6 major nonlife insurers report 1.2 bil. yen in nonpayment cases

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's six major property and casualty insurance firms failed to pay a total of 1.22 billion yen in insurance claims in 4,365 cases involving medical and other ''third-sector'' insurance policies between July 2001 and June 2006, according to figures reported by them Oct. 31 to the Financial Services Agency. Kunio Ishihara (C), president of Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., and executives of five other companies apologized during a news conference in Tokyo the same day.