12/20/05
FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
CONTACT: TAMARA CRONIN
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
304-387-8335 (OFFICE) 304-479-8097 (CELL)
CHESTER, WV – Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort has increased its On Track Accident Insurance coverage for jockeys injured while riding from $100,000 to $1 million. The decision to voluntarily increase coverage for riders at Mountaineer is in response to the plight of jockeys who believed they had $1 million in Insurance Coverage through the Jockey's Guild only to discover the coverage had been allowed to lapse.
“We recognize that jockeys are involved in a perilous sport and that injuries are a possibility each time they ride,” said Rosemary Williams, Mountaineer's director of racing. “We are concerned about the current lack of coverage provided by the Jockey's Guild and want to make every effort to ensure that the jockeys and their families have disability protection in the event of catastrophic injury.”
The coverage became effective December 17, 2005 and will in effect until December 17, 2006. Mountaineer acted immediately to acquire on track accident insurance upon receiving a quote from American International Group, Inc. (AIG). AIG is the nation's largest writer of commercial and industrial insurance.
“We recognize that although jockeys are premier athletes the sport of racing is one with great risk,” said Ted Arneault, Mountaineer's president & CEO. “And, while we recognize that jockeys are independent agents and are contracted by the horsemen, we believe this the right thing to do and acted in an expedient manner to provide them with additional protection when we learned of their lack of coverage through the Jockey's Guild.”
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