Latest News & Insights

State Farm to Cease Accepting New Applications for Business and Personal Lines P/C in California

An insurer group was quick to respond over the weekend after State Farm announced it will cease accepting new applications for business and personal lines property/casualty in California to deal with increased risks and higher construction costs. The American Property …

Midwest States Consider Relaxing Child Labor Laws to Address Worker Shortages

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Lawmakers in several states are embracing legislation to let children work in more hazardous occupations, longer hours on school nights and in expanded roles including serving alcohol in bars and restaurants as young as 14. The …

New Orleans TV Station Airs MMA Partner’s Admissions During Staff Meeting

A New Orleans television station broadcast an audio recording of a founding partner of the McClenny Moseley & Associates law firm admitting that his law firm used a roofing company and a marketing firm to sign on clients. 4WWL’s Eyewitness …

Fatal Blaze at Texas Refinery to Result in Lawsuits Against Oil Refiner Marathon

HOUSTON – Attorneys representing the family of a worker who was killed in a fire at a Texas City, Texas, refinery and another worker who was hospitalized said on Wednesday they have filed or would soon file injury claims against …

Florida DFS Charges Claims Adjuster with Submitting $24,000 in Fraudulent Auto Claims

Florida investigators have charged a former Progressive Insurance claims adjuster with fraud, alleging that she used claimants’ identities to submit fraudulent auto claims, then pocketed almost $24,000 in settlements. Kiyuana R. Pasley, 41, of Homestead, was an adjuster at Progressive …

Illinois Catholic Clergy Abuse Report Could Prompt Lawsuits, Changes to State Law

CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois’ attorney general has ended a five-year investigation into sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in the state, releasing a nearly 700-page report that revealed the problem was far worse than the church acknowledged in 2018 …

EEOC Warns Employers to Check AI Workplace Monitoring Tools for Bias

The head of the U.S. agency charged with enforcing civil rights in the workplace says artificial intelligence-driven “bossware” tools that closely track the whereabouts, keystrokes and productivity of workers can also run afoul of discrimination laws. Charlotte Burrows, chair of …

Fired Root CMO Accused of Stealing Millions Spends ‘Lavishly’; Judge Appoints Receiver

According to court records, Root Inc’s former chief marketing officer – accused of stealing about $10 million from the company – has not made court appearances, spent money in violation of court orders, and has a bench warrant out for …

Allianz’ PIMCO Weighs Joining Investors Suing Over Credit Suisse AT1 Bonds

Pacific Investment Management Co. is considering joining hundreds of investors in challenging the Swiss regulator’s decision to wipe out about $17 billion of Credit Suisse Group AG bonds following the bank’s takeover by UBS Group AG. PIMCO, which filed a …

Kin, Slide Say They’ve Completed Reinsurance Programs Ahead of June 1 Renewal

Two Florida-focused property insurers have announced they have completed their reinsurance programs, just days ahead of what some had warned would be a painful June 1 renewal deadline. Kin Insurance Inc., a tech and data-heavy, direct-to-consumer insurer with offices in …

People Moves: SiriusPoint Names Lopez as CTO, Succeeding Siry; IQUW Appoints MacDonald and Hennessey to Lead Property; Chaucer Promotes Tighe to Head of ESG

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at three re/insurers SiriusPoint, IQUW and Chaucer. A summary of these new hires follows here. SiriusPoint Names Lopez as CTO, Succeeding Siry SiriusPoint Ltd., the Bermuda-based specialty insurer and reinsurer, announced that …

Inszone Acquires Specialty Contractors Insurance Services California

Inszone Insurance Services acquired Specialty Contractors Insurance Services. Specialty Contractors Insurance Services has predominantly served business owners and contractors. It is headquartered in Sacramento, California. Inszone is a national provider of benefits, personal, and commercial lines insurance.

