named as defendants in these asbestos lawsuits are typically peripheral defendants who have little or no exposure and are often dismissed from asbestos litigation with nominal or no payment (i.e., small contractors, supply companies, and a furnace manufacturer). Prior to 2008, actual losses paid for asbestos-related claims had been minimal due to the plaintiffs’ failure to identify an exposure to any asbestos-containing products associated with the pool participants’ current and former policyholders. However, paid losses and settlement expenses have increased significantly since 2008 as a result of claims attributed to one former policyholder. During the period 2009 through 2018, the Company's share of paid losses and settlement expenses attributed to this former policyholder, a furnace manufacturer, was $14.2 million (mostly settlement expenses). A coverage-in-place agreement was executed with this former policyholder in 2009 and a national coordinating counsel was retained to address the multi-state litigation issues. The national coordinating counsel has provided, and continues to provide, significant services in the areas of document review, discovery, deposition and trial preparation. The asbestos exposure associated with this former policyholder has increased in recent years, and this trend may possibly continue into the future with increased per plaintiff settlements. Approximately 702 asbestos exposure claims associated with this former policyholder remain open. During 2017, a settlement was reached with another former insured, resulting in the Company recognizing $4.5 million (its share) of losses and settlement expenses to remove all past and future asbestos liability exposure related to that policyholder. While the Company does not have a significant amount of exposure to asbestos claims, management has been strengthening the reserves carried for these exposures when deemed appropriate. In 2018, the settlement expense reserves for asbestos claims were strengthened by $1.5 million.

ASBESTOS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS

The Company has exposure to asbestos and environmental related claims associated with the insurance business written by the parties to the pooling agreement and the reinsurance business assumed from Employers Mutual by the reinsurance subsidiary. Asbestos and environmental losses paid by the Company have averaged $2.8 million per year over the past five years. Reserves for asbestos and environmental related claims for direct insurance and assumed reinsurance business totaled $11.6 million and $11.7 million ($11.1 million and $11.4 million net of reinsurance) at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Estimating loss and settlement expense reserves for asbestos and environmental claims is very difficult due to the many uncertainties surrounding these types of claims. These uncertainties exist because the assignment of responsibility varies widely by state and claims often emerge long after a policy has expired, which makes assignment of damages to the appropriate party and to the time period covered by a particular policy difficult. In establishing reserves for these types of claims, management monitors the relevant facts concerning each claim, the current status of the legal environment, social and political conditions, and claim history and trends within the Company and the industry.

At present, the pool participants are defending approximately 1,737 asbestos bodily injury lawsuits, some of which involve multiple plaintiffs. Most of the lawsuits are subject to express reservation of rights based upon the lack of an injury within the applicable policy periods, because many asbestos lawsuits do not specifically allege dates of asbestos exposure or dates of injury. The pool participants’ policyholders named as defendants in these asbestos lawsuits are typically peripheral defendants who have little or no exposure and are often dismissed from asbestos litigation with nominal or no payment (i.e., small contractors, supply companies, and a furnace manufacturer).

Prior to 2008, actual losses paid for asbestos-related claims had been minimal due to the plaintiffs’ failure to identify an exposure to any asbestos-containing products associated with the pool participants’ current and former policyholders. However, paid losses and settlement expenses have increased significantly since 2008 as a result of claims attributed to one former policyholder. During the period 2009 through 2018, the Company's share of paid losses and settlement expenses attributed to this former policyholder, a furnace manufacturer, was $14.2 million (mostly settlement expenses). A coverage-in-place agreement was executed with this former policyholder in 2009 and a national coordinating counsel was retained to address the multi-state litigation issues. The national coordinating counsel has provided, and continues to provide, significant services in the areas of document review, discovery, deposition and trial preparation. The asbestos exposure associated with this former policyholder has increased in recent years, and this trend may possibly continue into the future with increased per plaintiff settlements. Approximately 702 asbestos exposure claims associated with this former policyholder remain open. During 2017, a settlement was reached with another former insured, resulting in the Company recognizing $4.5 million (its share) of losses and settlement expenses to remove all past and future asbestos liability exposure related to that policyholder.

While the Company does not have a significant amount of exposure to asbestos claims, management has been strengthening the reserves carried for these exposures when deemed appropriate. In 2018, the settlement expense reserves for asbestos claims were strengthened by $1.5 million.