CoreLogic: Texas, Louisiana Highly Vulnerable to Hurricane Storm Surge Losses

Texas and Louisiana are among the top three states for potential storm surge losses at the start of the 2018 hurricane season, which begins on June 1. That’s according to Irvine, California-based CoreLogic, a provider of global property information and …

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Outlooks Revised to Positive for Arkansas’ Kinsale Insurance

A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” of Kinsale Insurance Company (Kinsale) in Little Rock, Arkansas. Concurrently, A.M. …

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WCRI: Work Comp Costs per Claim High, Growing in Louisiana

Workers’ compensation total costs per claim in Louisiana were the highest in a recent study of 18 states conducted by Cambridge, Mass.-based Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), the organization announced. The study, CompScope™ Benchmarks for Louisiana, 18th Edition, found the …

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Holland Joins Missouri’s Kelly Probert Insurance Agency

Kelly Probert Insurance Agency in Webb City, Missouri, has hired Debra Holland as producer. She will identify and develop insurance prospects, design insurance plans, and recommend coverages to new and existing clientele. Prior to joining the agency, Holland worked for …

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Black Promoted to Brokerage Underwriter at J.M. Wilson

Portage, Michigan-based wholesale insurance organization, J.M. Wilson, has promoted Braden Black to brokerage underwriter. Black is responsible for quoting new and renewal brokerage business and servicing accounts for independent insurance agents in 25 states. Braden joined J.M. Wilson in 2016 …

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Wisconsin’s SECURA Insurance Distributes Agent Donations to 27 Fire Departments

Appleton, Wisconsin-based SECURA Insurance has presented 27 fire departments with donations earned by its local independent agents in eight states. The donations ranged from $500 to $1,500, with some agencies choosing to split the donation among multiple fire departments. Some …

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Report: Michigan Fire Officials Lack Inspection Resources

The Michigan fire marshal’s office hasn’t performed annual safety inspections of churches, theaters, restaurants or other places of public assemblage as required by state law, according to a newspaper investigation. The Legislature has never funded the requirement, the Lansing State …

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Chubb Names Watson, Porter to Energy Practice Leadership Posts

Chubb has announced two leadership appointments for its Energy Industry Practice serving the mid- and large-market segments. Brad Watson and Barton Porter have been named Energy Industry Practice Leaders for Chubb’s mid-market and large-market business lines, respectively. Their responsibilities will …

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Vegas Magician Copperfield Not Liable for Tourist’s Injuries, Jury Rules

Illusionist David Copperfield was found negligent but not financially responsible for a British tourist’s injuries during a signature vanishing act that used participants from the audience of a Las Vegas Strip show in 2013, a jury said Tuesday. Gavin Cox …

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Worldwide Facilities Acquiring RIC Insurance in California

Worldwide Facilities LLC has acquired the assets of Santa Rosa, Calif.-based RIC Insurance General Agency Inc. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. RIC will continue to maintain its client and market relationships and commitments as a division of Worldwide Facilities. …

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How Safe Must Driverless Vehicles Be to Be Accepted? Very Safe.

The race is on for companies to present their driverless cars to the public, but recent collisions involving autonomous vehicles developed by Uber Technologies Inc. and Tesla Inc. have led to doubts about whether these vehicles can alleviate traffic issues …

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California Cannabis Banking Bill Clears Senate, Heads to Assembly

A California bill to establish a state charter bank for cannabis businesses has passed the Senate Floor. Senate Bill 930, authored by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, would enable banks to issue checks to cannabis business accountholders to be …

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AXIS Re Reports Organizational Changes, Market Expansion Plans

AXIS Re, the reinsurance segment of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, has announced organizational changes to improve client service and plans to expand product and market capabilities. AXIS Re will now organize around four major divisions – North America, EMEA (Europe-Middle …

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Marijuana, Opioids Found in High Percentage of Drivers Killed in Car Crashes

More than half of drivers killed in car accidents who were tested for drugs had marijuana, opioids or a combination of the two in their system, according to a new report. The report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) …

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More U.S. Firms Follow Europeans in Valuing Apprenticeships to Attract Talent

The rise of the apprentice: a European tradition comes to the U.S. The growing number of apprenticeships in the U.S. has more to do with European companies importing the practice into their American operations than with the long-running NBC television …

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Rivals Uber, Waymo in Talks About Driverless Ride Hailing Partnership

Uber Technologies Inc. is talking with Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving unit Waymo about using its technology on Uber’s ride-hailing app, Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said on Wednesday, signaling a possible thaw in relations between the firms. Khosrowshahi said on …

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Runner Who Broke Arm on NYC Bridge Sues Port Authority

A New York man who broke his arm running on the George Washington Bridge is suing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, alleging there’s not enough space for cyclists and pedestrians. Dennis O’Donnell says he was headed …

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After Pair of 1-in-1000 Year Floods, a Maryland Town Seeks Safeguards

The deadly flash flood that devastated a Maryland town’s historic center in July 2016 was dubbed a 1-in-1000 year event. Less than two years later, an even more treacherous flood ravaged the town, gutting shops and killing a visitor. Exasperated …

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New York Attorney General Leads Suit Against U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood, joined by Attorneys General Xavier Becerra of California and Brian Frosh of Maryland, has led a lawsuit against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the delay of what they allege is …

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Former Chairman of China’s Anbang Insurance Files Rare Appeal of Fraud Conviction

The former chairman of China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co., Wu Xiaohui, has lodged an appeal against his conviction for fraud and embezzlement that led to a sentence of 18 years in prison, his lawyers said. While not unknown, it is …

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ABC Sued by Michael Jackson’s Estate for Music Copyright Infringement

Michael Jackson’s estate sued ABC on Wednesday, arguing that a special the network aired last week about the pop singer’s final days used his songs and music videos without permission. The copyright infringement lawsuit, which also names ABC’s corporate parent …

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Texas Governor Unveils School Safety Plan, Proposed Gun Law Changes

Less than two weeks after 10 people were killed in a southeast Texas school shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott laid out a 40-page, 40-strategy plan for preventing future school shootings, and left the door open to calling lawmakers back to Austin …

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Texas Insurance Commissioner Launches ‘Keep it Simple’ Campaign

Texas Insurance Commissioner Kent Sullivan is aiming to ensure that plain language prevails at the Texas Department of Insurance website with a “keep it simple” campaign. Sullivan is a plain language champion, and his message is taking hold at the …

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Kepperling Named Illinois Branch Manager for Erie Insurance

Rob Kepperling will step into the role of Illinois branch manager for Pennsylvania-based Erie Insurance starting June 7. Kepperling began his career with Erie Insurance in 2004 in the Claims division. In 2011, he moved into a sales role as …

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Fatal Crashes Up 60% in South Dakota

This year is shaping up to be a deadly one for drivers on South Dakota’s roadways. The Rapid City Journal reports that there have been 42 motor vehicle fatalities in the state so far in 2018, a 60 percent increase …

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People, Organizations Working Together to Hurricane-Proof Houston-Area Community

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, working in collaboration with area residents, the Clear Lake City Water Authority, or CLCWA, and Exploration Green Conservancy, have been collaborating to transform an about-to-be paved golf course into a new kind of nature …

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Small Group Health Insurance Grew by 15% in Minnesota in 2017

The number of people covered by small group health insurance in Minnesota grew by 15 percent last year, ending a string of annual enrollment declines stretching back to 2004. Price hikes and tight limits last year on doctor and hospital …

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Alberto Brings Severe Weather, Deaths in North Carolina

North Carolina’s governor is urging his state’s residents to exercise caution as rains from a subtropical depression spread into his and other Southern states, noting the deaths of two broadcast journalists killed by a falling tree as they reported on …

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Alliant Names Harper Vice President of Healthcare Group in California

Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has named David Harper senior vice president within its Healthcare Group. He will be based in Orange County, Calif. and design customized insurance and risk management solutions for clients throughout the Western Region. Harper was previously …

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How to Succeed in Today’s Small Business Insurance Market

The small business market is big. The U.S. small commercial market represents about one-third of the total commercial lines market and generates between $99 billion and $103 billion in direct written premium, according to a 2016 McKinsey & Co. report. …

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Tesla Hits Parked Police Vehicle in California, Driver Blames Autopilot

The driver of a Tesla Inc. Model S crashed into an unoccupied, parked police vehicle in Laguna Beach, Calif., on Tuesday and the driver told investigators the Tesla was in “Autopilot” mode at the time, police said. The driver suffered …

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IMF Urges China to Accelerate Opening Up Economy to Outside World

China has made progress on reforms but should allow market forces to play a more decisive role and accelerate its opening up to the rest of the world, the International Monetary Fund said. While credit growth has slowed, it remains …

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New York Board Proposes 11.7% Decrease in Workers’ Comp Rates

The New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board (NYCIRB), a non-governmental rate service organization, has proposed an 11.7% decrease in the overall loss cost level in New York State. The change was proposed in its 2018 loss cost filing with the …

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Allianz Group to Acquire 8% of Africa Re

Allianz Group has agreed to acquire eight percent in African reinsurer Africa Re. The total cash consideration payable at closing would amount to USD$ 81 million (or Euro 69 million). Africa Re has been operating for 42 years on the …

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Massachusetts’ Insurance Center of New England Hires Slezek as CFO

Insurance Center of New England (ICNE), a privately owned and independent insurance agency with three offices in Agawam, Gardner and Westford, Mass., has hired Lori A. Slezek as chief financial officer. In this role, Slezek will report directly to ICNE …

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Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Insurance Company Names Tiziani Senior Vice President

Narragansett Bay Insurance Company (NBIC) has named Glen Tiziani senior vice president of Sales & Distribution, effective May 21, 2018. NBIC, a Rhode Island-headquartered, wholly-owned subsidiary of Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc., offers specialty insurance services and products to homeowners through …

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Monomoy, Rogers & Gray, Spinnaker Launch Admitted Homeowners Product in Mass.

