Florida CFO Asks Public for Help in Catching Serial Arsonist

Florida officials are looking for assistance from residents of Lake County, Fla., in catching a suspected serial arsonist who is believed to be connected to multiple fires in the Umatilla area, according to a statement from Florida CFO and State …

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Wisconsin’s Integrity Insurance Names Sharp to Leadership Team

Appleton, Wisconsin-based Integrity Insurance has added Matt Sharp to its Integrity Leadership Team (ILT) as AVP, senior finance officer. Sharp is responsible for the strategic financial oversight and reporting for Integrity. He is an insurance veteran with 15 years of …

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Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Adds Commercial Package Product

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies is adding a commercial package product that will include coverages for property, general liability, umbrella, and employment-related practices liability insurance (EPLI). The company plans to launch the product in Pennsylvania in early April with other …

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Worker at Michigan Car Wash Dies After Pickup Pins Him Against Wall

Police say one employee was killed and another was injured at a suburban Detroit car wash when a pickup truck struck them. Troy Police Sgt. Meghan Lehman said the accident occurred Monday afternoon at a Jax Kar Wash as the …

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$89K in Penalties Proposed Over Man’s Death at Nebraska Asphalt Plant

A federal agency is proposing to fine a company more than $89,000 for safety violations connected to the death of a worker at a North Platte asphalt plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Western Engineering Co. for seven …

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Virgin Islands Storm Repairs May Be Jeopardized by FEMA, Contractors Dispute

Companies rebuilding storm-damaged homes in the U.S. Virgin Islands under a federally funded program say they haven’t been paid in months and are threatening to place liens on the houses. The dispute highlights what critics call the slow pace at …

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White House Eyes Panel to Question Climate Threat to Security

The White House is advancing plans to form a presidential panel that will question science used in U.S. military and intelligence reports showing that human-driven climate change poses national security risks, according to a source briefed by participants in the …

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How People Rationalize Bad Choices

When a reward is tempting enough, people will break their own moral codes to gain the desired prize. Afterward, they’ll tell you exactly how they were justified: “It wasn’t as if anyone was harmed,” “I was only borrowing …,” “My …

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Insurance Group of St. Charles County Acquires Atlanta-Based BLP Insurance Services

Insurance Group of St. Charles County has purchased BLP Insurance Services dba Pelt Risk Advisors, an Atlanta-based insurance company founded in 2010 by Byron Pelt. Insurance Group of St. Charles County, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is a member of …

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Liberty Mutual Boosted Q4, 2018 Profit Helped by Lower Catastrophe Losses

Liberty Mutual Holding Co. and its subsidiaries reported net income of $249 million for the fourth quarter 2018 and $2.160 billion for the full year 2018, increases of $44 million and $2.143 billion over the same periods in 2017. Catastrophe …

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Oregon Lawsuit Alleges Emotional Support Dog Mauled Girl at Airport

The mother of a 5-year-old girl mauled by a pit bull at Portland International Airport has filed a $1.1 million lawsuit against the Port of Portland for allegedly letting a dangerous “emotional support animal” into the airport without a carrier. …

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Wrongly Convicted California Man Gets $21M Settlement

The city of Simi Valley, Calif., has reached a $21 million settlement with a man wrongly imprisoned for nearly 40 years in the killing of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old son. Some of that settlement is being paid by insurance. …

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Storm Waters Flood, Cut off California Town

A California town north of San Francisco was accessible only by boat after a rain-swollen river overflowed its banks inundated it overnight, authorities said Wednesday. “Guerneville is officially an island,” the Sonoma Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, adding that …

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Filings Show PG&E Delayed Key Power Line Safety Overhaul

Shares of PG&E Corp fell about 3 percent after federal filings showed that the power utility had delayed a safety overhaul of a high-voltage transmission line, a prime suspect behind the deadliest wildfire in California history. The company filed for …

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Pennsylvania Salon to Pay $40K to Stylist Fired After Report of Health, Safety Hazards

After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has entered a consent judgment ordering Blown Away Dry Bar and Salon, based in Kennett …

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Texas Bill Would Require Citizenship to Purchase Auto Insurance

A Texas state representative has filed a bill that would require proof of citizenship in order to purchase personal auto insurance. Rep. Bill Zedler, a Republican from Arlington (District 96), has filed HB 2648, which would require an auto insurance …

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Three People Killed in Train-Vehicle Collision on Long Island

Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury in Long Island, N.Y., killing all three occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday …

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Maryland Man Who Suffered Brain Damage from Lead Paint Wins $2M

A Baltimore, Md., jury has awarded around $2 million to a man who has permanent brain damage from being exposed to lead paint as a child. The Daily Record reports a jury on Friday awarded 24-year-old Savon Johnson $1.1 million …

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Worker Dies After Falling at School Construction Site in Louisiana

School officials say a subcontractor fell at a new school construction site in Louisiana and later died. News outlets report that the subcontractor fell around 14 feet while working at the Bullion Primary School construction site in Ascension Parish. He …

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AIG Sells Entire Stake in China’s PICC Group at a Discount

American International Group Inc. bought into the People’s Insurance Co. (Group) of China Ltd. as a cornerstone investor in its initial public offering more than six years ago. Since that time — early December 2012 — Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang …

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BlackBerry Files Patent Infringement Claims Against Twitter

BlackBerry Ltd. on Wednesday filed a patent infringement lawsuit accusing Twitter Inc. of illegally using technology in its mobile messaging applications that had been developed by the former smartphone maker. The lawsuit said Twitter wrongly sought to compensate for being …

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2018 Was Big Year for Robot Employment

U.S. companies installed more robots last year than ever before, as cheaper and more flexible machines put them within reach of businesses of all sizes and in more corners of the economy beyond their traditional foothold in car plants. Shipments …

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HDI Global Specialty Acquires Neon Underwriting’s Bloodstock Team

HDI Global Specialty SE, the new specialty lines insurer, has acquired Neon Underwriting’s bloodstock team. The team is led by Mark Edwards, who has been Neon’s head of Specialty and class underwriter bloodstock/livestock since 2008. Edwards brings with him a …

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R&Q’s EU Program Manager, Accredited, Forms Partnership with UK MGA Stabilis

Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd. announced that its wholly owned European subsidiary, Accredited Insurance (Europe) Ltd., has signed a new program underwriting partnership with Stabilis MGA Ltd., a UK managing general agent (MGA) that sells private motor insurance. Colin …

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U.K. Cyber-Security Startup Tessian Raises $42M to Support U.S. Expansion

Sequoia Capital has backed a London-based cyber-security startup founded by a trio of former banking analysts, who were surprised how often documents such as deal-term sheets were accidentally emailed to the wrong person. Tessian Ltd. has received $40 million to …

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Brazil Senate Passes Dam Safety Bill After Vale Disaster; Insurance Provision Eyed

Brazilian Senate committees on Wednesday passed a bill to tighten dam safety in the country, after a mining dam owned by Vale SA burst and killed an estimated 300 people in the town of Brumadinho. The legislation, which tightens safety …

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U.K. Financial Markets at Risk of Disruption with Hard Brexit: Regulator

Financial markets are still at risk of disruption if there is a no-deal Brexit, Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority said on Wednesday. FCA Chief Executive Andrew Bailey told a House of Lords committee that despite a number of measures being taken, …

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Allianz, Generali & Liberty Mutual Vying to Invest in BBVA Bancassurance Arm: Sources

European insurers Allianz and Generali are vying with U.S. rival Liberty Mutual to invest in the bancassurance business of Spanish lender BBVA, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The sale, led by Bank of America, kicked off towards …

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Police: 5 Hurt in Indiana Church Bus Crash; Driver Arrested, Charged with DWI

Authorities say an 82-year-old church bus driver is charged with driving while intoxicated after five people were injured when a bus returning from a Chicago Bulls game went off the road in northwestern Indiana. Indiana State Police say the bus …

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Iowa Diocese: 28 Priests Accused of Abusing Minors Identified

At least 28 priests are credibly accused of having sexually abused more than 100 boys and girls while working for a Roman Catholic diocese in Iowa, church officials announced. The Diocese of Sioux City identified those 28 priests as it …

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Michigan Officer Reaches $362K Settlement with City in Sexual Harassment Suit

A mid-Michigan police officer has agreed to dismiss sexual harassment claims against her department in exchange for a settlement worth about $362,000. Eaton Rapids police Officer Lisa Kirby filed a 2017 federal lawsuit alleging that another officer sexually harassed her. …

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PIA Makes Cyber Product Available for Agents to Sell to Small Business Clients

The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA National) has given its members the ability to sell the PIA enhanced cyber insurance product to their small and mid-sized businesses clients. PIA and ABA Insurance Services (ABAIS) have worked together with …

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Supreme Court Limits International Groups’ Immunity for Commercial Activity in U.S.

The U.S. Supreme Court opened some American-based international organizations to lawsuits, ruling that a World Bank affiliate must defend against allegations it is responsible for environmental damage caused by a power plant in India. Voting 7-1 on Wednesday, the court …

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U.S. Bans Lithium Battery Cargo on Passenger Planes

The U.S. government said on Wednesday it is issuing new rules barring airlines from carrying potentially hazardous lithium-ion cells and batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft, and setting new requirements for transporting them on cargo planes. The U.S. Transportation Department’s …

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Making Working with Robots Safe for Humans

Veo Robotics Inc., a startup developing sensor technology that lets industrial robots work safely side-by-side with humans, closed a funding round as it prepares to roll out the product in May. The company raised $15 million late last month, bringing …

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Will 7th Time Be the Charm? Industry Makes Big Push for AOB Reform in 2019

The push for assignment of benefits (AOB) reform in the 2019 Florida legislative session is in full swing, and the insurance industry and consumer advocates have pulled out all the stops to emphasize their contention that abuse of a policyholder …

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Green Beans, Butternut Squash Sold in Southeast Recalled

A Florida company has issued a voluntary recall of Marketside brand green beans and butternut squash because of a possible Listeria contamination. Southern Specialties Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida, announced the recall Monday, warning that the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can …

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Kentucky Governor Declares State of Emergency After Storms

Heavy rainfall and extensive flooding have prompted Kentucky’s Republican governor to declare a state of emergency. Gov. Matt Bevin issued the executive order on Monday. The governor’s office says the order will enable state resources to help local governments as …

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Mississippi House Votes on Bill Limiting Landowners’ Liability

Attorneys in the Mississippi House are sharply divided over a bill that could limit the liability of landowners or property managers who are sued by people harmed on their property. The House voted 74-39 Monday to pass Senate Bill 2901, …

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Sturgis, South Dakota, Wants Rally Campgrounds to Pay Ambulance Service Fee

The city of Sturgis, South Dakota, wants campgrounds outside city limits to pay as much as $5,100 to secure ambulance service during this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. City manager Daniel Ainslie said last week that ambulance calls to campgrounds during …

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TDI: Former Texas Insurance Agent Who Faked Cancer Claims Sentenced

A Plano, Texas, woman pleaded guilty to insurance fraud for faking cancer claims to get more than $300,000 in insurance payments over two years, the Texas Department of Insurance announced. Karissa White Coleman, a former licensed insurance agent, purchased books …

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Search Continues for Remaining Body at Texas Plane Crash Site

Authorities have been searching a bay off southeast Texas for clues about what caused a Boeing 767 cargo plane carrying Amazon packages to nose-dive into the shallow water, killing all three men on board. A north wind aided searchers by …

