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and will suffer, because not everything is insured. Generally speaking, the payments by insurers will be spread out across many companies in the industry. The modeling firm Eqecat estimated between $12 billion and $25 billion in losses. AIR Worldwide estimated between $15 billion and $35 billion. Eqecat also estimated that total economic losses will be more than $100 billion. Ongoing damage from explosions and leaking radiation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant are covered by a reinsurance risk pool that is capped at $365 million and spread among many companies, according to financial analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. It's too early to say how much each insurer will likely pay in damaged property, liability and other expenses that the companies cover. With the total losses so high, it's reinsurers who will pay the most. Reinsurers underwrite insurance companies providing insurance to insurers. "As experienced with other recent earthquakes, it will take significant time for companies to estimate potential losses from the Japanese earthquake, and we expect that exposure will vary widely among reinsurers," financial analysts for Keefe, Bruyette Woods Inc. said in a note Wednesday. Larry Greenberg, an analyst with Langen McAlenney in Hartford, said his firm is inclined to believe that ultimate insured losses will be at the high end of AIR's estimates. "We believe that similar to postKatrina, the rating agencies could have a major impact on the marketplace as they reevaluate capital requirements," Greenberg said in his analyst's note Tuesday. MetLife Inc. bought American Life Insurance Company (ALICO) last year from American International Group Inc. The foreign lifeinsurance company relies on customers in Japan for a large part of its revenue, though it's not clear to what degree the disasters will disrupt that business or for how long. The Hartford Financial Services Group doesn't expect to incur claims from the earthquake and tsunami because the company doesn't cover property and casualty in Japan. The Hartford did invest in Japanese government bonds, said company spokeswoman Shannon Lapierre.
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