Monomoy Insurance Group and Rogers & Gray Insurance have launched an admitted residential homeowners product in Massachusetts through a partnership with Spinnaker Insurance Company (Spinnaker), a national property and casualty insurer. Monomoy Insurance Group was established with a goal of …

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California Woman Hit by Bat at Minor League Game Revives Safety Debate

A Southern California woman’s recent injury by a baseball bat has renewed attention to fan safety at games. The Sun of San Bernardino reports Saturday that 27-year-old Cloey Heckendorn was hit in the head during the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ game …

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Alberto Weakens to Depression, Moving North Across Alabama

Storm Alberto weakened to a subtropical depression, moving across central Alabama after making landfall in the Florida Panhandle and bringing heavy rains that threaten the U.S. South with economic losses of $1 billion. Alberto was 30 miles (45 kilometers) west …

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Metal Objects Lead to Recall of Spam and Another Hormel Product

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is recalling more than 228,000 pounds of Spam and another product made by Austin, Minnesota-based Hormel after four consumers complained about metal objects in the food. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says the …

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Texas Mutual Names Ward as COO, Haugaard as Sr. VP-Policyholder Services

Austin-based workers’ compensation carrier, Texas Mutual Insurance Company, has appointed Jeanette Ward as the company’s new chief operating officer (COO) and Kim Haugaard as the company’s new senior vice president of policyholder services, the role previously filled by Ward. As …

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Flooding Worries Grip New Orleans as Hurricane Season Nears

Dr. Lauren Morris’s dental office is in sight of one of the pumping stations designed to push water out of New Orleans. But despite that proximity, the roughly year-old business has already flooded. Now with a storm in the Gulf …

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A.M. Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Texas’ Spartan Insurance

A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a-” from “bbb+” of Spartan Insurance Company (Spartan) in Pearland, Texas. The outlook of these ratings has been revised …

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H.W. Kaufman Group Hires Wells Fargo’s Hunegs as Corporate VP

H.W. Kaufman Group has added Josh Hunegs as a corporate vice president at its headquarters in Detroit/Farmington Hills, Michigan. Hunegs will work on a variety of financial and corporate opportunities, including investments, real estate, foreign exchange, premium financing and acquisitions. …

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Jury Orders City to Pay Indiana Couple $102K for Flood Damage

A jury has ordered a northern Indiana city to pay a couple more than $102,000 for flood damage their home suffered nearly a decade ago. Richard and Janet Brown sued the city of Valparaiso after 18 inches of floodwater entered …

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McLaughlin Files to Run for Kansas Insurance Commissioner

A retired healthcare company manager who has been active in the NAACP is running for Kansas insurance commissioner as a Democrat. Nathaniel McLaughlin of Kansas City, Kansas, filed for a spot on the August primary ballot. He is the only …

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Oregon Recreational Marijuana Growers to Scale Back

Oregon produced enough recreational cannabis last year to supply every adult resident with more than 5 ounces of legal marijuana. The Bend Bulletin reports there were more than 1 million pounds in the state’s supply chain. Data provided by the …

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California Jury Delivers $25M Decision in Johnson & Johnson Suit

A California jury delivered a $25.7 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed she developed cancer by using the company’s talc-based baby powder. Jurors in Los Angeles recommended $4 million in punitive …

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Army Officer in Alaska Charged with Making Fraudulent Claims

A 40-year-old Army officer assigned to Alaska has been charged with making false insurance claims and pocketing nearly $400,000. Lt. Col. Christopher James DeMure is charged with mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. He was arrested Thursday and held …

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RightSure Acquires ETNA Insurance Agency in Arizona

RightSure Insurance Group has acquired Tucson, Ariz.-based ETNA Insurance Agency. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase is RightSure’s 11th book of business acquisition. Current ETNA executives and employees will be retained by RightSure and will continue to …

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Mass., Conn. Senators Seek Answers About Safety Protocols for Self-Driving Cars

U.S. Senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal are pressing automakers and technology companies that are developing self-driving cars about their safety protocols for test-driving the vehicles. Federal investigators said this week that the system used to automatically apply brakes had …

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Insurance Broker Ed Wins License to Transact Business in Jersey

Insurance and reinsurance broker Ed has been granted a license to carry out general insurance mediation business by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. This follows on from last year’s announcement by the broker of the expansion of its professional and …

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Glass Panel Falls, Kills Worker at Manhattan Skyscraper Site

New York City has issued a stop work order at the construction site of one of Manhattan’s tallest skyscrapers after a large glass panel fell, killing a security guard and injuring a construction worker. The city’s Department of Buildings said …

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Class Action Alleges Facebook’s Ad Tools Discriminate Against Older Job Seekers

A proposed class action lawsuit alleging Facebook’s ad placement tools facilitate discrimination against older job-seekers has been expanded to identify additional companies, further widening the latest front in claims that candidates are being filtered out by gender, geography, race and …

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With a Roar, Flash Flood Smashes Into a Maryland Community

Roaring flash floods struck a Maryland city Sunday that had been wracked by similar devastation two years ago, its main street turned into a raging river that reached the first floor of some buildings and swept away parked cars, authorities …

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FBI Urges Rebooting, Upgrading Office, Home Routers After Russian Hacking

The FBI warned on Friday that Russian computer hackers had compromised hundreds of thousands of home and office routers and could collect user information or shut down network traffic. The U.S. law enforcement agency urged the owners of many brands …

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Reuters: China’s Ant Financial Raises $10 Billion at $150 Billion Valuation

Ant Financial Services Group, operator of China’s biggest online payment platform by market share, Alipay, has closed its latest funding round having raised $10 billion from a clutch of global and local investors, five people with direct knowledge of the …

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2 Banks Report First Cyber Attack Against Canadian Financial Institutions

Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce said on Monday that cyber attackers may have stolen the data of nearly 90,000 customers in what appeared to be the first significant assault on financial institutions in the country. Bank …

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Report Blames PG&E Power Lines for 4 of Northern California Wildfires

PG&E Corp.’s equipment was responsible for causing four of the smaller wildfires that tore through Northern California last year, according to the first report issued by state investigators. The fires in Butte and Nevada counties, located in the Sierra Nevada …

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Weakening Alberto Brings Heavy Rains to Southeast for Memorial Day

Subtropical Storm Alberto had a burst of strength as it closes on Florida’s Panhandle, where it should come ashore early Monday, and is spreading heavy rains across the U.S. South, potentially causing more than $1 billion in economic losses. Alberto’s …

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Talks End without Softbank Stake in Swiss Re; Swiss Re Still Open to Other Investors

Swiss Re AG said it would continue to welcome an anchor investor after Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Group Corp. ended its pursuit of a stake in the world’s second-largest reinsurer. The collapsed talks mark the end of nearly four months of …

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Alberto, 2018’s First Named Storm, Heading for Florida, Southeast Coast

Meet Alberto, the first named storm of 2018. The sub-tropical storm off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is expected to bring heavy rain to western Cuba and much of Florida early next week, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Friday. Alberto …

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Illinois Lawmakers Send Governor Bill Legalizing Industrial Hemp

The Illinois House has sent the governor a measure legalizing industrial hemp. The House voted 106-3 this week to allow hemp cultivation for commercial use. Hemp is a form of the cannabis plant distinct from marijuana. It does not produce …

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Oklahoma Earthquakes Lead to More Injection Well Shut Downs

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Oil and Gas Division is directing some injection wells in north-central Oklahoma reduce injection volumes and others to stop operations. The directive issued Wednesday comes after the U.S. Geological Survey recently recorded several earthquakes in the …