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Travelers: Over 70% of Minneapolis-Area Drivers Surveyed Use Phones While Driving

A recently commissioned survey of 503 Minneapolis-area drivers by The Travelers Companies Inc. found that 71 percent of respondents use a mobile device while driving, with 84 percent of millennials, 72 percent of Gen Xers and 62 percent of baby …

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Berkshire Hathaway Sale of Applied Underwriters Said Due to ‘Channel Conflict’

In a rare move, Berkshire Hathaway is selling one of its companies, leading workers’ compensation specialist Applied Underwriters, in order to avoid conflict with its other workers’ compensation businesses. “Berkshire has a number of workers’ compensation companies, and there was …

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Officials Begin Assessing Damage as Rivers in Southeast Crest

The Tennessee River and other streams are lowering in hard-hit areas of north Alabama after days of flooding. The National Weather Service says the Tennessee has crested throughout the region, even though the water is still high in many areas. …

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Illinois’ Pinnacle Actuarial Promotes Hillebrandt, Cortner

Pinnacle Actuarial Resources Inc. (Pinnacle), based in Bloomington, Illinois, has promoted Aaron N. Hillebrandt to director and consulting actuary and Christopher C. Cortner to consulting actuary. Hillebrandt is based in Bloomington office and has been with the firm since 2013. …

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Flood Risk High in Missouri This Spring, Weather Service Says

Missouri towns along the Mississippi River and its tributaries should brace for the prospect of potentially serious flooding this spring, in large part because of an unusually snowy winter to the north. The National Weather Service office in suburban St. …

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More Than 50 tons of Catfish Recalled by Houston Seafood Company

A Houston-based seafood company is recalling more than 50 tons of wild-caught catfish because the products were produced, packed and distributed without federal inspection. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the recall involves …

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Argo Shareholder Accuses CEO Watson of ‘Shockingly High’ Corporate Expenses

An Argo Group shareholder is nominating four new directors to counter what it alleges are “shockingly high” corporate expenses including pricey real estate, an office art collection, and CEO Mark Watson III’s personal use of company-owned aircraft and housing. Argo, …

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Court Rules that Victims of Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooting Can Sue

A Colorado appeals court has ruled that victims of the 2015 shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs can sue the nonprofit organization over what they argue was lax security. The Gazette reports that the ruling reverses a …

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FBI Looking for Victims of Alleged Workers’ Comp Scheme Ran by California Firm

The FBI is seeking to identify businesses that may be victims of an alleged nationwide workers’ compensation insurance, health care insurance, and pension plan fraud scheme. The FBI is urging businesses that purchased policies from Clovis, Calif.-based American Labor Alliance …

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InterWest Acquires Placer Insurance Agency in California

InterWest Insurance Services has acquired Placer Insurance Agency in Roseville, Calif. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Placer specializes in commercial, surety bonds, employee benefits and personal insurance programs. InterWest is a locally owned, regional insurance brokerage headquartered in …

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Brazil Health Agency Says Weedkiller Glyphosate Does Not Cause Cancer

Analysts at Brazilian health agency Anvisa have determined that the weedkiller glyphosate does not cause cancer while recommending exposure limits as international pressure to reduce use of the chemical grows. Companies such as Bayer AG and its unit Monsanto, which …

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Altman Says Private Market Flood Insurance Has Grown in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman said the number of private market flood insurance policies in Pennsylvania jumped 72 percent from February 2018, as she continued urging homeowners, business owners and renters to shop around in the increasingly competitive flood insurance …

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Utility Crews Work to Restore Power to Thousands in Pennsylvania After Winds

Utility crews are working to restore power to thousands of Pennsylvania customers following high winds that roared through the commonwealth, knocking down trees and power lines. PPL Electric reported more than 20,000 customers without power and said crews were responding …

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China’s Biggest Oil & Gas Producer Halts Fracking After Series of Quakes

The backlash against shale drilling in earthquake-prone regions — a thorn in the side of U.S. energy companies for the past decade — reached China this week after a series of temblors killed two people and reduced homes to rubble. …

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What Young Insurance Agents Earn, Think and Say

Young agents want change. They want more diversity in the agency sales ranks. They want better paths to grow in their careers. They want other agents to adhere to professional standards and ethics. They want faster and better technology in …

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Cuomo Drops Proposal to Ban All Modified Stretch Limos in New York

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is dropping a proposal to ban all modified stretch limousines, an idea prompted by last fall’s crash that killed 20 people. The Times Union of Albany reports that the provision was stricken from Cuomo’s state …

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Swedbank Money Laundering Scandal Deepens with Possible Ukraine Connection

Allegations of money laundering against Sweden’s oldest bank grew this week to draw in some of the former Soviet Union’s most notorious individuals. Viktor Yanukovych, the president of Ukraine until 2014, used an account at the Baltic unit of Swedbank …

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Brazil Tailings Dam Disaster Pushes Mining CEOs to Make Safety Changes

After last month’s deadly tailings dam disaster at a Vale SA facility in Brazil, Freeport-McMoRan Inc Chief Executive Richard Adkerson sent a memo to his 29,000 employees telling them to immediately report any safety concerns about the scores of dams …

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Insurer Group Warns on Property Losses Due to Climate Change

Insurers are increasingly worried that rising temperatures will lead to a slump in property values that could spark broader financial turmoil. Those were the conclusions a group run out of the University of Cambridge including some of the world’s biggest …

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CFC Appoints Fletcher from Hiscox as Chief Technology Officer

CFC, the London-based managing general agent that specializes in emerging risks, announced the appointment of Jonathan Fletcher as chief technology officer. Fletcher, formerly group CTO at Hiscox, will oversee CFC’s technology and infrastructure strategy and lead the company’s fast-growing development …

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A.M. Best Sees $12 Billion P/C Insurance Underwriting Loss for 2018

The U.S. property/casualty industry is expected to report that 2018 was its third consecutive year with an underwriting loss. A new A.M. Best analysis projects an estimated net underwriting loss of $12.1 billion in 2018, which follows a $25.3 billion …

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Supreme Court Sets Aside Pay Equity Ruling Decided by Dead Judge’s Vote

The U.S. Supreme Court said judges “are appointed for life, not for eternity,” in setting aside a pay-discrimination ruling written by a jurist who died a week and a half before the decision was issued. The unsigned opinion said a …

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Hanover Insurance Enhances Specialty Leadership; Mills to Lead E&S

The Hanover Insurance Group has expanded its specialty leadership team to enhance as part of a series of personnel changes the company has made to its specialty business over the last year. The Hanover announced it has appointed Steven M. …

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JPMorgan Found Not Responsible for Broker’s Suicide

A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co. by the estate of a former top broker, who it said committed suicide after being forced into retirement. U.S. District Judge John Keenan …

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Congress Looks to ‘Reimagine’ Credit Reporting Industry

The nation’s major credit reporting agencies faced renewed scrutiny from Congress on Tuesday, as lawmakers consider legislation overhauling the industry. Top executives from the three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax Inc, Experian Plc and TransUnion – had to defend …

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QBE Takes Another Step Toward Consistently Strong Results with 2018 Profit

QBE Insurance Group took another step in its quest to achieve strong results, consistently, by reporting a cash profit after tax of US$715 million during 2018, a significant improvement on the cash loss of US$262 million reported in 2017. Group …

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State Farm to Cut Auto Insurance Rates in South Carolina

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Companies, the largest auto insurer in South Carolina, will cut its auto rates in the state for the second time in two years, according to a statement from the insurer. Overall personal auto rates will …

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Judge Finalizes Chemours, North Carolina Water Pollution Settlement

North Carolina’s environmental agency says a finalized settlement agreement allows it to make sure a Fortune 500 chemical company follows through on promises to clean up industrial chemicals in the water or face legal penalties. A state judge on Monday …

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Tennessee River Valley Breaks February Rainfall Records

A federal utility says the Tennessee River Valley on average has endured a record amount of rain for February. Tennessee Valley Authority River Forecast Center manager James Everett told reporters Monday that, on average, 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain …

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Pie Insurance Expands Online Workers’ Comp Coverage Into 4 New States

Pie Insurance has begun selling workers’ compensation insurance to small businesses in Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, and New Mexico. This expansion follows Pie’s launch in five states earlier this year and nine states in 2018, as the company continues its plans …

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Date on Bike Receipt outs Washington Woman’s Insurance Fraud

The fine details on a receipt for a mountain bike tripped up a would-be fraudster. Kristin Wright, of Everett, Wash., pleaded guilty in Snohomish County Superior Court to a gross misdemeanor count of filing a false insurance claim on her …

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Beazley, Marsh Launch Cyber Coverage Product for Manufacturers

Beazley and Marsh have partnered to provide tailored cyber insurance cover and breach response for U.S. manufacturers. The new Manufacturer’s First Response, a Marsh and Beazley Breach Response (BBR) initiative, offers coverages tailored specifically to address cyber and operational risks …

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1 Killed in 100-Plus Vehicle Wisconsin Pileup

Authorities have rescued dozens of people stranded by a blizzard that howled across southern Minnesota and dumped about a foot of snow in some places. In east-central Wisconsin, one person was killed and several others injured Sunday in an interstate …

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Ohio DOT Seeks OK for Conditions-Based Variable Speed Limits

Ohio’s Department of Transportation is seeking permission to apply changes in speed limits anytime statewide. The department currently is allowed to impose variable speed limits based on road conditions on only a few interstate stretches such as when a snow …

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Some Wisconsin Farm Buildings Buckling Under Weight off Snow

Wisconsin farmers are facing a buildup of snow that’s causing damage to some structures as the state continues to get hit by unrelenting winter weather. Some farmers are watching their buildings buckle under the weight of snow because the strength …

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Collier Appointed COO of Austin’s Service American Indemnity

Steve Collier has been named chief operating officer at Austin, Texas-based Service American Indemnity Co. (SAIC), which will be officially launched on March 1, 2019. SAIC was founded on March 1, 2018, following Service Insurance Holdings Inc.’s acquisition of American …

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Insurance Council of Texas Seeks Leadership Award Candidates

Property/casualty insurance trade group, the Insurance Council of Texas, is seeing candidate nominations for its annual industry leadership award. Since 1998, has awarded its Raymond Mauk Leadership Award to an individual who has made a notable contribution to the Texas …

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Investments in Insurtechs Rose in Q4 2018; Cyber Becomes a Focus

Sixty-three insurtech deals with a total value of $1.59 billion were announced worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2018. The number of deals was up 24 percent while the value jumped 155 percent over Q4 2017. The total, including all-stage …

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Southern California Gas Leak Settlement Raises Stink

A stink is being raised over a $120 million court settlement from the nation’s largest-known natural gas leak and it’s not about money, but cow manure. Environmental groups have criticized a plan to put more than a fifth of the …

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California AG Backing Bill to Expand Consumer Privacy Protections

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has endorsed a state bill that would expand the state’s new privacy act to allow consumers to sue companies over their handling of personal data, despite months of tech lobbying against such a move. California’s …

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U.S. Asks Court to Approve CVS-Aetna Merger

The U.S. Justice Department formally asked a judge on Monday to approve its deal to allow CVS Health Corp. to merge with insurer Aetna. Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia scolded the government …

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More Than 65K Power Outages Reported in Upstate New York