Housing Crisis Remains in East Kentucky Almost A Year After Flooding

Shirley Howard’s feet splashed into nearly a foot of water when she stepped out of bed on a summer morning last July amid a torrential rainfall. A devastating flood swallowing up Kentucky’s Appalachian region had reached her bedroom in the …

NOAA Predicts Near-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season

As the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season approaches June 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting “near-normal” activity. The season’s expectations are mostly due to the fact NOAA scientists predict a high potential for the weather condition known as …

Typhoon Mawar Is Most Powerful Storm of 2023, So Far

Mawar is now one of the three strongest storms ever to hit the North Pacific in May and is the undisputed most powerful — in terms of windspeed — of 2023 so far, according to Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for …

Three Former Mississippi Officers Indicted in Death of Man Repeatedly Tased

A Mississippi grand jury has indicted two former police officers on murder charges and another ex-officer on a manslaughter charge in the death of a Black man who was pinned to the ground and repeatedly tased during an arrest last …

People Moves: Jeter to Lead NFP Aviation Specialty Practice

NFP Hires Jeter to Lead Aviation Specialty Practice Insurance broker NFP has hired Josh Jeter as a senior vice president and aviation specialty practice leader in the company’s aviation industry group. Jeter comes to NFP from Gallagher, where he served …

Eastman Chemical Resins to Pay $2.4M for Environmental Violations in Pennsylvania

Eastman Chemical Resins Inc. will pay a $2.4 million penalty for environmental violations at the sprawling 56-acre manufacturing facility in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, that is now owned and operated by Synthomer Jefferson Hills, the Environmental Protection Agency announced. Along with …

Dutch Watchdog Probes Alleged Tesla Data Breach

The data protection watchdog for the Netherlands said on Friday it was aware of possible Tesla data protection breaches, but it was too early for further comment. Germany’s Handelsblatt reported on Thursday that Elon Musk’s Tesla had allegedly failed to …

Report Alleges Workers’ Compensation Abuse in New York Correctional Unit

A report by the New York State Inspector General alleges “egregious” abuse of a workers’ compensation loss wage benefit provision by state corrections and institution safety officers. The report blames a 2016 labor agreement with the state’s correction agency’s Security …

Georgian Billionaire Wins $926M From Credit Suisse After Fraud

Credit Suisse was ordered to pay $926 million to Georgia’s former prime minister on Friday for losing part of his fortune, in a Singapore court ruling that represents one of the biggest legal awards made against the bank. Singapore’s International …

OSHA Wins Trademark Battle Against Safety Consulting Firm’s Logo

A workplace safety consulting firm will stop using the OSHA acronym and a stylized logo similar to the federal government’s trademarked Occupational Safety and Health Administration acronym and logo under an agreement approved by a federal judge. The government sued …

Reuters: Lloyd’s Register Drops Ships of Top Indian Carrier of Russian Oil

Lloyd’s Register has told India’s Gatik Ship Management, which has become a major carrier of Russian oil since the Ukraine war, that it will withdraw certification of 21 of its vessels by June 3, the maritime services company told Reuters. …

Rhode Island AG Sues Manufacturers of Forever Chemicals

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha yesterday filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, for allegedly causing significant harm to the residents and natural resources of Rhode Island. The suit …

Climate Alliance Sounds Alarm on ‘Political Attacks’ on Insurers

“Political attacks” are interfering with insurers’ efforts to price climate risks, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero said on Friday, after a wave of insurers quit an industry climate group following pressure in the United States. “These political attacks …

Judge Greenlights JPMorgan Lawsuit Blaming Ex-Executive in Jeffrey Epstein Scandal

A federal judge said Wednesday that he won’t block JPMorgan’s legal efforts to blame a former executive of hiding Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long sex abuse to keep the financier as a client. Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan denied requests by lawyers …

IIHS: Rear Passengers in Small Cars at Higher Risk of Internal Injuries

A new crash test, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), revealed poor ratings for all small cars tested. In all five vehicles tested, the rear dummy submarined beneath the seat belt, causing the lap belt to slide …

California Commissioner Issues Decision on Workers’ Comp Regulatory Filing

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a decision this week regarding the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California’s Sept. 1, 2023 regulatory filing. The Commissioner approved all of the WCIRB’s proposed changes to: the California Workers’ Compensation Uniform Statistical …

California Department of Insurance Bans Sender of Misleading Wildfire Mailers

A California Department of Insurance investigation into misleading mailers on insurance claims following wildfires led to a ban of public adjuster and California Recovery Group owner Argen Youssefi of Glendale. The investigation reportedly found California Recovery Group and its owner, …

Microsoft Chief Says Deep Fakes are Biggest AI Concern

Microsoft President Brad Smith said Thursday that his biggest concern around artificial intelligence was deep fakes, realistic looking but false content. In a speech in Washington aimed at addressing the issue of how best to regulate AI, which went from …