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Michigan Legislators Decide Motorists Need 3-Foot Distance to Pass Bikes

Michigan drivers would have to allow 3 feet of clearance or a “safe passing distance” while going by a bike on the road as part of a legislative compromise that could reach the governor soon. The Senate voted 36-1 this …

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Offshore Worker Alleges Bias in Louisiana Lawsuit

An African-American offshore oil worker has filed a federal lawsuit saying he was intimidated on the job by a supervisor who drew a picture of him dangling from a high rig structure while surrounded by co-workers in Ku Klux Klan …

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Ohio Homeowner Trying to Kill Weeds Burns Down Garage

Authorities say a Ohio homeowner trying to kill troublesome weeds with a torch has burned down his garage. The Springfield News-Sun reported Springfield Township firefighters in central Ohio were called to a home around 4 a.m. Thursday for a detached …

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Virginia Governor Northam Vetoes GOP Healthcare Bills

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has vetoed a handful of GOP-backed bills related to health care. Northam vetoed a bill that would have allowed all groups like the Virginia Chamber of Commerce to pool their members together in a group to …

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Southern California Agents Arrested for Fraud

California-based life insurance agents, Samuel Tadlock III, 32, of Eastvale, Marlene Ramirez, 42, of Murrieta, Daniel Herrarte, 34, of Sylmar, and Jorge Lopez Jr., 38, of San Fernando, were arrested this week on multiple felony counts of identity theft and …

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Fired Oregon Dispatcher Settles Suit for $75,000

The city of Springfield, Ore. has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a 2014 lawsuit by a dispatcher who said she was wrongly fired after accusing officers of inappropriate conduct. The Register-Guard reported that a joint statement from the city …

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Hawaii, Central Pacific Could See Handful of Hurricanes This Season

The Central Pacific could see anywhere from three to six hurricanes over the next six months, forecasters predicted Wednesday. That would be an increase over the two named storms last year. Storm activity is likely to be normal or a …

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Ex-CFO in New Jersey Gets Prison Term for Stealing More Than $1M

The former chief financial officer of a New Jersey orthopedic care provider is headed to prison for stealing more than $1 million from the company for his personal use. Harry Wolfmuller received a two-year sentence Wednesday and must pay $1,175,720 …

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Southwest Crew Detail Engine Explosion Causing Emergency Philadelphia Landing

The flight crew on the Southwest Airlines jet that was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia after an engine exploded described the harrowing experience in their first joint interview on Wednesday. Capt. Tammie Jo Shults called her first …

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GDPR Day 1: Data Privacy Activist Sues Tech Giants Over ‘Forced Consent’

As Europe’s new privacy law took effect on Friday, one activist wasted no time in asserting the additional rights it gives people over the data that companies want to collect about them. Austrian Max Schrems filed complaints against Google , …

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GDPR Day 1: Wake-Up Call for Many; Media Sites Shut EU Access

New European privacy regulations went into effect on Friday that will force companies to be more attentive to how they handle customer data. The ramifications were visible from day one, with major U.S.-media outlets including the LA Times and Chicago …

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Sexual Harassment Policy Changes Not High on Japan’s Corporate Agenda

Three-quarters of Japanese companies have made no changes to sexual harassment policies over the last year and don’t plan to do so, a Reuters poll found, though awareness of harassment is on the rise. The survey results come after a …

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First Blockchain for Marine Insurance Now Running

A blockchain that is said to be the first for marine insurance is now in commercial use, according to a coalition of technology, insurance, marine and consulting businesses. EY, Guardtime, A.P. Møller-Maersk, Microsoft and insurance partners Willis Towers Watson, XL …

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Rhode Island’s Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Hires Thayer

Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. (S&S) has hired Jessica Thayer as the Financial Services Risk Solutions (FI) Practice Group leader. Thayer has specialized in directors and officers, errors and omissions, fidelity, cybersecurity, employment practices liability and fiduciary liability for …

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Insurtech Next Insurance Ditching Agency Model to Become a Carrier

Next Insurance, which debuted in 2016 as a digital insurance agency for small to medium-size businesses, is repositioning itself by becoming a licensed insurance carrier. The company says it has received its first license from Delaware and expects to be …

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Iowa School District Reaches 2nd Settlement Over Officials’ Actions

The Waukee school district in Iowa has reached another settlement with an employee who filed a lawsuit claiming he was forced to resign after reporting improper conduct by the chief operating officer. The Des Moines Register reported the district paid …

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Family of Receptionist Killed in Minnesota School Blast Settles

Family members of a school receptionist have settled their lawsuit over an explosion that killed her last summer at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minn. An attorney for Ruth Berg’s family and CenterPoint Energy confirmed the settlement Tuesday. Terms were not …

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Idaho Tribe Joining in Opioid Manufacturers Suit

An Idaho tribe has joined a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors. The Lewiston Tribune reports the Nez Perce Tribe said in a release that a lawsuit was filed Friday in Idaho’s U.S. District Court that targets opioid distributor McKesson …

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Family of Woman Who Died at California Music Festival Sues Promoter

The family of a 20-year-old woman who died after attending a California music festival last year is suing the event promoter. City News Service is reporting the lawsuit alleges Baylee Gatlin didn’t receive proper medical attention for hours after she …

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California Workers’ Comp Division Suspends 3 Medical Providers for Fraud

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation has suspended three more medical providers from participating in the state’s workers’ comp system, bringing the total number of providers suspended to 245. The suspensions were made possible by the passage last year of …

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Workers’ Comp Claim Cost Changed Little in Indiana Since Reform Law Took Effect

The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in Indiana was stable in the years since the state enacted workers’ comp system reforms, according to a recent Workers Compensation Research Institute study. The study, CompScope Benchmarks for Indiana, 18th Edition, …

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Uber Ends Self-Driving Program in Arizona Following Fatality

Uber has shut down its self-driving car operation in Arizona two months after a fatal crash involving one of its vehicles, the company said on Wednesday. Uber Technologies Inc is not shuttering its entire autonomous vehicle program, a spokeswoman said, …

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Willis Towers Watson Adds Abbott to Lead Northern California Market

Willis Towers Watson has added Fred Abbott as market leader for Northern California. Abbott will be responsible for the company’s business operations, client relationships and growth opportunities across the Northern California market. Abbott has been with the firm for more …

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Sewage Spill Forces Closure of Two Beaches in Vermont

Officials have closed two Burlington, Vt., beaches amid concerns about a sewage spill in the neighboring wetlands of Lake Champlain. Local 22 News reports concerns of a water main break in Burlington on Monday night led to the discovery of …

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Mercer’s Sun to Succeed Zheng as CEO of AIG’s China Insurer

American International Group announced that Lisa Sun will join the company as chief executive officer of AIG Insurance Company China. Sun joins AIG from Mercer, where most recently she was CEO of Mercer’s Hong Kong & South and East Asia …

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Cyber Reinsurance Underwriting Group Formed for London Market

The International Underwriting Association of London (IUA), representing carriers operating in or through London, has formed a group on cyber underwriting specifically for reinsurers. The organization said the move follows a growing interest amongst reinsurance practitioners in the activities of …

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Maryland’s Frederick County to Conduct Flood Damage Survey

A western Maryland county hit hard by flooding last week is surveying residents and businesses to get a handle on the extent of the damage. Frederick County announced Saturday that the survey will help determine whether the county is eligible …

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Alliant Hires Charles as Senior Vice President in New York

Alliant has hired New York-based sports and entertainment insurance specialist Joe Charles as senior vice president. In his new role, he will work to grow the firm’s presence within the entertainment, sports and private client services segments. Prior to joining …

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TigerRisk Creates Capital Markets Vehicle Panthera Re in Bermuda

TigerRisk Capital Markets & Advisory has formed a new Bermuda facility named Panthera Re to provide its insurance and reinsurance company clients with access to capital markets. With third-party capital from institutional investors deployed in the insurance asset class now …

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More Large Employers Add Financial Wellness Tools to Benefits Menu

Study after study shows that money stress can be as bad for workplace productivity as back pain. The latest study, released by PwC on Tuesday, found that a quarter of U.S. workers said financial worries caused them health problems. Forty …

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Uber Expands Health Insurance Benefit to Drivers in 21 European Countries

Uber plans to offer all its European drivers an upgraded version of the health insurance it already provides in France in a drive to attract independent workers and fend off criticism over their treatment. The San Francisco-based taxi app, which …

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2 Killed, 11 Injured in Church Van Wreck in North Carolina

At least two people have died and 11 others were hurt in a wreck involving a church van in North Carolina. The wreck was reported about 5:30 p.m. Sunday near Rolesville, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Raleigh. The …

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Texas School Shooter’s Father Believes He Was Bullied