More than 65,000 power outages have been reported in upstate New York after high winds rattled the region. Syracuse.com says 5,000 utility workers have been mobilized upstate. WGRZ in Buffalo said lake-effect snow combined with wind gusting to 60 mph …

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Police Say Two Killed in Plane Crash at Massachusetts Airport

Massachusetts State Police say two people have died after a small plane crashed and caught fire at Mansfield Municipal Airport. Saturday’s crash occurred at about 12:36 p.m., according to the state police department’s Twitter feed. State troopers assigned to the …

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U.K.’s Pool Re Sells First Terrorism Risk Catastrophe Bond

A U.K. reinsurer has sold the first terror catastrophe bond, giving investors the chance to lock in high yields in return for taking on terrorism risks. The 75 million-pound ($99 million) three-year bond will pay 5.9 percent interest, state-backed Pool …

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High Winds Down Trees, Power Lines, Cut Power to Thousands in Pennsylvania

High winds have been bringing down trees and power lines in western Pennsylvania, leaving tens of thousands of utility customers without power. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning covering many areas of the commonwealth into Monday with …

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Amazon Crash Points to Lax Safety for Cargo Operations Compared to Passenger Airlines

Passenger airlines in the U.S. have recorded a remarkable period of safety over the past 10 years. Not so the nation’s cargo planes. Five domestically registered aircraft have crashed since 2009 — killing 16 people — including Saturday’s violent plunge …

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How High-Pressure Insys Prescription Call Center Lied to Insurers to Sell Opioids

The goal for Insys Therapeutics Inc.’s call center in Phoenix was simple: persuade insurers to authorize at least 70 prescriptions a week of its expensive opioid spray. Workers would get bonuses for surpassing the goals, a former call center manager …

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India’s New Web Rules Address Data Privacy, Commercial Liability

India outlined a new draft policy for its burgeoning e-commerce sector on Saturday, focusing on data localisation, improved privacy safeguards and measures to combat the sale of counterfeit products. The proposed overhaul, which would likely increase operating costs for the …

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Brazil to Announce Results of Safety Review of Weedkiller Glyphosate

Brazil’s health agency has concluded a re-evaluation of the safety of the weedkiller glyphosate, the most widely-used agriculture chemical in the country, and will present the findings and recommended guidelines for its future use on Tuesday, an official said. The …

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Britain Putting EU Laws on Books So Finance Industry Ready for ‘Any’ Brexit Outcome, Says Minister

Britain’s financial sector will continue to function properly whatever form Brexit takes, a junior minister said on Tuesday, though the head of an industry body said it would back proposals to avert Britain leaving the EU without a withdrawal deal. …

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FedNat to Buy Maison Homeowners Insurance Operations from 1347 Holdings

FedNat Holding Co. has agreed to purchase substantially all of 1347 Property Insurance Holdings homeowners’ insurance operations, consisting of Maison Insurance Co., Maison Managers and ClaimCor in a 50/50 cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $51 million. In addition …

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Commercial Insurance Prices Rose 2% in Q4: Marsh Global Index

Average commercial insurance prices increased by two percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, the fifth consecutive quarter of average increases. Also, according to broker Marsh’s Global Insurance Market Index, composite pricing in Q4 increased in all global regions, the …

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Zurich Insurance Acquires Dallas Digital Applications Firm, Sea Pine Technologies

Schaumburg, Illinois-based insurer Zurich North America has acquired 100 percent ownership of Sea Pine Technologies, a Dallas-based company specializing in digital applications for the marketing of vehicle protection products. Zurich is a provider of automotive finance and insurance (F&I) products …

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Supreme Court Rejects Tobacco Firms’ Appeal on Smoker Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court turned away the tobacco industry’s effort to derail lawsuits by thousands of Florida smokers, leaving cigarette makers exposed to potentially billions of dollars in liability. The justices on Monday rejected appeals by units of Altria Group …

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Agents, Brokers and the Future of Insurance Distribution

A funny thing is happening on the way to the future. As consumers’ and carriers’ behaviors, attitudes and expectations have been changing, independent agents are evolving to better serve both customers and carriers. In terms of customers, agents who have …

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Could J&J Be Helped by Missouri Ruling Against Talcum Lawsuits?

A Missouri Supreme Court ruling on talc lawsuits could reduce the liability and number of large trials Johnson & Johnson faces over allegations its talc products, including baby powder, cause cancer. The ruling will likely offer some respite to the …

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EEOC Report Alleges Orlando Fire Chief Harassed Female Employee

A Florida fire chief has resigned after a federal investigation found that he had harassed a female employee. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Orlando Fire Department Chief Roderick Williams resigned Feb. 21, the same day the city released a U.S. …

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Tornado Kills 1 in Mississippi; Flooding Threatens Southeast

Weekend storms raked parts of the Southeast, leaving deaths and injuries in their wake as a tornado smashed into a commercial district in a small Mississippi city and drenching rains fed a rising flood threat. A woman was killed when …

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Parker Joins Alliant’s Atlanta Benefits Team

Atlanta-based benefits and wellness consultant Scott Parker has joined the Employee Benefits Group of Alliant. Serving as first vice president, Parker will design and deliver integrated employee benefits products for organizations. With more than 30 years of benefits experience, Parker’s …

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Former California Insurance Agent Allegedly Faked Workers’ Comp Insurance

Former California licensed insurance agent, Alan Amir Yousefi, 31, was charged with 10 felony counts including grand theft, insurance fraud and forgery, for allegedly stealing more than $105,000 in insurance premiums from several business owners. Yousefi reportedly used a variety …

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Nevada Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Speed Camera Bill

Nevada lawmakers have expressed concern over legislation that would give governments the ability to install red light and speed cameras to capture traffic violations. Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson raised concerns this week that the enforcement cameras will first appear …

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Michigan Court Rules Against Medical Marijuana User in Rescinded Job Offer Case

Michigan’s Court of Appeals has ruled against a woman whose offer of conditional employment by a public entity was rescinded after she tested positive for marijuana even though she had a state-issued card allowing her to use the drug. An …

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Texas’ Harris County to Get $320K Federal Grant for Flood Tunnel Study

The county home to Houston is in line to receive a $320,000 federal grant to evaluate a flood protection strategy that involves building deep underground tunnels to move stormwater to the city’s ship channel. The Harris County Flood Control District …

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Washington Jury Awards $14M in Malpractice Suit

A King County, Wash. jury has awarded a West Seattle woman nearly $14 million in a medical-malpractice suit against Seattle Children’s Hospital and Children’s University Medical Group. The Seattle Times reports the jury found doctors failed to prevent a stroke …

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Unlicensed California Agent Allegedly Steals $174K in Premiums

Connie Free, 34, of Moreno Valley, Calif., is scheduled to be arraigned today on 18 felony counts including grand theft and forgery after allegedly stealing at least $174,000 in insurance premiums from seven different victims. The former insurance agent allegedly …

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Participants in $200M California Workers’ Comp Scheme Sentenced

Several conspirators involved in a massive workers’ comp kickback scheme have been ordered to serve prison sentences and pay millions in financial penalties for their roles in the corrupt payment of millions of dollars to induce doctors and other medical …

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Berkshire P/C Insurance Reported Q4 Loss, Profit for Full Year 2018

P/CIn the conglomerate’s annual report published on Saturday, Berkshire Hathaway’s Chair Warren Buffett recommended that readers focus on operating earnings, reviewing a year in which insurance operations contributed $6.1 billion to a $24.8 billion total. While total operating income rose …

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California Data Privacy Proposal Could Get Even Tougher

The strongest data privacy law in the country may be about to get sharper teeth, and lobbyists representing the tech industry think it’s a disastrous idea. Companies that amass user data could be the target of mass class-action litigation from …

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Allstar Underwriters Expands HO-6 Condo Insurance Program to Three Eastern States

Allstar Underwriters (AUI) has expanded its HO-6 Condo Insurance Program to three additional states. The expansion covers Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. Through the HO-6 expansion, AUI aims to continue developing programs that meet the needs of agents and insureds …

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Officials Say Plane Had Fuel Tank Issues Before Fatal Massachusetts Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board says a plane crashed into an apartment building in Massachusetts, killing a former mayor, had fuel tank issues months before the fatal crash. The Eagle-Tribune reports that investigators did not say exactly what caused the …

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Connecticut Governor Lamont Fills Top Public Health, Insurance Agency Jobs

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has announced his choices to lead the departments of public health and insurance. The Democrat is nominating Renee D. Coleman-Mitchell, a health care executive, to oversee the health department. Coleman-Mitchell is executive director of Cougar Health …

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New York Governor Orders Investigation into Facebook’s Access to User Data

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday ordered two state agencies to investigate a media report that Facebook Inc may be accessing far more personal information than previously known from smartphone users, including health and other sensitive data. The directive …

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Ping An insurance Readies $8 Billion IPO of Fintech OneConnect

Ping An Insurance (Group) Co., China’s largest insurer by market value, is gearing up for an initial public offering of its OneConnect unit that could value the financial management portal at about $8 billion, according to people familiar with the …

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China Regulator Tells Banks, Insurers to Do More for Private Firms

China’s banking and insurance regulator said on Monday it had told all of the country’s banks to sharply increase lending to private companies, as policymakers step up support for the slowing economy. Big state-owned commercial banks should increase outstanding loans …

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Unpicking the Complicated Finances of UK Insurance Exec, Pro-Brexit Donor Banks

Ever since Brexit supporter Arron Banks made the largest political donation in British history he’s been dogged by questions about where he got the money. For a man who told the Financial Times he was worth 100 million pounds ($130 …

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Brazil Prosecutors Seek Arrest of Vale Executive after Tailings Dam Disaster

Brazilian federal prosecutors are seeking the arrest of a Vale SA senior executive, authorities said on Friday, following the collapse of a dam holding mining byproducts that is believed to have killed over 300 people. This is the first time …

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Belgium’s Ageas Acquires 40% Stake in Indian Non-Life Insurer RSGI

Brussels-based insurer Ageas has acquired 40 percent of the share capital of the Indian Non-Life insurance company Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Limited (RSGI) for a total cash consideration of €185 million ($160.5 million). The deal, which was first announced …

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Judge Drops Criminal Charges in Kansas Boy’s Water Slide Death

A judge on Feb. 22 dismissed criminal charges against a Kansas water park owner and the designer of a 17-story slide on which a 10-year-old boy was decapitated in 2016. Wyandotte County Judge Robert Burns cited improper evidence in dropping …

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How to Get Autonomous Cars to Pull Over for Police

It was still dark on a Friday morning in November when a California Highway Patrol officer started following a Tesla Model S on Route 101 between the San Francisco International Airport and Palo Alto. The gray sedan was going 70 …

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Millions in China Penalized Under Communist’s ‘Social Credit’ System

Skipped paying a fine in China? Then forget about buying an airline ticket. Would-be air travelers were blocked from buying tickets 17.5 million times last year for “social credit” offenses including unpaid taxes and fines under a controversial system the …

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Bayer Faces Second Trial Over Roundup Cancer Risk Claim

Bayer AG is set to face a second U.S. jury over allegations that its popular glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup causes cancer, six months after the company’s share price was rocked by a $289 million verdict in California state court. A …

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Anthem, Cigna in Court Battles Over Failed Merger

There’s no dispute that a $48.9 billion merger announced in 2015 between health insurers Anthem Inc. and Cigna Corp. imploded two years later over antitrust concerns. Now, the question is whether one owes the other billions for the deal’s failure. …

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Vatican Said to Be Changing Law Shielding Bishops Who Hide Sex Abuse

The legal loopholes that have allowed Catholic bishops to escape sanction when they cover up clergy sex abuse cases may be closing. Two U.S. cardinals have confirmed that the Vatican is working on a “clarification” to a 2016 law that …

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GEICO’s Nicely Quietly Retired as CEO; Roberts at Helm

Warren Buffett used his annual letter to heap praise on Tony Nicely, the long-time chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s GEICO insurance unit. The letter also offered some perhaps surprising news: Nicely retired as CEO last year. Nicely handed …

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Neike Joins Jackson Sumner & Associates in North Carolina

Jackson Sumner & Associates (JSA) has hired Joi Neike as director of Business Development for the North Carolina-based company. Neike has worked in the marketing and communications field throughout the country for more than 20 years, most recently serving as …

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Georgia Lawmakers Approve $20M More in Loans to Farmers for Michael Recovery

A midyear budget that would add $20 million for loans to farmers and $2 million for hospitals affected by Hurricane Michael has received final approval from the Georgia legislature. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the budget covering through June 30, …

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Florida Deputy Arrested for Filing False Auto Claim with GEICO

A deputy with the sheriff’s office in Orange County, Fla., has been arrested after he allegedly filed a false and fraudulent automobile insurance claim with GEICO Insurance Co., according to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS). …

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Several Days of Heavy Rains Soak Southeast, Cause Flooding, Road Closures

Homes, highways, parks and bridges throughout the South were flooded or put out of commission Saturday, as the toll of days of drenching rains swelled waterways and pooled over saturated lands amid a threat of severe storms. Interstate 40 near …

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Fire Severely Damages Downtown Businesses in Guthrie, Oklahoma

Multiple fire crews are responding to a blaze that has badly damaged businesses in Guthrie, north of Oklahoma City. Firefighters battled to contain a structure fire Saturday afternoon after officials say it consumed two businesses that sold flowers and musical …

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Farm Bureau Health Coverage Plan Favored by Rural Kansas Lawmakers

Rural state lawmakers are pushing a plan to allow the Kansas Farm Bureau to offer health insurance coverage to members without having to comply with federal Affordable Care Act mandates in hopes that the influential agriculture group can offer a …

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3 Killed in Amazon Cargo Plane Crash Near Houston

A widebody cargo plane hauling packages for Amazon abruptly plunged out of the sky and slammed into a bay on Saturday as it was preparing to land in Houston. All three people on board were killed. The Boeing Co. 767-300, …

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Berkshire Hathaway in Talks to Sell Workers’ Compensation Unit Applied Underwriters

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is in advanced discussions to sell its Applied Underwriters workers compensation unit to a consortium of insurance firms, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The deal would be a rare divestment by Buffett, …

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TxDOT: Traffic Fatalities Increased in Energy Producing Regions

Booming energy production has brought jobs and economic gains to communities throughout Texas, but also an unintended consequence with a rise in traffic fatalities and injuries, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reports. In 2017, more than 194,000 crashes — …

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Louisiana Officials Warn of Goods Stolen from Storage Units, Sheds

Authorities are telling residents in one part of Louisiana to check sheds, patios and self-storage units to see whether anything’s missing, even a kitchen sink. They’re also telling self-storage business owners to check for signs of tampering, and for locked …

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Arkansas Panel Approves Rules for Use of Previously Banned Herbicide

An Arkansas panel has adopted a plan to allow restricted use of an herbicide banned in the wake of complaints that it drifted onto crops and caused damage. The Arkansas Plant Board voted after a 91/2-hour public hearing on Feb. …

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Illinois EPA Shuts Medical Instrument Sterilization Facility Due to Pollution

A suburban Chicago plant that sterilizes medical instruments with a chemical believed to be cancer causing has been shut by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The state EPA issued a seal order for Sterigenics U.S. in Willowbrook. The agency said …

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Nationwide Insurance Cuts more Jobs in Iowa

Nationwide Insurance has more than doubled the number of Des Moines job cuts it announced last fall. Nationwide said in November that about 80 workers in Des Moines would lose their jobs as part of a company effort to eliminate …

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Bill Creating North Dakota Health Reinsurance Pool Advances

Proposed legislation in North Dakota that would establish invisible reinsurance pool for the individual health insurance market, unanimously passed the North Dakota House of Representatives, the state insurance department announced. HB 1106 is a bill proposed by the North Dakota …

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California Bill Would Make Clergy Report Abuse Revealed in Confessions

A California lawmaker says clergy should be required to report suspected child abuse and neglect even if they learn of it during confession. Democratic Sen. Jerry Hill said the bill he introduced Wednesday is “about the safety and protection of …

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Washington Dairy Farms Take $4M Hit from Cows Lost in Blizzard

Officials say the more than 1,800 dairy cows that died in a blizzard in southern Washington state earlier this month were a nearly $4 million loss, not including the lost milk production. Farm Service Agency program specialist Gerri Richter tells …

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Data Mistake Exposed Names of 974,000 University of Washington Patients

University of Washington Medicine says a website server inadvertently made internal files concerning nearly 1 million patients available on the internet. The organization said the files contained patients’ names and medical record numbers but no medical records, financial information or …

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Paltrow in Utah Lawsuit Says Skier Wants to Exploit Her Fame

Gwyneth Paltrow said in a court filing that a man who accused her in a lawsuit of crashing into him at a Utah ski resort was actually the culprit in the collision and is trying to exploit her celebrity and …

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Washington Commissioner Disciplines, Fines Numerous Insurance Professionals

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler disciplined and issued numerous fines in January against insurance companies, agents and others who violated state insurance regulations. Insurance companies Pacific Blue Health Network, New York City; ordered to cease and desist from selling insurance …

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2 CATCo Executives Sue Markel Over Firing; Claim They Are Owed $77 Million

Two fired executives of Markel’s Bermuda reinsurance operations are suing Markel claiming the company created a false narrative alleging they violated corporate policy by having a personal relationship in order to escape having to pay them bonuses worth millions of …

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Michael Jackson Estate $100M Lawsuit Alleges ‘Character Assassination’ by HBO

The estate of Michael Jackson sued HBO for $100 million over what it says is the “posthumous character assassination” of the late singer in the “Leaving Neverland” documentary. The Jackson estate alleges HBO, which is owned by AT&T Inc., violated …

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U.S. Working with Mexico, Canada to Block African Swine Fever

The United States, Canada and Mexico are coordinating efforts to prevent the arrival of a highly contagious swine disease that has swept through China’s hog herd and parts of Europe, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Thursday. The disease, …

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China Regulator to Retain Control of Anbang Insurance Group Until Next Year

China’s banking and insurance regulator said on Friday it will extend its control of Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. for one year to Feb. 22, 2020. The regulator will maintain the stable operation of Anbang and protect the interests of …

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New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Stealing $190K from Former Employer

A former site manager for a temporary staffing agency in New Jersey has been sentenced to prison for stealing $190,000 from the agency. Xiomara Jovel, 47, of Roselle, N.J., was sentenced to three years in state prison by Superior Court …

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Baltimore Sues Chemical Company Monsanto Over PCB Pollution

Baltimore has filed a lawsuit against the agrochemical giant Monsanto and two other companies, accusing them of polluting city waterways and stormwater. The legal effort focuses on PCBs, the industrial chemicals that have long accumulated in animals, plants and people …

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Dropped Thermos May Have Been Behind Deadly 2017 New York Bus Crash

A dropped thermos wedged between the brake and accelerator pedals of a charter bus may have been behind a 2017 crash in Flushing, New York, that killed three people, U.S. transportation investigators said Thursday. The motorcoach ran a red light …

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Financial and Reputational Costs of Cyber Attacks Can Be Fatal to SMEs: Chubb

The average price tag for a business to recover after a cyber attack is $400,000, which can be fatal for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to a report published by Chubb. This hefty cost of repairing the business and its reputation …

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Arch Capital Group Names Englesbe as Chief Risk Officer

Arch Capital Group Ltd. announced that Janice Englesbe will join the company as senior vice president, chief risk officer (CRO) effective Feb. 25, 2019. Englesbe will be based in Arch’s Bermuda office and report to François Morin, the company’s executive …

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Scandinavians Stunned over Region’s Growing Money Laundering Allegations

Scandinavians are taking a hard look at their institutions as allegations of systematic money laundering rock the entire region. With Swedbank AB becoming the latest lender to get dragged into a dirty money scandal that’s already engulfed Danske Bank A/S, …

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UK Prime Minister May Be Forced to Request 3-Month Brexit Delay: EU Sources

The European Union expects U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May to be forced to request a three-month delay to Brexit, two EU officials said. Discussions between the two sides suggest May will ask for an extension to the two-year negotiating period …

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U.S. Wants Regional Response Teams for Oil Train Wreck

Federal transportation officials are requiring railroads to establish regional response teams along oil train routes following a series of fiery derailments. The new rule is aimed at having crews and equipment ready in the event of an accident. It applies …

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Broken Nike Basketball Shoe Could Be Product Liability Case

The high-profile failure of a Nike Inc. basketball shoe on Wednesday night was more than an epic embarrassment for the athletic brand. It could be a product-liability case. Duke University star freshman Zion Williamson — the consensus No. 1 pick …

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Heavy Rains Cause Flash Flooding, Mudslide in Deep South

Parts of the Deep South are experiencing flash flooding and other problems from heavy rains. Floodwaters covered roads on Wednesday in parts of eastern Mississippi and northern Alabama. In northwest Georgia, a mudslide was reported Wednesday beside a gas station …

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Kentucky Bourbon Industry Expresses Support for Proposed Ignition Interlock Bill

Kentucky’s bourbon industry teamed with leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving on Wednesday to promote legislation aimed at reducing drunken driving by increasing the use of a device that block vehicles from starting if the driver isn’t sober. The bill …

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Supreme Court Declines to Revive Wrongful Death Suit Over Mississippi Police Shooting

The U.S. Supreme Court will not revive a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a black man shot to death by a white police officer in Mississippi. Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert was killed in June 2016 in Tupelo. In …

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Lotter Joins Policy Administration Systems Provider, Instec, in Illinois

Naperville, Illinois-based Instec, a provider of policy administration systems to insurance program and specialty markets, has hired CJ Lotter as senior solution architect. He joins Instec’s engagement management team responsible for overseeing the implementation of Instec’s policy, underwriting and billing …

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Florida Woman Arrested in $68K Hurricane Irma Scam

A Florida woman has been arrested for alleged unlicensed practice of public adjusting and grand theft related to Hurricane Irma, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial Services. Mary Bruce is accused of attempting to steal more …

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Houston Insurance Broker Launches Online Tool to Connect Agents, Customers

Houston-based insurance broker, Frank Medina, has launched Insurance Agent Near Me, an online tool that connects customers with reputable insurance agents in their vicinity. Insurance Agent Near Me lists all the major insurance products that are being searched online daily …

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Officials: Up to 100 Pedicabs Destroyed in Austin Warehouse Fire

Austin officials say a warehouse fire wiped out one-fifth of the city’s pedicabs just weeks before the South by Southwest festival, one of the busiest times for bicycle rickshaw operators. The Austin Fire Department reports that two companies, Metrocycle Pedicabs …

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Shipping Company Fined $2M for Dumping Oily Waste into Gulf