A 17-year-old student accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school should be seen as a “victim” because he may have recently been bullied, causing him to lash out, his father said. In a phone interview over …

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San Antonio Among Numerous Texas Cities With Drought Water Use Restrictions

Some South Texas cities have started restricting water usage due to dropping Edwards Aquifer levels amid drought conditions. The Edwards Aquifer Authority this week announced Stage 1 pumping restrictions after the 10-day average level of an index well dropped below …

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Dean at University of Wisconsin Accused of Harassment Resurfaces at 2 Other Schools

A University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point official who handled sexual misconduct complaints and resigned when he was accused of sexually harassing a woman on campus in 2015, went on to hold positions handling similar complaints at two other universities, according to …

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Texas Agency Disputing Claim That Trooper Sexually Assaulted Woman

The Texas Department of Public Safety said it disputes allegations that one of its state troopers sexually assaulted a woman while he was arresting her on suspicion of drunken driving. A lawyer representing the woman said Monday that the trooper …

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Movie Theater Hit by Lightning in South Dakota, Awaiting Claim Decision

The future of a central South Dakota movie theater is uncertain after lightning struck the facility, according to its owners. A digital projector, server and computer components were damaged last month at the Lyric Theatre in Faulkton, Aberdeen American News …

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Kilauea Generates Toxic Gas Plume Called Laze

The eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii sparked new safety warnings about toxic gas on the Big Island’s southern coastline after lava began flowing into the ocean and setting off a chemical reaction. The molten rock started pouring into the …

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Insurers Welcome Global Regulation Provision in Banking Reform Bill

The financial services regulatory reform measure passed by Congress yesterday, which contains parts of more than 25 different bills, includes a provision on international insurance regulation that is being met with cheers by the insurance industry. This bill, which rolls …

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Family Reaches $13M Settlement with Seattle over Deadly Crash

The family of a couple killed in 2013 by a drunk driver has settled with the city of Seattle for $13 million. The family of Dennis and Judy Schulte settled with the city. Prosecutors say Mark Mullan was drunk when …

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California Organized Investment Network Launches High Impact Service for Insurers

The California Organized Investment Network has launched the Impact Investment Marketplace, a portal to help facilitate high impact investments in underserved communities and environmental projects in California. The marketplace links those seeking capital for community development investments with insurers looking …

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What Banks Got, Did Not Get in Dodd Frank Rewrite Passed by Congress

Congress on Tuesday rolled back some of the restraints imposed on banks after the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, but big players like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, will not be breaking out the champagne. While Wall Street banks …

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Report Says Record Number of Data Breach Notices Filed in New York in 2017

The New York Attorney General’s Office (NYAG) this year released a report outlining a record number of data breach notices filed with the office in 2017 – the highest since NYAG started receiving data breach notices in 2006. In the …

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U.S. Safety Board Urges Seat Belts, Automatic Brakes on School Buses

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday recommended for the first time that all new school buses in the U.S. be equipped with lap and shoulder belts. The NTSB also voted to recommend that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration …

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Aon’s Carver Joins Guy Carpenter’s UK Non-Marine Team as Managing Director

Reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter & Co. announced the appointment of Richard Carver as managing director and senior broker in the firm’s UK non-marine division. Carver has 30 years of experience in the reinsurance sector, spanning both the underwriting and broking …

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Inquiry Into London’s Grenfell Tower Fire Underway with Tributes to Victims

Survivors of a devastating high-rise fire in London wept Monday as relatives paid tribute to some of the 72 victims at the opening of an inquiry into Britain’s deadliest blaze in decades. The Grenfell Tower inquiry is beginning with two …

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Consumer Groups Accuse Tesla of Deceptive Marketing of Autopilot

A pair of consumer advocacy groups want the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate Tesla Inc., charging that the company’s advertising and other promotional claims about the safety and capability of its Autopilot driver-assistance technologies are deceptive. “Two Americans are …

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Pennsylvania Telecom Tower Climber Gets $30M Settlement in Fall Suit

A telecommunications tower climber who suffered severe injuries when a ladder rung dislodged and sent him hurtling 50 feet to the ground has reached a settlement with AT&T and others for $30 million. The June 2013 fall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, …

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More Than $560K in Storm Damage to Vermont Railroad Causeway

A Vermont town says preliminary repair estimates for an old railroad causeway and bridge across a section of Lake Champlain are $563,000 after it was heavily damaged by a storm earlier this month. The May 4 storm caused the formation …

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Risk Strategies Acquires Massachusetts’ Corporate Benefit Audits

Risk Strategies, a privately held, national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, has announced the acquisition of Corporate Benefit Audits (CBA), a firm providing claim outsourcing and audit services to the medical stop loss, managed care and self-funded industries. Terms …

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Lloyd’s Receives Approval for Brussels Subsidiary

Lloyd’s of London reported that it has received licence approval from the National Bank of Belgium for Lloyd’s Insurance Co. Lloyd’s Brussels will be able to write non-life risks from the European Economic Area (EEA), so Lloyd’s customers can continue …

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WCRI Study: Illinois’ Cost per Workers’ Comp Claim Grew 1-3 Percent Annually

The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in Illinois grew annually between 1 to 3 percent since 2012, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. The growth was due to small to moderate changes in …

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Farmers Group in California Names Daly President of Personal Lines

Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Farmers Group Inc. has named Keith Daly president of personal lines. Daly, who is currently Farmers’ chief claims officer, takes the new post effective June 11. He joined Farmers in 2009 through the acquisition of 21st Century …

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Castel Specialty Taps White to Lead New Political Risk Division

Castel Specialty, the division of club-style MGA formation platform Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited for individual underwriters with smaller books of niche business, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of Castel Political Risk. Led by Tom White, Castel Political Risk …

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TWFG in Texas Gets Capital Infusion for National Growth

The Woodlands Financial Group has completed the sale of a minority interest in its capital stock to RenaissanceRe Ventures U.S. LLC. The transaction will provide a capital infusion that Woodlands, Texas-based TWFG will direct toward expediting national growth. Terms of …

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New Marsh Coverage Protects Businesses From Pandemic Losses

Marsh has launched a new insurance product to provide financial protection to US-based businesses and their global operations affected by an infectious disease outbreak. PathogenRX, developed by Marsh in collaboration with Munich Re, and epidemic risk modeler Metabiota, is a …

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Florida Man Killed by Exploding Vape Pen

An exploding vape pen hurled fragments into a Florida man’s head, killing him and starting a fire that burned most of his body, an autopsy report said. The Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s autopsy report released May 15 confirms the vape pen …

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Flash Floods Prompt State of Emergency in 2 West Virginia Counties

Two counties in West Virginia have declared a state of emergency over flash-flood risks in the area. The Journal of Martinsburg reports the declaration in Jefferson and Berkeley counties comes after four days of torrential rains and storms hit the …

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House Set to Vote on Dodd-Frank Rollback Today

U.S. lawmakers are set to give President Donald Trump a chance to make good on his vow to “do a big number” on the Dodd-Frank Act. Legislation set for passage by the Republican-dominated House this week is the product of …

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Houston’s Harvey-Damaged Courthouse to Reopen in Early June

Some floors of the Hurricane Harvey-damaged main criminal courthouse in downtown Houston will reopen next month as part of the $70 million repair project likely not finished until 2019. Harris County officials say the Criminal Justice Center on June 4 …

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Weather Service: Possible Tornado Touched Down in North-Central Oklahoma

The National Weather Service in Tulsa says a possible tornado touched down in north-central Oklahoma. Meteorologist Joe Sellars says the potential twister was only on the ground briefly Saturday afternoon between the towns of Fairfax and Ralston, west of Pawhuska, …

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Quakes Could Affect Oklahoma Infrastructure, Experts Say

Experts are looking at how Oklahoma’s seismic activity impacts critical infrastructure as frequent, low-level earthquake swarms continue to pop off throughout the state. The Tulsa World reports that Oklahoma has experienced 80 earthquakes of 3.0 or greater magnitudes this year …

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Woman Awarded $1.2M in New Mexico Stolen Car Crash

A Santa Fe County, N.M. jury has awarded an 80-year-old woman more than $1.2 million after she was injured in a crash involving a stolen car chased by Santa Fe police. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the jury decided …

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Man Dies After Tesla Crashes into Pond in California

Authorities in California’s San Francisco Bay Area are investigating the death of a man after a Tesla car he was driving veered off a road, crashed through a fence and into a pond. KTVU-TV reports that rescuers pulled the submerged …

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Supreme Court Pro-Arbitration Ruling a Big Win for Employers

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a blow to the rights of workers on Monday by allowing companies to require them to sign away their ability to bring class-action claims against management, agreements already in place for about 25 million employees. …