A federal judge ordered a shipping company to pay $2 million in fines after one of its tankers illegally dumped oily waste into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Interorient Marine Services Limited was fined Feb. 13 …

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Indiana City Shares Responsibility for Crash That Killed 3, Lawsuit Says

A lawsuit says a northern Indiana city shares responsibility for a crash that killed two children and a man who were walking along a sidewalk. Authorities say Leonard Grosswiler was driving in August 2017 when his vehicle struck five pedestrians …

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McChristian, Proksa to Lead Insurance, Risk Management Programs at Gies College of Business

The University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business has Lynne McChristian and Corrie Proksa to lead its insurance and risk management programs. McChristian has been named director of the Office of Risk Management and Insurance Research (ORMIR), Proksa and will …

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North Dakota Insurance Dept. Appeals Court Ruling on Air Ambulance Balance Bills

The North Dakota Insurance Department has appealed a ruling from a U.S. District Court invalidating a law protecting individuals with health insurance from receiving large and unexpected balance bills to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner …

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Alabama Coal Firm to Pay $775K in Air Pollution Penalties

One of Alabama’s largest coal companies has agreed to pay $775,000 in penalties related to air pollution violations near Birmingham. Al.com reported Feb 12. that the proposed Drummond Company settlement comes nearly eight years after violations were discovered during a …

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Nashville Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Multiple Lawsuits Against Restaurant

A Nashville restaurant is facing multiple lawsuits after at least 20 customers reported becoming infected with salmonella. According to WKRN-TV, the four lawsuits are each seeking up to $1.5 million in damages from Milk and Honey following the August foodborne …

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Lloyd’s Chairman Carnegie-Brown Reflects on Life of Former Chairman Rowland

Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chairman of Lloyd’s issued this market bulletin on Feb. 18, 2019 about the life and death of Sir David Rowland, who was chairman of the market between 1993 and 1997. It is with great sadness that I am …

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EPA Investigating GenX Production at Chemours’ North Carolina Plant

A chemical maker’s North Carolina plant may have broken federal law by failing to notify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before it started manufacturing and repurposing new industrial compounds, the agency said this week. The Chemours Co. also failed to …

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Aquiline to Acquire Relation Insurance Services in California

Aquiline Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm investing in financial services and technology, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Relation Insurance Services from private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Equity Partners. Terms of …

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Cavignac & Associates in California Adds Rodriguez in Surety Department

San Diego, Calif.-based Cavignac & Associates has named Jessica Rodriguez an account administrator within the agency’s surety department. Rodriguez serves as the client contact within the department for processing bond requests. She has experience in both insurance and the real …

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Private Equity Firm GTCR Returns to Take Majority Stake in AssuredPartners

Apax VIII, a fund advised by Apax Partners, has agreed to sell its entire stake in AssuredPartners, a growing U.S. insurance brokerage, to an investor group led by GTCR, a Chicago-based private equity firm. GTCR previously owned AssuredPartners from its …

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Built on Organic Growth, S. African Insurer Discovery Now Weighs M&As

South African insurer Discovery could expand through acquisitions in the future but must first work out how its innovative fluctuating premiums, based on clients’ lifestyle behaviors, could be applied to more traditional businesses. Discovery has spent more than two decades …

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Insurtechs Neptune, Hippo Unite Home, Flood Insurance Online for Speedy Purchasing

Flood insurance company Neptune Flood has partnered with online Hippo Insurance to provide consumers with quick access to flood insurance as part of purchasing of home insurance. Hippo promises quick processing and modernized home insurance coverage at a savings. It …

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AM Best Removes from Under Review, Downgrades Ratings for American Sentinel

AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B++ (Good) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb” from “a” of American Sentinel Insurance Company of Harrisburg, Penn. …

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Family of Massachusetts Woman Killed by Manhole Cover Files Lawsuit

The family of a Massachusetts woman killed on her way to work when a 200-pound manhole cover flew up and crashed through her vehicle’s windshield has sued the state Transportation Department and two contractors. The wrongful death suit filed by …

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Vermont Gets More Than $2M in Amtrak Rail Safety Grants

The Vermont Agency of Transportation is getting more than $2 million for safety upgrades along the route of the Amtrak Vermonter, addressing conditions that resulted in a 2015 derailment. The money from the Federal Railroad Administration will be used to …

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Insurtech Trov Now Selling in 7 Additional States and D.C.

Insurtech Trōv is now offering its on-demand online, single-item insurance products in seven additional states and the District of Columbia. Trōv has now expanded into Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. The insurtech company had previously …

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‘Sextortion’ Is Emerging Cyber Risk Hitting Businesses, Warns Beazley

A new form of online bribery by cyber criminals who attempt to extort cryptocurrency by claiming to have potentially embarrassing evidence of people using adult websites on work computers is adding to the tide of cyber-related incidents hitting businesses, according …

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NASA Warns SpaceX, Boeing on Space Program Risks

NASA has warned SpaceX and Boeing Co. of design and safety concerns for their competing astronaut launch systems, according to industry sources and a new government report, threatening the U.S. bid to revive its human spaceflight program later this year. …

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Insurers Shy Away from ETFs Even After Rule Change

Many insurance companies are steering clear of exchange-traded funds even after a high profile rule change designed to make them easier to own. Almost 40 percent of insurers aren’t using ETFs more than a year after the National Association of …

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One of Lawsuits by Kids Against Trump Climate Policies Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by two Pennsylvania boys and an environmental group seeking to stop U.S. President Donald Trump from rolling back regulations addressing climate change, saying the court does not have power to tell the White …

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Johnson & Johnson Facing Justice, SEC Inquiries into Baby Powder Litigation

Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it has received subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to litigation involving alleged asbestos contamination in its signature Baby Powder product line. The company said it intends …

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Global Broking Network Brokerslink Appoints Gavriel as European Regional Manager

Global broking network Brokerslink has appointed Christos Gavriel to the role of regional manager for Europe. Gavriel has a strong background in insurance having previously held various international roles at AIG before going on to set up and manage his …

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Estonia Probes Allegations Swedbank Linked to Danske Money Laundering Scandal

Estonia is investigating allegations linking Swedbank to suspicious transactions in the country involving Danske Bank, Estonia’s state prosecutor said on Wednesday. Danske is being investigated in its home market of Denmark, Estonia, Britain, France and the United States over some …

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Swiss Re 2018 Net Profit Rises 27% Despite Spate of Natural, Man-Made Disasters

Reinsurer Swiss Re on Thursday posted a 27.2 percent jump in 2018 net profit, despite claims from large-scale natural catastrophes and man-made disasters. Net profit for the full year came in at $421 million, compared with $331 million a year …

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AXA Reports 66% Drop in 2018 Net Profit on U.S. Unit’s IPO Costs, Natural Disasters

Net profits at AXA, Europe’s second biggest insurer, fell sharply as a result of charges related to its U.S. unit’s initial public offering (IPO) and a spate of natural disasters, although AXA hoped for higher earnings this year. Its 2018 …

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Palmer Joins EPIC’s Energy, Marine Practice in Houston

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants has added Jose Palmer as a principal in the energy and marine practice within its property/and casualty operations. He is based in Houston and reports to Southwest Region Managing Principal and Director KJ Wagner. Palmer …

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AM Best Revises Status to Developing for California Capital Insurance Co. and Subsidiaries

AM Best has revised the implications of the under review status to developing from negative for the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of California Capital Insurance Co. and its subsidiaries. …

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Insurer Hit With $102K Fine for Selling Illegal NRA-Branded Policies

Illinois Union Insurance Co. has paid a $102,000 fine after Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler ordered the company to cease underwriting self-defense policies branded by the National Rifle Association. After an investigation, Kreidler ordered Illinois Union in January to stop …

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Great American Insurance Promotes Mercurio, Thompson

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Great American Insurance Group has promoted Anthony (Tony) J. Mercurio and David L. Thompson Jr. to executive vice presidents of its property/casualty group. Mercurio will continue to serve as president and CEO of National Interstate – a position …

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North Dakota House OKs Medical Marijuana Law Changes

The North Dakota House approved legislation that would expand the list of medical conditions for which residents can use medical marijuana, add health care professionals who can certify patients for the drug and increase the forms it can come in. …

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Louisiana Flood Victims Still Waiting for Federal Recovery Grants

The month-long partial federal government shutdown likely further delayed aid grants to homeowners still trying to recover from the 2016 flooding, Louisiana’s top disaster recovery official said. As many as 6,000 Louisiana residents who took out loans from the U.S. …

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Insurers Reminding Farmers About the Dangers of Working in Grain Bins

Working in grain bins can be deadly, so insurers want to remind farmers of the dangers. Nationwide insurance is helping sponsor a campaign to educate farmers about safety procedures they can use when working in grain bins. Farmers should wear …

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Texas Woman Sentenced for $46K Worker’s Comp Fraud

A Texas woman owes just over $46,000 to the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier after being sentenced for workers’ compensation fraud in a Travis County district court. According to Texas Mutual Insurance Co., Shannon Drew of Aubrey, Texas, Drew …

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Round 12: Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Shedding more Policies

Louisiana’s property insure of last resort has completed another round of policy depopulation — it’s 12th, the state insurance department announced. As the state’s insurer of last resort, Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. (Citizens) offers property insurance to any home …

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MGA Coalition Covers Firms with Cyber Exposure Under EU’s Data Privacy Law

Coalition, the San Francisco-based managing general agency that specializes in cyber insurance for small and mid-sized businesses, announced it is broadening coverage to include exposures to violations of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Unlike other cyber insurance …

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Rental Vacation Home Owners in Hawaii Sued over Fines

Kauai officials are suing the owners of a vacation home, claiming they are violating county zoning ordinances for using the property as a short-term rental. The Garden Island reports the Kauai County Planning Department filed the lawsuit last week, seeking …

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Data Breach in Arizona Hits Restaurants, Hotels

A data breach may have compromised the personal information of customers who patronized any of 50 Arizona businesses last month. North Country Business Products says an investigation of “suspicious activity” led to the discovery that an unauthorized party deployed malware …

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Ironshore’s Shrubb Joins AXA XL’s Terrorism Insurance Team in U.S.