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J.M. Wilson Names Young Database and Marketing Administrator in Michigan

J.M. Wilson has named Tyler Young database and marketing administrator in the Portage, Mich. office. Young is responsible for creating, developing and managing the website, assisting with the administration and management of internal applications, as well as the data analysis …

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Former Uber Engineer Files Suit for Harassment, Retaliation

A former software engineer at Uber Technologies Inc. has filed a lawsuit against the ridesharing service, claiming she was subjected to years of sexual harassment there and subjected to retaliation for complaining about it. The lawsuit by Ingrid Avendano provides …

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American Drivers Grow More Afraid of Driverless Vehicles: AAA

Three-quarters (73 percent) of American drivers now say they would be too afraid to ride in a fully self-driving vehicle, up significantly from 63 percent in late 2017. Additionally, two-thirds (63 percent) of U.S. adults report they would actually feel …

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Pennsylvania Sues Over Troubled Harrisburg Incinerator Bond Deals

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s administration on Monday sued an array of financial, legal and other professional firms over their involvement in a 15-year-old incinerator upgrade project that nearly bankrupted the state capital, Harrisburg. The state sued RBC Capital Markets, Buchanan …

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The Hilb Group Acquires New York’s Bentson Insurance Group

The Hilb Group LLC (THG) has acquired New York–based Bentson Insurance Group. The transaction became effective May 1, 2017. Founded in 1948, Bentson Insurance Group is a full-service property and casualty insurance agency specializing in home and business insurance as …

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New Jersey Reminds Residents, Insurance Companies to Prepare for Hurricane Season

The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance is urging the insurance and banking companies it regulates, as well as New Jersey residents, to prepare now for hurricane season, which officially begins June 1. All Garden State residents should have …

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Ascot US Acquires Inactive Greyhawk Insurance and Specialty

Ascot US Holding Corp. has acquired Greyhawk Insurance Co. and its subsidiary Greyhawk Specialty Insurance Co. Greyhawk is a Colorado domiciled admitted lines insurer that has been in runoff since 2006. Greyhawk Specialty is a dormant Rhode Island domiciled excess …

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FinTechVisor Seeks to Connect Fintechs, Insurtechs with Traditional Firms

Consultant Capgemini and the not-for-profit Efma have launched a platform designed to bring fintechs and insurtechs together with traditional banks and insurers around innovation. The portal, named FinTechVisor, will have a feature that allows bankers and insurers to rate fintechs …

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EU’s Data Privacy Law Puts AI Use in Insurance Under Closer Scrutiny

Regulators are beginning to teach robots who’s the boss. After spending billions of dollars on cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, Europe’s banks and insurers face tougher scrutiny of the tools they use to help root out fraud, check borrowers’ creditworthiness and …

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XL Catlin Adds Nieves to War, Terrorism, Political Violence Team in Atlanta

XL Catlin has promoted Lindsey Nieves to AVP, underwriting manager in its regional US War, Terrorism & Political Violence insurance team for the South and Central zone, which is headquartered in Atlanta. According to Ben Tucker, head of XL Catlin’s …

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Supreme Court Backs Employers on Forced Arbitration, Limiting Employee Class Actions

A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers can force workers to use individual arbitration instead of class-action lawsuits to press legal claims. The decision potentially limits the rights of tens of millions of employees. The justices, voting 5-4 along …

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Wisconsin Family Sues Over Stun Gun Death of Mentally Ill Man

The family of a mentally ill man who died after Milwaukee, Wis.-area police officers used a stun gun on him has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Village of West Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the family …

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Restrictions on Cellphones While Driving Not Being Added in Louisiana

Louisiana will not be enacting a ban on hand-held cellphone use while driving. A House-backed proposal stalled in the Senate, and the regular session ended Friday without action on the bill, killing it. Rep. Mike Huval, a Breaux Bridge Republican, …

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Gas Leak Was Cause of Explosion at Houston-Area Plant, Company Says

Officials say a gas leak caused an explosion and brief flash fire at a chemical plant near Houston, Texas, resulting in non-life threatening injuries to nearly two dozen workers. Kuraray America says in a news release that ethylene escaping from …

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XL Catlin’s Benjamin to Head Zurich North America’s Management Solutions Group

Brian Benjamin, a longtime insurance executive with experience in professional liability lines, has joined Zurich North America as head of Management Solutions. Benjamin will be accountable for the performance of the Management Solutions Group (MSG) unit, which is part of …

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California Legislation Aims to Clarify Mudslide Insurance

The California Senate has approved legislation that seeks to clarify homeowners’ insurance coverage following deadly mudslides near Santa Barbara. Insurance policies generally cover damage caused by fires but not by mudslides. That creates confusion in cases like the mudslides in …

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PG&E Judge Won’t Rule Out California Fire Cost Claim

PG&E Corp. suffered another legal setback with a judge saying he won’t release the company from a key legal claim over the most destructive wildfires in California history. PG&E has been challenging a California law allowing private property owners to …

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U.S. Cyber Market Grew 32% in 2017 But Most Small-Medium Firms Opted Out: A.M. Best

The U.S. market for cyber insurance grew significantly in 2017, as direct premiums written rose nearly 32 percent year over year to $1.8 billion, and policies in force jumped 24 percent to 2.6 million, according to an A.M. Best special …

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Investigators Probe Cause of New Jersey School Bus Crash That Killed Two

First, a scraping sound. Then, chaos and panic as a bus taking a group of fifth-graders on a field trip collided with a dump truck and toppled over on a busy highway, killing a student and a teacher and injuring …

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CNA Hardy Names Leroy as French Country Manager

CNA Hardy, a specialist commercial insurance provider for clients within the Lloyd’s and company markets, is has appointed Delphine Leroy as country manager for France. Reporting to Stuart Middleton, CEO Continental Europe, Leroy will be responsible for developing CNA Hardy’s …

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Man Says Artillery Fire in Massachusetts Caused Hearing Damage, Sues for $10M

A Los Angeles man who says he suffered permanent hearing damage when he stumbled upon a ceremonial artillery-firing exercise on Boston Common has filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million. The Boston Globe reports that A. Michael Davallou sued the Ancient …

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NSM’s Vantage Acquires UK Personal Lines Broker Fresh Insurance in Redditch

U.S.-based NSM Insurance Group’s UK subsidiary, Vantage Holdings, has acquired Fresh Insurance Services Group Ltd,. an insurance broker based in Redditch, West Midlands that specializes in non-standard personal lines products, motor trade, van and travel insurance. Vantage Holdings was acquired …

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Pennsylvania’s Erie Insurance Names Palczer as Vice President of Property and Subrogation

Erie Insurance, a homeowners and automobile insurer based in Erie, Penn., has named Matt Palczer as vice president of property and subrogation. Palczer began his career with Erie Insurance in 2002 as a mail clerk in the Murrysville, Penn., branch. …

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Arca Capital Backs Icahn in Trying to Stop AmTrust Privatization Plan

The Prague-based investment firm Arca Capital said it plans to work with activist investor Carl Icahn and other minority shareholders to prevent a proposed privatization of AmTrust Financial Services Inc. Arca Capital owns approximately 2.4 percent of outstanding shares of …

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House Rejects Farm Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a sweeping $867 billion farm bill on Friday after Republican leaders failed to appease conservative lawmakers who had asked them not to hold the vote until they were given the chance to consider a …

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Millstream Creates Caritas Insurance Package for International Charities

Millstream Underwriting, part of independent specialty managing general agent Nexus Group, has launched Caritas, a new product that combines several lines of business the company underwrites into a specifically designed insurance package to address the needs of international charities and …

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Head-On Collision Between Atlanta School Bus, Car Kills 13-Year-Old Girl

Authorities say a 13-year-old girl has died after her car and a school bus collided in a head-on crash northeast of Atlanta. Dawson County Schools Superintendent Damon Gibbs says that Summer Faith Anderson died after the Wednesday morning wreck. She …

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New Hampshire Approves Elias as Insurance Commissioner to Succeed Sevigny

The New Hampshire Executive Council has unanimously approved John Elias as New Hampshire’s new commissioner for the Department of Insurance, succeeding Roger Sevigny who is set to retire June 11 after 16 years in the role. “John is a good …

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XL Catlin Adds Gardenhire as Underwriter in Dallas

XL Catlin has added Jason Gardenhire as underwriter to its regional US War, Terrorism & Political Violence insurance team. He is based in Dallas. Gardenhire will lead XL Catlin’s Terrorism and Political Violence underwriting activities and manage broker relationships in …

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More Texans Exposed to Tornadoes Amid Urban Sprawl

Mark Fox cringes every time he relives the day his worst weather nightmare came true. April 3, 2012, was a hot and humid day in North Texas, and the unstable atmosphere spawned 17 tornadoes in five hours in the Dallas-Fort …

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J.C. Flowers Buys Lloyd’s Brokers SSL and Endeavour; Two Agree to Merge

Lloyd’s and independent specialist marine broker SSL Insurance Group has agreed to merge with fellow Lloyd’s broker and delegated authority specialist Endeavour Insurance Services. The deal will conclude with both companies being acquired by a fund advised by private investment …

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Arizona Governor Vetoes Auto Insurance Bill, Signs Others

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has vetoed a bill requiring drivers to carry higher limits on their car insurance. Ducey closed out the state’s legislative session by signing 55 new laws and vetoing seven others. Wednesday was the final day that …

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Alaska Marijuana Business License Applications Outpacing System

The number of applications for marijuana business licenses is outgrowing the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office’s approval system. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports a May 8 Marijuana Control Office spreadsheet says there are 467 applications being processed with another 46 …

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Utah Tesla Driver Had Hands off Wheel Before Crash, Data Shows

A Utah driver turned on the semi-autonomous functions of her Tesla vehicle and then didn’t touch the steering wheel again for 80 seconds before slamming into a firetruck stopped at a red light last week, a summary of data from …

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Manufacturing Paying $60M to Settle California Lead Paint Litigation

A lead paint manufacturer will pay more than $60 million to remove the toxic material from homes around California. Officials in Santa Clara County announced the settlement with NL Industries on Wednesday, ending 18 years of litigation. The money will …

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Report Shows Far to Go for NJ Transit to Hit Safety Deadline

New Jersey Transit had installed a federally mandated emergency braking system on less than 10 percent of its fleet of locomotives nine months before the deadline, according to a progress report covering the first quarter of this year. The report …

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S&P Affirms Ratings for AIG with Negative Outlook

S&P Global Ratings has affirmed its ‘A+’ insurer financial strength rating and ‘BBB+’ long- and ‘A-2’ short-term issuer credit ratings on American International Group Inc. (AIG), and its ‘A+’ rating on AIG’s core subsidiaries. The rating agency’s outlook for AIG …

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Preferred Property Program Names Dow Vice President of Programs in New Jersey

Preferred Property Program (PPP), a national managing general agency, has named Wayne Dow vice president of programs. Dow will be joining the Bell Works office in Holmdel, N.J., to oversee the marketing of PPP products to all of its network …

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Pennsylvania’s Exude Inc. Hires Offner as a Director

Exude Inc., a Philadelphia, Penn.-based organizational health and strategy company, has hired Gregory Offner Jr. as a director. In this role, Offner will oversee the growth of the Commercial Insurance and Risk Management Division. Prior to joining Exude Inc., he …

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EPA Wants to Rescind Obama Chemical Plant Regulations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took steps on Thursday to roll back and delay Obama-era rules aimed at improving safety at chemical plants, which had come in response to a 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas that killed …

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Insurance Entrepreneur Looks to Save Storied English Football Club

For the past 15 years, English insurance entrepreneur Stewart Donald has been steadily inching his way into soccer’s big leagues. He started helping out at his beloved third-tier Oxford United, then moved down the divisions with his full takeover of …

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Age of Insurtechs Poses Unique Challenges for Surplus Lines Insurance Industry

Over the last year or so, the insurance industry has seen technological advances driving new products and distribution means to market. We have seen “insurtech” blossom from a term to describe the intersection between disruptive technology and traditional insurance products …

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Costs for Some Speeding Tickets Going Down in Oklahoma

A new law going into effect in Oklahoma will cut the cost of a basic speeding ticket by more than half. The law, which goes into effect in early August and expires in November 2020, will reduce the cost of …

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Industry Veterans Meserole, McGuire Join Austin’s Watkins Insurance Group

Watkins Insurance Group, based in Austin, Texas, has added Greg Meserole and Scott McGuire as vice presidents. Meserole and McGuire now join a team of more than 100 professionals at Watkins Insurance Group’s Austin headquarters. Bringing with them over 45 …

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Central Oklahoma Shaken by Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake

An earthquake has rattled parts of central Oklahoma that were shaken a day earlier by a series of earthquakes. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday about 8 miles north-northeast of Crescent, …

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Wisconsin Court: Bulldog Attack Not Covered by Insurance Policy

A state appeals court says an insurance company doesn’t have to cover a bulldog attack that left a woman hospitalized. Shawn Lievense’s bulldog, Tank, attacked Sara Hanson and Kathryn Baumann-Mader in Kenosha County in 2015. Police tried to shock Tank …

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Michigan State Reaches $500M Settlement with Nassar Victims

Michigan State University agreed to pay $500 million to settle claims from more than 300 women and girls who said they were assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar in the worst sex-abuse case in sports history, officials announced. The deal …

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Indiana Man Gets 90-Year Sentence for Covered Bridge Arson Fires

A western Indiana man has been sentenced to 90 years in prison after being convicted of setting fires that destroyed one covered bridge and damaged another. Jesse Payne was sentenced Monday, a month after a Parke County jury found him …

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MGA Boost Provides Insurtechs with Insurer Access, Backend Operations

Boost Insurance has nailed down a dedicated reinsurance facility to help support its B2B insurtech development platform. Nephila is leading the facility with participation from Markel Digital, the insurtech group within Markel Corp., and RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd. New York-based Boost …

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Commercial Auto Insurers Catching Up with Telematics

Though adopted early by personal lines insurers, telematics technology is just coming into its own in the commercial auto space. According to Zach Schmiesing, director, Commercial Lines, IoT/Telematics at Verisk Analytics, commercial insurers are examining the differences in commercial driving …

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Lloyd’s CEO Beale Urges Regulators to ‘Keep Up’ with Insurers’ Technology

As insurers try to innovate and address the rapidly changing needs of their clients, Lloyd’s of London CEO Inga Beale has a message for regulators who oversee them: “Try and keep up.” Beale, speaking May 14 during a panel discussion …

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Beware of Fake Tweets During Disasters

How good are the social media platform’s most active users at detecting falsehoods on Twitter, especially during public emergencies? Not good, according to new University at Buffalo research that examined more than 20,000 tweets during Hurricane Sandy and the Boston …

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Arizona City’s Online Payment System Finally up Following Cyber Attack

Officials in Goodyear, Ariz. say the city’s online payment system is functioning again after a cybersecurity attack affected the software. The city became aware of the situation on its online payment system May 7 and immediately shut it down. Customers …

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HUB Adds Dobbs to National Real Estate Practice in California

HUB International of California has named Mark Dobbs vice president of and producer for the national real estate specialty practice. Dobbs has more than 15 years of experience in global commercial real estate business facets to include international investment banking, …

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G2 Insurance Services Names Frykman Vice President in California

G2 Insurance Services has named Matt Frykman vice president in employee benefits. He is located in in San Francisco, Calif. office. Frykman was previously global benefits manager at Glassdoor Inc. He was an account executive and senior client manager at …

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Cleanup Underway After Powerful Storms Pound Northeast

Residents in the Northeast cleaned up Wednesday, a day after powerful storms pounded the region with torrential rain and marble-sized hail, leaving at least three people dead and more 200,000 homes and businesses without power. Connecticut officials said men in …

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Workers’ Compensation Professionals Form Kids’ Chance of New Hampshire

Workers’ compensation professionals have created Kids’ Chance of New Hampshire, a 501c3 organization that provides scholarships for the children of workers who are seriously injured or killed on the job. Sebastian Grasso, CEO of Windham Group, a workers’ compensation case …

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Risk Strategies Acquires Massachusetts’ Costello Benefits Group

Risk Strategies, a privately held, national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, has acquired Costello Benefits Group (CBG Benefits Inc.), a full-service employee benefits brokerage firm headquartered in Woburn, Mass. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. This acquisition is …

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Salem Five Acquires Massachusetts’ Fabri & Rourke Insurance

Salem Five, a commercial and personal insurance provider based in Salem, Mass., has acquired Fabri & Rourke Insurance, headquartered in Georgetown, Mass. This is the second Georgetown-based acquisition for Salem Five, having acquired Georgetown Bank in 2017. Salem Five has …

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Dutch Insurer NN Group Quits Tobacco Investments

Dutch insurer NN Group will no longer invest in the tobacco industry and said on Thursday it aims to divest all tobacco-related holdings on its own accounts and in the funds of its asset manager within a year. NN’s step …

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Russia Delays Proposal to Criminalize Compliance with U.S Sanctions

Russian lawmakers on Thursday voted to postpone the second reading of a bill being discussed in the lower house of parliament that would make it a crime to comply with Western sanctions on Russia. The lower house said it would …

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Judge Rules Anonymous Teens Can’t Take Part in NRA Suit Over Florida Law