Morgan Shrubb has joined AXA XL Insurance as underwriting manager for War, Terrorism & Political Violence, reporting to Daniel O’Connell, global head of the special unit. Shrubb joins AXA XL from Ironshore International where she served as a production specialist, …

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C&S Insurance Acquires Massachusetts’ Francis M. Walley Insurance Agency

C&S Insurance has acquired Dedham, Mass.-based Francis M. Walley Insurance Agency. Since assuming ownership in 2012, C&S Insurance second-generation owners Ben Cavallo and Keith Signoriello have completed seven agency acquisitions. Altogether, C&S Insurance – headquartered in Mansfield, Mass. – now …

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N.J. Insurers, Regulated Entities Urged to Assist Marcal Employees Affected by Fire

New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Marlene Caride last week issued a bulletin encouraging insurers and entities regulated by the department to work with and assist employees of the Marcal paper products facility who lost their jobs after …

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As Health Plan Deductibles Rise, Expect More Workers’ Compensation Claims

Are employees injured at work more likely to file under workers’ compensation instead of group health insurance when their group health plan has a higher deductible? The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found evidence they do in a new study …

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Vermont Workers’ Comp Rates to Decrease for Third Year in a Row

Workers’ compensation insurance will continue to cost less for most Vermont employers when new rates approved by the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) become effective on April 1, 2019. This is the third rate decrease since Governor Phil Scott took …

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UK to Extend No-Fly Zone for Drones Flying Near Airports

Britain will impose a 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) drone exclusion zone around its runways as the government responds to illegal incursions that closed London Gatwick airport for 36 hours in December, disrupting travel for more than 120,000 people. The measures, …

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Crypto Startup BitGo Offers Insurance Against Quadriga Cold-Wallet Debacle

While users of the troubled Quadriga CX cryptocurrency exchange remain unable to retrieve millions in funds, a startup backed by mainstream companies such as Goldman Sachs says they’re able to offer some protection. BitGo Inc., which provides custodian services on …

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Hong Kong Insurer FWD Hires Ex-Deutsche Bank Dealmaker as M&A Adviser

FWD Group, the insurer backed by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, has hired former Deutsche Bank AG dealmaker Tan Boon-Kee as senior adviser for mergers and acquisitions. Tan, who will be based in Singapore, started in her new role at …

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Aviva Gets Court Approval to Move Assets to Ireland as Part of Wider Brexit Wave

England’s High Court on Tuesday gave Aviva, Britain’s second largest insurer, approval to transfer around 9 billion pounds ($11.69 billion) in assets to a new Irish company just before the starting gun is fired on Brexit. The move, timed for …

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SCOR Names Conoscente CEO of SCOR Global P&C, Succeeding Peignet

SCOR announced the appointment of Jean-Paul Conoscente, currently chief executive officer of reinsurance at SCOR Global P&C, as CEO of SCOR Global P&C. This appointment follows Victor Peignet’s decision to retire for personal reasons, after 35 years with the SCOR …

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Dodrill Appointed as West Virginia Insurance Commissioner to Succeed McVey

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has appointed James A. Dodrill as insurance commissioner, effective March 4, 2019. Dodrill succeeds Allen McVey, who was appointed earlier this year as secretary of the West Virginia Department of Administration. For the past two …

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SCOR’s Net Profit in 2018 Rises 13% Despite Spate of Q4 Natural Disasters

French reinsurer SCOR, which was the target of a thwarted acquisition by rival Covea last year, posted a surge in overall 2018 net profits despite making a loss in the fourth quarter caused by a spate of natural disasters. Net …

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UK Probe of Wholesale Brokers Finds No Evidence of Anti-Competitive Behavior

Britain’s wholesale insurance brokers got a clean bill of health from the markets watchdog on Wednesday, providing some relief for an industry already spending millions of pounds on Brexit. London’s insurance market, which spans the Lloyd’s of London market and …

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Alllianz Targets Tech, Insurance Investments with $1.1B Venture Capital Fund

European insurer Allianz SE is increasing the size of its tech investment fund to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion), making it one of the largest corporate-backed venture funds in Europe. Allianz X was launched in 2016 with a 430 million-euro …

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Rail Tank Car Leak Injuries Lead to Safety Recommendations

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued five safety recommendations following completion of its investigation of the Aug. 27, 2016, chlorine release from a ruptured rail tank car near New Martinsville, West Virginia. There were eight injuries reported in connection …

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Supreme Court Justice Thomas Calls for Overturning Landmark Libel Case

Justice Clarence Thomas called for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the landmark 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan ruling, which protects news organizations from most libel suits when they write about public figures. Adding to a list of far-reaching …

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High School Student at Lincoln Memorial Protest Sues Washington Pos

A high school student from Covington, Kentucky, sued the Washington Post for defamation on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper falsely accused him of racist acts and instigating a confrontation with a Native American activist in a January videotaped incident at the …

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Georgia Volunteer Firefighter Arrested for Arson

A volunteer firefighter from Nicholls, Ga., was arrested and charged with three counts of arson after a fire at a wood structure in Alma, Ga., according to a statement from the Georgia Department of Insurance (GADOI). Investigators in Safety Fire …

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AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Florida-Based Universal North America

AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” of Universal North America Insurance Co. (UNAIC), based in Sarasota, …

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Highway Fatalities in Kentucky Drop Again in 2018

Officials say traffic fatalities on Kentucky highways are down for the second year in a row. The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety that says preliminary figures show there were 722 highway fatalities in 2018, down from 782 in 2017 and …

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California Department of Insurance Issues Cease And Desist Order for Benefits Firm

The California Department of Insurance issued a Cease and Desist Order effective immediately upon NexGen Insurance Services Inc., Riverstone Capital, LLC (dba Riverstone Capital Insurance Services LLC) and its owner/operators Travis O. Bugli, James C. Kelly and Robert M. Clarke. …

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Auto-Owners Insurance to Acquire Capital Insurance Group in California

Auto-Owners Insurance has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Monterey, Calif.-based Capital Insurance Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Philo Smith & Co. was the exclusive financial advisor to Auto-Owners. Auto-Owners Insurance Group is headquartered in Lansing, …

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Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case that Could Limit Water Pollution Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider limiting the scope of a landmark law aimed at curbing water pollution in a dispute pitting environmentalists against local authorities in Hawaii over a wastewater treatment plant. The justices agreed to …

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Winter Weather Advisories in Oklahoma, Texas And Arkansas

A storm system could yield snow and ice in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS issued a winter weather advisory for Tuesday through Wednesday morning for parts of western Texas, Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. …

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Woman Awarded $37M by Texas Jury over Seat Belts

A Texas jury has awarded more than $37 million to a woman who sued Honda after being paralyzed in a 2015 car crash. Sarah Milburn sued the automaker over its seatbelt design after her Uber driver ran a red light …

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Wisconsin Governor to Propose Decriminalizing Marijuana

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers will propose decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana in his plan for the next state budget, a newspaper reported Sunday. Evers also will propose legalizing marijuana for medical conditions including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain, …

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Actor Told He Can’t Copyright Dance Moves in California Lawsuit

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Alfonso Ribeiro has been denied a copyright for the ?Carlton” dance, which he’s suing two videogame makers over. The denial from the U.S. Copyright Office was revealed last week in a motion to dismiss …

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Montana Lawsuit Over 2012 Police Tackling Injury Settled

The city of Billings has settled a lawsuit filed by a man whose rotator cuff was torn when a police officer tackled him, wrongly identifying him as a crime suspect. The Billings Gazette reports that Robert Bassett will receive $80,000 …

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CREST Insurance Group in Arizona Names Welch Vice President

CREST Insurance Group LLC in Arizona has named Lindsay Welch vice president of community relations and business development. She will be responsible for managing Crest’s philanthropic involvement and brand awareness. She most recently was CEO of her strategic development and …

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Pennsylvania Woman’s Son Pleads Guilty, Gets Probation in Mansion Fire Fraud Case

The son of a suburban Philadelphia woman convicted in a multi-million-dollar insurance fraud case following fires at her Bucks County property has been sentenced to four years’ probation. Forty-seven-year-old Carl Risoldi of Doylestown, Penn., pleaded guilty Friday to three related …

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A.M. Best Makes Senior Management Changes, Restructures Organization

A.M. Best announced that Roger Sellek will step down as CEO of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (AP) regions at the end of March. As part of its succession planning process, A.M. Best has also …

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Maine’s BroGue Insurance & Financial Services Promotes Kinney, Hires Cole

BroGue Insurance & Financial Services has promoted Heather Kinney to agency manager and hired Derek Cole. Kinney began her insurance career in 1990 and has been a licensed agent since 1999, with experience in both personal and commercial lines. In …

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PMC Insurance Group Hires Skinner as Assistant Vice President in Massachusetts

PMC Insurance Group, a Bedford, Mass.-headquartered, national workers’ compensation wholesaler, has hired Richard Skinner as assistant vice president for its staffing programs division, StaffPRO3. In his new role, Skinner will be responsible for growing new business nationwide. He brings more …

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How Pricing Insurance for Cars of Future Could Bring Insurers, Carmakers Together

Dan Peate, a venture capitalist and entrepreneur in Southern California, was thinking of buying a Tesla Model X a few years ago—until he called his insurance company and found out how much his premiums would rise. “The quoted me $10,000 …

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VW Wins Diesel Emissions Case in Germany Brought by Customer Who Plans Appeal

A German court on Tuesday ruled in favor of Volkswagen in a case brought by a customer seeking compensation for having bought a diesel car affected by emissions cheating, but the plaintiff’s lawyer plans to appeal. A lower court in …

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China Abandons Pledge, Returns to Very Active Hacking of U.S., Report Says

China largely abandoned a hacking truce negotiated by Barack Obama as President Donald Trump embarked on a trade war with Beijing last year, according to the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike Inc. A slowdown in Chinese hacking following the cybersecurity agreement Obama’s …

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Apollo Global Management Completes Acquisition of Aspen

Apollo Global Management LLC, the investment firm led by Leon Black, has completed its acquisition of Aspen Insurance Holdings for $42.75 per share in cash, or equity value of $2.6 billion. The transaction, which was first announced on Aug. 28, …

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JBA Broadens Access to Sri Lanka Flood Model to Help Bridge Protection Gap

JBA Risk Management has released its Sri Lanka Flood Model onto Simplitium’s ModEx platform. The initiative is specifically aimed at broadening accessibility to the Sri Lanka model for both the insurance and wider disaster risk reduction (DRR) community. The announcement …

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Facebook Broke Data Privacy Rules, so Self-Regulation Must End: UK Lawmakers

Facebook intentionally breached data privacy and competition law and should, along with other big tech companies, be subject to a new regulator to protect democracy and citizens’ rights, British lawmakers said on Monday. In a damning report that singled out …

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Lloyd’s Managing Agency Antares Appoints Battle as Chief Executive Officer

Antares the Lloyd’s managing agency and member of the QIC Group announced the appointment of Jonathan (Joe) Battle, the current active underwriter, as chief executive officer (subject to necessary regulatory approvals). Stephen Redmond, current managing director of Antares, has been …

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UK-EU Negotiators Work to Find Brexit Deal Compromise with Time Running Out

U.K. and European officials are working on a new legal text for the most contentious part of the Brexit deal, but time is running out for Prime Minister Theresa May to persuade a fracturing Parliament to unite behind her plan. …

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Outlooks Revised to Positive for Michigan’s Auto Club Group

AM 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 Dearborn, Michigan-based Auto Club Insurance Association and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Auto …

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Missouri’s POWERS Insurance and Risk Management Hires Hentschke, Wittenberg

POWERS Insurance and Risk Management, a St. Louis, Missouri-based family owned and operated independent insurance agency, has added Samantha Hentschke as personal lines account manager and Luke Wittenberg as commercial lines insurance advisor. Hentschke will pursue new business opportunities, as …

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State Farm’s Ohio Auto Insurance Customers to See Rate Cuts

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. announced it is cutting its rates in Ohio for the second year in a row. The overall personal auto rate in the state is dropping by 3.7 percent, effective Feb. 18. The total state-wide …

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FTC Privacy Settlement Over Cambridge Analytica Could Cost Facebook Billions

Facebook Inc. is in talks with U.S. regulators over alleged privacy violations that could force the social-media giant to pay billions of dollars in a record-breaking settlement, according to two people familiar with the matter. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s …

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Suit Questions Maiden Holdings’ Handling of AmTrust Portfolio Risks

Maiden Holdings Ltd. is named in a class action investor lawsuit alleging that it failed to adequately address and reveal portfolio risks involving AmTrust Financial Services, its largest customer. The complaint alleges that Maiden didn’t disclose material information, and the …

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Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance Adds Gordon and Davis in California

Lakeport, Calif.-based Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance has added Tina Gordon and Maria Davis. Gordon will focus on commercial insurance for the construction, manufacturing, retail and wholesale industries. Davis is an account manager and will service client accounts. Prior to joining the agency, …

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Travelers Expands Wedding Protector Plan to Include Jewelry Insurance

The Travelers Companies, Inc. has expanded its Wedding Protector Plan insurance offering to include separate fine jewelry insurance policies with coverage limits of up to $100,000. Typical homeowners insurance policies often have limits for jewelry of up to about $1,500. …

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North Carolina Insurers Request 19% Rate Increase for Mobile Home Policies

The North Carolina Rate Bureau has filed a request to increase homeowners’ insurance rates for mobile home policies of at least 19 percent, according to the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI). The NCRB, which represents insurance companies and is …

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New Georgia Insurance Chief Focuses on Fighting Fraud in First Month in Office

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck has cracked down on insurance fraud since taking office Jan. 15, reporting the arrests of 11 individuals for various fraud-related activities and guilty pleas of nine people for racketeering and insurance fraud. “Every time the …

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South Carolina Officials, MADD Push Stricter DUI Legislation

South Carolina officials have joined members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in support of stricter DUI legislation. Gov. Henry McMaster, law enforcement and some members of the General Assembly joined that group Feb. 12 on the Statehouse grounds in support …

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J.M. Wilson Adds Jefferson as Transportation Underwriter in South Carolina

J.M. Wilson has added Jasmine Jefferson as Transportation underwriter in their North Charleston, S.C., office. Jefferson is responsible for underwriting new and renewal commercial transportation business, corresponding with carrier underwriters, and assisting independent agents in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina …

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NSAIDs Overtake Opioids as Top Workers’ Comp Drug in California

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs, have supplanted opioids as the most common therapeutic drug group prescribed to injured workers in California, according to a new California Workers’ Compensation Institute study. The study also finds that payment data show that both dermatological …

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Texas Bill Would Protect First Responders’ Work Comp Claims from Illegal Denials

A bill recently filed in the Texas House of Representatives would penalize insurers that illegally deny Texas first responders access to medical treatment for line-of-duty injuries covered under state workers’ compensation laws. According to one of the authors of House …

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Wyoming Avalanche Causes Damages, No Injuries

Heavy snowfall caused an avalanche in Wyoming. Snow tumbled onto a highway in northwest Wyoming, damaging one car but not injuring anyone. The Wyoming Department of Transportation says an avalanche occurred around noon Wednesday and sent snow onto U.S. 89 …

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Lockheed Martin Sued for Fraud over Washington Nuclear Site

The U.S. Justice Department is accusing Lockheed Martin Corp. of using false records and making false statements to bill the Energy Department for tens of millions of dollars in unauthorized profits and fees at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington. …

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Ryan Specialty Group to Acquire Texas’ Myron F. Steves & Co.

Chicago-based Ryan Specialty Group LLC has reached an agreement to acquire the assets and operations of Myron F. Steves & Co. (Myron Steves), an independently owned wholesale insurance brokerage headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Austin, Dallas and …

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Washington Business Owner And Mom Charged with Insurance Fraud

Two Yakima County, Wash. residents were charged in Superior Court this week in connection with separate auto insurance fraud claims. The charges followed investigations by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit. William Gaethle, of Yakima, was charged with first-degree …

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Mudslides Carry Away Homes, Water Rescues Needed in California Storm

Motorists swam for their lives and residents were rescued from homes sliding downhill as the wettest winter storm of the year triggered floods and mudslides across California on Thursday. In Sausalito, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, …

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Asia-Pacific SMEs Are Over-Confident About Their Cyber Preparedness: Chubb

A significant perception gap exists between the cyber awareness and cyber preparedness at small and medium enterprises in some Asia-Pacific countries, according to a Chubb survey titled “Too Small to Fail?” The Chubb survey of 1,000 SMEs across Singapore, Hong …

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State Farm Announces 4.9% Auto Insurance Rate Decrease in Virginia

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company will cut its rates in Virginia for the second time in two years. As a result, its overall personal auto rate will drop by 4.9 percent. The total state-wide expected impact for State Farm …

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N.Y. Construction Worker Injured by Steel Plate

Police in Long Island, N.Y., say a construction worker has his legs severed below the knee when a steel plate knocked him into a hole and landed on him. Officials say the unidentified 39-year-old man was working to install a …

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Troubled Delaware Poultry Plant Reports Wastewater Spill

State environmental officials say a southern Delaware poultry processing facility with a history of wastewater violations has reported an accidental discharge of up to 1 million gallons of partially treated wastewater. Officials say Arkansas-based Mountaire Farms reported that the release …

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EPA Readies ‘Forever Chemical’ PFA Safety Plan Amid Calls for Tougher Action

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce a plan for dealing with a class of long-lasting chemical contaminants amid complaints from members of Congress and environmentalists that it’s not moved aggressively enough to regulate them. So-called forever chemicals, perfluoroalkyl …

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Insurtech-Driven MGA, Agile, Appointed as StarStone Partner in Australasia

Agile Underwriting Services Pty Ltd., the insurtech-driven managing general agency (MGA) and Lloyd’s coverholder, announced it has been appointed as a representative agent for global specialty insurer, StarStone, in Australia and New Zealand. Agile has been a strategic partner since …

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Hanover Partners with RSA Group to Expand International Specialty Offerings

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a new agreement with the multinational insurer RSA Group to join its global network as a U.S. strategic network partner. This relationship expands The Hanover’s international specialty capabilities for domestic businesses with overseas risks. …

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What’s Next for Brexit? Options Include Disorderly, Delayed or No Brexit

Britain’s parliament last month demanded Prime Minister Theresa May renegotiate a Brexit divorce deal that the other members of the European Union say they will not reopen. With just six weeks until the United Kingdom is due by law to …

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Hub International Acquires Assets of Toronto-Based Firstbrook Pointon Benefits

Hub International Ltd., the Chicago-based insurance broker, announced it has acquired the assets of Firstbrook Pointon Benefits Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Based in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, Firstbrook Pointon Benefits is a full-service employee benefits consulting …

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Insurer Lancashire to Use Lloyd’s EU Hub in Brussels After Brexit

Property and casualty insurer Lancashire Holdings Ltd will use insurance market Lloyd’s of London’s European Union hub in Brussels after Britain leaves the European Union, its top boss told Reuters. “We have negotiated with Lloyd’s and we will write businesses …

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UK PM May Scrambles to Find Brexit Compromise as Clock Ticks Down

British Prime Minister Theresa May is preparing to compromise with the European Union over the future of Ireland’s border, with just two weeks left to save her Brexit deal. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay privately told the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel …

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Allianz Q4 Net Profit Rises 19% to $1.92 Billion

German insurer Allianz said on Friday that net profit rose 19 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, in line with expectations, and said it was aiming for a larger operating profit target in 2019. Net profit attributable …

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Dubai International Airport Suspends Flights over Suspected Drones

Flights from Dubai International Airport were suspended for half an hour starting from 10:13 a.m. local time over “suspected drone activity,” a Dubai Airports spokesperson said in an emailed statement. A hub for Emirates airlines, the airport in Dubai is …

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Hubbell Promoted to Chief Risk Officer at TDECU

Michael Hubbell, who has served as vice president of Risk Management for TDECU – Your Credit Union, has been appointed chief risk officer for the Lake Jackson, Texas-based credit untion. Hubbell will report to the credit union’s President and Chief …

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Travelers to Provide Auto Insurance for Lexus Complete Lease Program

The Travelers Companies, Inc. will be the auto insurance provider for the new Lexus Complete Lease, a two-year, 20,000-mile lease program for the Lexus UX compact crossover vehicle. The full-service leasing option bundles the cost of the vehicle, auto insurance, …

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Natural Gas Company to Pay $3.15M Fine for Polluting West Virginia Waterways

A Colorado-based natural gas producer has agreed to pay a $3.15 million civil penalty to resolve pollution violations at 32 drilling sites in West Virginia. The U.S. Department of Justice says in a news release the agency and the West …

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Look Who Is Betting on the Agency System

According to some pundits, buyers should all be online and the agency system should be dead by now. However, it appears not everyone got that memo. Here are some recent examples of companies, techies and investors betting on agents and …

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New Ventures, Driver Shortage Among Challenges in Trucking Insurance Market

The transportation industry is considered a barometer of the U.S. economy. If freight is trending up, so too is the U.S. economy. But capacity constraints for trucking – including a shortage of qualified drivers, low truck supply and the rising …

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Kentucky Governor Voices Support for Medical Marijuana as Legislature Weighs Bill

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin spoke about his support for legalizing medical marijuana in highly personal terms on Tuesday, telling a community forum that his teenage nephew died after fighting “a very hard battle with cancer.” Asked about his stance on …

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Famed Beachside Bar in Florida Panhandle Destroyed by Fire

Fire officials in Florida’s Panhandle say a fire has destroyed a famed beachside restaurant and bar. The South Walton Fire District said in a Facebook posting that crews responded to the Red Bar around 6 a.m. Wednesday. Several roads in …

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Yamazaki Colwell Joins Alliant in Atlanta

Yumi Yamazaki Colwell has joined the Employee Benefits Group of Alliant in Atlanta as first vice president. Yamazaki Colwell has experience in the global automotive/manufacturing industry, particularly in the U.S. and Asia, and will provide a full range of benefits …

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NTSB: Ohio Medical helicopter Made ‘Sharp Left Turn’ Before Fatal Crash

An Ohio medical helicopter on its way to pick up a hospital patient made “a sharp left turn” before a crash that killed three people including the pilot last month, according to a preliminary federal report. The report released by …

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Iowa Embassy Suites Hotel Settles with Woman Who Was Raped in Her Room

An Iowa hotel has settled a lawsuit with a New Jersey woman who was raped and battered after the front desk gave the attacker her room key. Attorneys for Cheri Marchionda say the operators of the Embassy Suites Hotel in …

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California Commissioner Backs Disaster Insurance Bill to Fight Climate Change-Driven Wildfires

California’s insurance commissioner and a lawmaker want to the state to consider buying insurance in the private market to cover rapidly increasing costs of fighting wildfires due to climate change. State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo …

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Mississippi Sues Federal Government Over River Flooding

The state of Mississippi on Monday sued the federal government, claiming a dam complex in Louisiana that keeps the Mississippi River from changing course is harming state land. The suit seeks at least $25 million in damages and touches on …

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Ohio Hospital Facing Excessive Dosage Lawsuits Tightens Drug Access, Rules

The Ohio hospital system that found a doctor ordered possibly fatal doses of powerful painkillers for dozens of patients has tightened policies and drug access to address problems in pharmaceutical services that jeopardized Medicare participation for two hospitals, according to …

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Texas Indoor Gun Range Cited for Lead Exposure, Fined $214K

An indoor gun range in Killeen, Texas, has been cited and fined more than $214,000 for exposing employees to unsafe levels of lead, federal safety regulators said. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited …

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Auto Loan Delinquencies Keep Rising But Economists Hold Off on Alarm

Borrowers are behind in their auto loan payments in numbers not seen since delinquencies peaked at the end of 2010, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. More than 7 million Americans were 90 or more days behind …

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State Farm Lowering Auto Insurance Rates in Texas