A Florida judge denied the National Rifle Association’s request to have two 19-year-old gun enthusiasts anonymously join the group’s lawsuit challenging new age requirements for gun purchases. The NRA sued after the state’s Republican-led legislature raised the age for buying …

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Worldwide Facilities Creates National Workers’ Compensation Unit

National wholesale insurance brokerage and managing general agent Worldwide Facilities has created a new workers’ compensation division. Davis Moore, CEO of Worldwide Facilities, noted that while his firm has a diverse range of products, it did not have brokers specializing …

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A.M. Best: Outlooks Revised to Positive for Benchmark Insurance

A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of Benchmark Insurance Co. (Benchmark) in Topeka, Kansas. The Credit Ratings (ratings) of …

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Former Texas Workers’ Comp Commissioner Opens The Brannan Firm

Ryan Brannan, former Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation in Texas and advisor to former Gov. Rick Perry, has founded The Brannan Firm, which will provide clients with legal and government relations services. Brannan was appointed Workers’ Compensation Commissioner three times, under …

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Governor Vetoes Bills That Would Change Louisiana Insurance Laws

Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed three bills that would change Louisiana’s insurance laws. The Republican-sponsored measures are the first bills struck by the Democratic governor from this year’s regular session. The first bill, sponsored by River Ridge Rep. Kirk …

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Pedestrian Deaths Increase in Wisconsin

Wisconsin transportation officials are growing concerned about risky behavior by drivers and pedestrians as the number of pedestrian fatalities increased last year, mirroring a national trend. The state saw almost 60 pedestrian deaths in 2017, compared with about 50 in …

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CPro Associates Acquires Pan-American Benefits Solutions’ Nonsubscription Business

Dallas, Texas-based CPro Associates Inc., a provider of nonsubscriber occupational injury benefit plans, has purchased Pan-American Benefits Solutions’ nonsubscription book of business, effective May 14, 2018. CPro President Michael Hardin said that purchase results aggregate premiums of more than $30 …

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Mass. SJC Rules Independent Contractor Statute Doesn’t Apply in Workers’ Comp Case

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has ruled the state’s independent contractor statute does not determine whether a claimant is an employee eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in a case that has led to questions about worker misclassification. “Worker misclassification …

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Reagan Survey Shows 5.6% Organic Growth by Agencies in Q1

Insurance agencies and brokerage firms recorded the second consecutive quarter of accelerating growth, and their outlook for the remainder of 2018 continues to be optimistic, according to a new industry survey of mid-to-large privately held firms. All lines of business …

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Seeman Holtz P&C Acquires First Choice Insurance Agency in Missouri

Seeman Holtz Property & Casualty Inc., based in Boca Raton, Florida has acquired First Choice Insurance Agency Inc., headquartered in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. First Choice Insurance has been serving the Poplar Bluff, Dexter, Cape Girardeau, Wappapello, Doniphan, Neelyville, Perryville, and …

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Top 10 Agribusiness Insurance Claims

Motor vehicle accidents are the most common agribusiness insurance claim, according to insurer Nationwide. The Ohio-based insurer, the nation’s largest insurer of farms, said that over the last three years, the top 10 claim types have accounted for more than …

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Flooding from Montana River Receding, But is Expected to Rise Again

Montana’s Clark Fork River near Missoula is receding after it crested at the highest level in a century and swept trees, trailers and other dangerous debris downstream. Residents aren’t out of danger yet. The National Weather Service forecasts the river …

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Lawsuit Claims Hawaii Mall Officials Knew About Faulty Rail

Lawyers who have filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Hawaii’s Ala Moana Center say mall officials were warned about a railing years before it gave way, killing a young man and leaving another with a traumatic brain injury. …

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USGS: M3.5 Quake Hit San Francisco Bay Area

A small earthquake has rattled the San Francisco Bay Area but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS said a 3.5-magnitude temblor struck at 7:18 p.m. Monday. The quake was centered …

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Goodwill and Affiliate in California to Pay $850K for Harassment

Two California entities, Goodwill Industries of the East Bay Area and its affiliate, Calidad Industries Inc., will pay $850,000 to eight former and current employees to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity …

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Fate of Opioid Settlement Talks Clouded by New State Lawsuits

Lawsuits filed against Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma LP and other drugmakers by Tennessee and Florida cast more doubt about the viability of settlement talks aimed at addressing the U.S. opioid epidemic. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery and Florida’s Pam Bondi …

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Weather Analytics Expands with Acquisition of Software Firm Athenium

Insurance and risk data firm Weather Analytics said it has further expanded its offerings beyond weather information by acquiring Athenium Inc., a Waltham, Massachusetts-based claims and underwriting assessment software company. Washington, D.C.-based Weather Analytics said it is also investing more …

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Man Struck, Dragged by Bus Settles Lawsuit with New Jersey Transit for $2.3M

A New Jersey man who was struck by a bus and dragged for nearly two miles has settled his lawsuit with New Jersey Transit for $2.3 million. A lawyer for the firm that handled 63-year-old Seres Arpad’s case confirmed the …

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Marsh Networks Arranges M&A Financing Deal for Member Agencies M&A

Marsh Networks announced a deal with Shawbrook Bank to help its network members secure bank loans to fund mergers and acquisitions or to sell their businesses. As part of the arrangement, Marsh Networks will introduce Shawbrook to broker members seeking …

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The Evans Agency Acquires New York’s Richardson & Stout Insurance

The Evans Agency LLC, a wholly owned insurance subsidiary of community financial services company Evans Bancorp Inc., has acquired the business of Richardson & Stout Insurance (R&S) of Wellsville, N.Y. The transaction is effective July 1, 2018. Terms of the …

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Aspen Seeks OK for Post-Brexit Insurance Subsidiary in Ireland

Bermuda’s Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited has asked the Central Bank of Ireland to authorize a new insurance subsidiary in Dublin, Ireland. Aspen said it is pursuing the new Irish subsidiary – Aspen Insurance Ireland DAC (Aspen Ireland) – in order …

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EPIC Hires Montelione to Financial Risk Practice in New York

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm, has hired Diane Montelione as a senior vice president in its Financial Risk Practice. She will be based in New York and …

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GDPR Insurance: Coverage for Fines Hard to Find But Other Non-Compliance Costs Insurable

The civil fines for non-compliance with the European’s new data privacy law can be steep but organizations across Europe should not expect to have their insurance cover them. Unless the business or organization is in Norway or Finland. A “price …

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XL Shares Executive Changes, Exits in Preparation for AXA Takeover

XL Group has announced management changes and departures in anticipation of the planned acquisition of XL by AXA. French giant insurer AXA SA has agreed to buy XL Group Ltd. for $15.3 billion in cash in a bid to capture …

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Ohio Chocolate Company: Hacker Stole Customer Info

Malley’s Chocolates is warning 3,400 online customers that their credit or debit card information might have been compromised by a computer hacker in March, during the Ohio candy company’s busy weeks before Easter. The company based in suburban Cleveland says …

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5 Children Killed in North Carolina Apartment Fire

Officials say five children have died from injuries in a weekend fire in North Carolina. Two children died Saturday after the blaze at a Greensboro apartment. A nursing supervisor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center told local media three children …

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Texas Calls for 2017 Commercial Property, Businessowners Premium Data

The Texas Department of Insurance has issued a special data call to companies writing direct commercial property or businessowners insurance in Texas catastrophe areas during calendar year 2017. The data call is necessary to supplement TDI’s statistical information and to …

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Insurance Department: Competition Increases in Louisiana Homeowners Market

The Louisiana Department of Insurance says the state’s homeowners insurance market is much more competitive these days than it was a decade ago. The LDI reported in its 2018 Agency Snapshot that in 2017, the homeowners market saw the lowest …

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Gannon, Behrens, Bergstrom Named to SECURA Board

Appleton, Wisconsin-based SECURA Insurance has added three new board members: Alice Gannon, Mark Behrens, and Tim Bergstrom. Gannon brings more than 40 years of insurance experience to her new role, having most recently served as the senior vice president and …

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AssuredPartners Acquires Iowa’s Peoples Insurance Agency

Lake Mary, Florida-based AssuredPartners Inc. has expanded into Iowa with the acquisition of the Peoples Insurance Agency (PIA), headquartered in Waverly. PIA has been the family owned and operated trusted insurance advisor in Iowa since its founding in 1982. The …

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Aon Retires Benfield, Risk Solutions Brands; Names Anderson, O’Connor as Co-Presidents

Global insurance broker Aon has joined its two brands– Benfield and Risk Solutions– into one operational unit and named the chef executives of the two brands as co-presidents of the company. Eric Andersen, CEO of Aon Benfield, and Michael O’Connor, …

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Ironshore Names Dorneker President of IronHealth