State Farm Mutual Insurance Co. is cutting its Texas auto insurance rates for the fourth consecutive time in a year, the insurer said. on Feb. 18, the overall personal auto rate will drop by 4.3 percent for 2.9 million State …

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Nationwide’s ‘SmartMiles’ Auto Insurance Targets Low-Mileage Drivers

For those who work from home, carpool frequently or use public transit more than they drive, Nationwide is launching SmartMiles, an auto insurance policy for low-mileage drivers. BuildIng on its telematics SmartRide offering, SmartMiles allows Nationwide customers to pay for …

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Widow of Wyoming Train Crash Victim Files Wrongful Death Suit against Union Pacific

The widow of a Union Pacific engineer who died in a train crash in southern Wyoming has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Jason Martinez’s widow, Sheila Martinez, claims the company was negligent …

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$6B in Marijuana Sales in Colorado Since 2014

Colorado regulators say more than $6 billion in marijuana products have been sold since 2014 in the state. The figures released this week represent sales through the end of 2018. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, more than $1.54 …

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Videogame Maker Asks Judge to Toss California Suit Filed over Rapper’s Dance

The makers of “Fortnite” have asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit from a rapper who says the video game is illegally using a dance he created. Epic Games filed the motion Monday to dismiss the lawsuit filed …

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$125M Settlement in USC Doctor Abuse Suit Requires School Reforms

Attorneys for women who said they were sexually abused by a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California say a $215 million settlement includes groundbreaking campus reforms. Attorneys say a proposed lawsuit settlement filed Tuesday in federal court will …

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Mayor Establishes D.C. Financial Services Regulatory Sandbox, Innovation Council

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser recently established the District of Columbia Financial Services Regulatory Sandbox and Innovation Council. The council is charged with studying and reporting on the feasibility of implementing a financial services regulatory sandbox in the District …

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Pennsylvania’s Ascinsure Specialty Risk Promotes Keinard

Ascinsure Specialty Risk LLC has promoted Steve Keinard as its assistant vice president and underwriting manager. Within this new role, Keinard will provide leadership, support and guidance to Ascinsure’s underwriting team. Joining Ascinsure as a senior underwriter in January 2018, …

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Insurance Fraud Case in New York May Impact First Party No-Fault Benefits

A high-profile insurance fraud case on appeal in New York is being closely watched by fraud fighters across the country for the impact the decision will have on no-fault law. The case, Andrew Carothers, M.D., P.C. v. Progressive Insurance Company, …

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Study Questions Safety Claims About Tesla Autopilot’s Steering Feature

An analysis of government data disputes a finding by safety regulators and promoted by Tesla Inc. that crash rates of its older vehicles declined after they were equipped with an automatic steering capability. The study, released Friday by Quality Control …

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Chubb Appoints Bryant as Head of Financial Lines, Continental Europe

Chubb announced the appointment of Kyle Bryant to the newly created position of head of Financial Lines for Continental Europe. In this role, Bryant will have responsibility for leading Chubb’s Financial Lines team in the region, overseeing strategic development, execution …

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Expect Direct Online to Gain in Small Commercial Insurance Market Share: Novarica

Changes in small business owners’ online habits and new market entrants are driving market demand for online purchasing of insurance, according to a report from advisory firm Novarica, which sees direct online sales capturing as much as 15 percent of …

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Fitch Upgrades Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance to ‘A+’

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the insurer financial strength (IFS) ratings of Japanese insurer Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance to “A+” (Strong) from “A”. Fitch also affirmed MSI’s issuer default rating (IDR) of “A” and the rating on its subordinated debt at “A-“. …

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China’s Ant Financial Buys UK Payments Company WorldFirst

Ant Financial, the Chinese financial services giant controlled by billionaire Jack Ma, bought London-based payments company WorldFirst in its biggest overseas deal since a U.S. expansion was thwarted. The acquisition marks the Chinese company’s first big move into the U.K., …

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Dubai Ride-Hailing Firm, Careen, Provides Accident Insurance for Drivers, Passengers

Dubai-based ride-hailing service Careem Networks FZ is looking for new ways to get ahead of main rival Uber Technologies Inc. in the Middle East. Careem launched an accident insurance program for passengers as well as drivers in Turkey and is …

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MS Amlin Launches Comprehensive All-Risks Policy for UK Tech Sector

MS Amlin, the specialist global re/insurer, has launched a comprehensive all-risks policy designed for the technology sector in the UK, which is called Technology Combined. The product provides companies with cover against a range of different perils and the sections …

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UK Insurer Aviva Prepares for ‘Hard Brexit’ by Transferring Assets from UK

Aviva Plc asked a London court to approve the transfer of assets totaling 9 billion euros ($10.2 billion), saying the uncertainty from Brexit was “intensifying” as it joined other insurers and banks triggering contingency plans. Aviva asked Judge Richard Snowden …

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EU Markets Regulator Seeks Rapid Response Powers for Post-Brexit Problems

The European Union’s markets regulator urged lawmakers on Wednesday to give it “rapid” response powers to deal with problems that may arise after Brexit. The European Parliament has proposed that the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) should have powers …

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J&J Talc Supplier Files for Bankruptcy Over Lawsuits

A key supplier of talc used in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday in the wake of multibillion-dollar lawsuits alleging its products caused ovarian cancer and asbestos-related mesothelioma. Imerys Talc America, the U.S. unit …

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Tennessee-Based The General Adds Radio Host Bobby Bones as Brand Ambassador

The General Insurance has tapped nationally syndicated on-air radio personality Bobby Bones as the company’s newest brand ambassador. The General will partner with Bones, who is also a New York Times #1 best-selling author, philanthropist and winner of season 27’s …

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South Carolina Opioid Deaths Up 47% Over 3 Years

Health officials in South Carolina say the number of deaths blamed on opioid use increased 47 percent over three years. News outlets reported the South Carolina Opioid Emergency Response Team released its first annual report on Jan. 31. That report …

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Report: Safety Management Gaps Led to 2016 Mississippi Gas Plant Blast

Gaps in safety management led to a 2016 explosion that idled an Enterprise Products natural gas processing plant in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for six months, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said in a report on Wednesday. The June 27, 2016 blast …

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AIG Reports Q4 Loss on Catastrophes, Lower Investment Returns

American International Group Inc. on Wednesday reported a quarterly loss as the insurer was hit with catastrophe losses and made a lower return on investments in a volatile market. Excluding realized investment gains and losses and some other items, AIG …

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FEMA Chief Long to Leave Agency

Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Brock Long is leaving the agency he led through a record period of natural disasters — including a widely panned response to a storm that devastated Puerto Rico. “While this has been the opportunity of …

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State Farm to Cut Auto Insurance Rates for Michigan Customers

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. announced it is cutting its overall personal auto insurance rate will drop by 3.5 percent in Michigan. The total state-wide expected impact for State Farm Mutual by this rate decrease in Michigan will be …

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High Insurance Rates, Escape Cited in Closure of Texas Prison Transport Firm

A private prisoner transport company has announced its closure after an MMA fighter accused in two killings escaped this month from one of its vans while being escorted to a jail in Texas. Texas Prisoner Transportation Services told Bell County …

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Insurer, Credit Union to Settle South Dakota Suit over Premium Hikes for $3M

Black Hills Federal Credit Union in South Dakota and a Wisconsin-based insurance company have agreed to pay $3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit claiming they improperly raised insurance premiums on thousands of loans. A judge is expected to consider …

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Vale’s Senior Management Unaware of Dam Risk Report, Says Vale CFO

Senior management at Brazilian miner Vale were never shown internal security documents indicating that its dam at Brumadinho was at risk of collapse, the company’s chief financial officer said on Tuesday [Feb. 12]. The CFO, Luciano Siani, was asked about …

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Fire Danger High in Oklahoma, Texas Panhandles

Forestry officials say conditions in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles are ideal for sparking wildfires. Oklahoma Forestry Service officials say danger levels are high Monday in western Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Panhandle. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the Texas …

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State Farm Cuts Auto Insurance Rates in Missouri

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. says it is cutting its rates in Missouri. As a result, its overall personal auto rate will drop by 3.9 percent. The total state-wide expected impact for State Farm Mutual by this rate decrease …

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Woman Sues Oregon Motel for $4M over Alleged Pimp Operation

A woman who says she’s a victim of sex trafficking has filed a $4 million lawsuit against a Portland motel, alleging it failed to prevent pimps from forcing her to have sex with countless men there. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the …

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Wholesaler WSS Opens New Southern California Office

WSS has opened a new office location in Sherman Oaks, Calif. The new office is led by Mark Kaufman, chief operating officer, who joined WSS in 2018. WSS has expanded its southern California presence with eight new client executives. WSS …

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Federal Preliminary Report on New York Limo Crash Offers No Cause Yet

The National Transportation Safety Board’s probe of a fatal limousine crash in upstate New York has not yet identified a cause, according to a preliminary report released Monday, after weeks of wrangling between federal inspectors and a local prosecutor over …

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N.J. Woman Charged in Scheme to Steal $175K from Insurance Annuity Policies

A New Jersey woman has been charged with insurance fraud and other offenses in an alleged scheme to steal more than $175,000 from the insurance annuity policies of two individuals. Vashanta Stroud-Bennett, 45, of Paterson, N.J., was charged with second …

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Whew! Human Beats IBM’s AI Machine in Debate

International Business Machines Corp. fell short in its latest attempt to prove machines can triumph over man. But it came close. The tech giant’s six-year-old artificial intelligence debating system, affectionately dubbed “Miss Debater,” went head-to-head with one of the world’s …

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National Insurance Firm Alera Group Acquires New Jersey’s Broad Reach Benefits

Alera Group, a national insurance firm, has acquired Broad Reach Benefits LLC, effective February 1, 2019. Terms of the transaction were not announced. Broad Reach Benefits, headquartered in Madison, N.J., offers a range of employee benefits services and assists its …

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Narragansett Bay Insurance Company Relocates Corporate Offices in Rhode Island

Narragansett Bay Insurance Company (NBIC) has relocated its corporate offices to the Northwoods Office Park in Johnston, R.I. NBIC is a provider of homeowners insurance in Rhode Island and the Northeastern U.S., with business in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New …

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Uber’s London License Faces New Legal Challenge as Cab Drivers Fight Back

Months after Uber Technologies Inc. won a reprieve in a high-stakes battle over its operations in the U.K. capital, its London license is back in question. United Cabbies Group, which represents taxi drivers in the capital, brought a legal challenge …

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Allstate Expands Consumer Services Unit with Acquisition of Smartphone Repairer iCracked

The Allstate Corp. said it has acquired iCracked, a provider of on-site, on-demand repair services for smartphones and tablets in North America. The privately held San Francisco-based company will join SquareTrade, a company Allstate purchased in 2019 for $1.4 billion …

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Traffic Fatalities Again Top 40,000; Few Cars on Roads Have Latest Technology

Traffic fatalities on U.S. roads reached an estimated 40,000 in 2018, the third year in a row in which at least that many people died in vehicle crashes, according to new figures from the National Safety Council. The 2018 total …

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MGU Lodestar Marine and Aspen Insurance Form Agreement to Provide P&I Cover

Lodestar Marine, the London-based managing general underwriter, announced an agreement with Aspen Insurance to provide protection & indemnity insurance (P&I) to the owners and managers of small and specialized ships. London-based Lodestar provides $50 million of Aspen-backed P&I cover, with …

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