Lainie R. Dorneker has been appointed president of IronHealth, the healthcare professional liability unit of Ironshore. She assumes the role from Matthew Dolan, who was recently named president of Ironshore U.S. Operations. Dorneker joined Ironshore in 2009 as product manager …

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Police Probing Whether Autopilot Feature Was on in Utah Tesla Crash

Police are investigating whether a Tesla sedan’s semi-autonomous Autopilot feature was engaged when it rear-ended a fire department truck in Utah. The Tesla Model S crashed into the truck at 60 mph apparently without braking before impact, according to police …

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Anderson & Murison Names Jawitz Executive Vice President in California

Anderson & Murison Inc. has named Mitchell Jawitz executive vice president. Jawitz will be located in the Pasadena, Calif., office and will focus on national business development with independent agents and brokers. He has 30 years of experience in the …

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NFP Acquires 1st Community Insurance Services in California

NFP Corp. has acquired Palm Springs, Calif.-based 1st Community Insurance Services Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Principals of the firm Ernie Santora, Dean Nickodemus and Ken Conrad will report to Roger Wilber, senior vice president of NFP …

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Judge Scolds Facebook for ‘Faulty Proposition’ Over Privacy Claims

A judge scolded Facebook Inc. for misconstruing his own rulings as he ordered the company to face a high-stakes trial accusing it of violating user privacy. The social media giant has misinterpreted prior court orders by continuing to assert the …

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Uber Drops Confidentiality Requirement for Sexual Assault Victims

Uber Technologies Inc. said on Tuesday sexual harassment or assault victims will have the option to settle claims with the ride-hailing service without a confidentiality provision that prevents them from speaking about the incidents. Uber also said it will no …

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Growing Gig Economy in Search of Health Insurance Options

There are plenty of problems lurking on America’s career ladder, but here is a big one: our healthcare systems are designed for the workforce of 1950. If you have a lifetime corporate 9-to-5 gig, then you probably have group health …

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Republican Farm Bill Sows Bipartisan Discontent

Farm legislation usually has enough incentives to satisfy everyone across the partisan divide in Congress. Not this year. The Republican version set for a House vote on Friday contains so many unpalatable provisions that lawmakers from both parties are racing …

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Lightning Strike Causes Fire, $50K Damage in Delaware

The Office of the State Fire Marshal estimates that a lightning strike caused $50,000 worth of damage to Delaware apartments. The News Journal reports that the National Weather Service says lightning struck in the vicinity of Mill Creek’s Arundel Apartments …

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German Court Approves Dashcam Evidence for Accident Claims

Germans will be able to use dashcam footage as evidence in some road accident cases following a federal supreme court ruling on Tuesday, even though it violates strict privacy rules. A German court sparked a debate in 2016 about privacy …

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SafeWaters Underwriting Managers Appoints N.Y.-Based Kempf as VP and Head of Cargo

SafeWaters Underwriting Managers (SafeWaters) has appointed Kevin Kempf as vice president and head of cargo in the U.S. Kempf is based in Melville, N.Y. He joined SafeWaters on April 1, 2018, and brings knowledge of cargo insurance and more than …

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G.M. Abodeely Insurance Agency Merges with Connecticut’s Smith Brothers Insurance

G.M. Abodeely Insurance Agency has merged its business with Smith Brothers Insurance of Glastonbury, Conn. This combination allows the Abodeely Agency to maintain its presence as an independent local agent and leverage the resources of Smith Brothers, a national Top …

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Maine’s The MEMIC Group Hires Heal, Promotes Flaherty and Wintle

The MEMIC Group, a Portland, Maine-based workers’ compensation specialist, has appointed Lara Heal to director of Managed Care Services as well as promoted Karen Flaherty to director of Financial Operations and Kristen Wintle to director of Compensation and Benefits. Heal …

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Morin Assumes CFO Role at Arch as Lyons Exits to AIG

François Morin is assuming the role of executive vice president and chief financial officer of Arch Capital Group Ltd. Morin replaces outgoing CFO Mark Lyons, who is leaving Arch to become senior vice president and chief actuary, General Insurance, at …

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How to Improve Terrorism Insurance to Meet Threat Landscape: JLT Re

Although there has been progress, the terrorism insurance market needs to do more to improve coverage at a time when “businesses and (re)insurers are confronted with an increasingly complex and multi-dimensional threat landscape,” according to a new report from JL …

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Texas to Hold Hearing on Request to Extend Work Comp Experience Rating Plan Deadline

The Texas Department of Insurance will hold a public hearing on the petition by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas to extend the expiration date of negotiated experience modifiers under the the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) Experience Rating …

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Strehmann Retires as CFO of Agent Support Network in Illinois

Barb Strehmann, chief financial officer at Burr Ridge, Illinois-based Agent Support Network of America (ASNOA), has retired. Strehmann was the first employee hired upon the creation of ASNOA in 2003. She began at ASNOA as the manager of Accounting and …

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State Labor Agency Rebuked Illinois VA Over Legionnaires Outbreak

Illinois workplace safety officials reprimanded state veterans’ officials for how the agency told staffers about a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at a Quincy veterans’ home, according to documents. The Illinois Department of Labor reproach focused on emails that Illinois Veterans …

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Wildfire Damage to Oklahoma Farms, Ranches Estimated at $26M

A report from Oklahoma State University says wildfires that scorched western and northwestern parts of the state and killed two in April caused an estimated $26 million in damage to livestock, pastures, fences and buildings. A news release says the …

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JLT Specialty USA Appoints Marsh’s Hausler as Executive VP in Houston

JLT Specialty USA, a U.S. subsidiary of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc., has appointed Rob Hausler as executive vice president. He is based in Houston. Joining JLT’s rapidly growing team, Hausler will wear many hats and play a pivotal role …

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Chubb’s Kelder Named Divisional VP of Great American Insurance Group

Great American Insurance Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has hired Greg A. Kelder as divisional vice president of its Environmental Division. Kelder will manage the Division’s claims department and serve as a member of its senior management team responsible for …

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Munich Re Repurposes Bermuda Operation

Munch Reinsurance Co. has repurposed a Bermuda unit that was authorized for property/casualty business into a reinsurer for its U.S. life reinsurance business. The unit, Munich Re Bermuda, was formerly named Princeton Eagle West Insurance Co. Ltd. and was authorized …

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Puerto Rico Readies for Upcoming Hurricane Season with Lessons from Maria

Federal and local officials said that they are stockpiling radios, food, water and generators in Puerto Rico and demanding rigorous emergency training to prepare the U.S. territory for dealing with any catastrophic storm as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches. In …

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Number of Lawyers in U.S. Grew 15% in Past Decade

The nationwide population of lawyers is up to 1,338,678 licensed, active attorneys, which represents a 0.2 percent increase since last year and a 15.2 percent rise over the past decade, according to data from the American Bar Association (ABA). The …

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Alaskans Hear False Tsunami Warning on TV, Radio

Many Alaska residents were mistakenly warned on TV and on the radio Friday morning of a tsunami threat along the West Coast of the United States, from San Diego to Alaska’s Aleutian islands. The alert said at the end of …

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Suit Charges Energy Company Cut Safety Budget Before Fatal Colorado Blast

A shareholder lawsuit alleges Anadarko Petroleum was focused on keeping oil and gas flowing from older wells, not fixing potential safety problems, in the months before a fatal house explosion in Colorado linked to an Anadarko well. The lawsuit cites …

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Tesla With Autopilot in Utah Collides with Truck Stopped at Light

A Tesla sedan with a semi-autonomous Autopilot feature has rear-ended a fire department truck at 60 mph apparently without braking before impact, but police say it’s unknown if the Autopilot feature was engaged. The cause of tevening crash, involving a …

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USGS: M3.3 Quake Rattles Southern California Desert

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake has rattled the Southern California desert, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS said the quake on Saturday was centered about 27 miles northwest of El Centro in the desert near the Arizona border. It struck …

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Court Revives Challenge to Seattle’s Ridesharing Union Law

A U.S. appeals court has revived a leading business group’s challenge to a Seattle law, the first of its kind, that would allow drivers for ride-hailing services such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft to unionize. The San Francisco-based 9th …

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HDI Global, Hannover Re Merge Units to Create Specialty Insurance Joint Venture

Hannover Re and HDI Global SE are merging their specialty activities in a new joint venture. The new company, HDI Global Specialty SE, will write agency and specialty insurance business in lines such as errors & omissions liability insurance, directors’ …

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Denmark’s Alpha Insurance Files for Bankruptcy in Wake of CBL Woes

The Denmark insurance company Alpha Insurance A/S has filed for bankruptcy. The firm was placed into liquidation on March 4 and four days later the liquidators filed a petition for bankruptcy. In a statement released on March 5, 2018, Alpha …

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