Business Insurance

Ohio OKs additional $5B comp dividend

The board of directors of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation on Monday agreed to distribute an additional $5 billion dividend to ease the impact of the pandemic on the state’s employers — bringing the total distributed by the bureau to $8 billio...

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Argo sells reinsurer to private equity firms

Two private equity investment firms said Monday they will acquire Ariel Re, a unit of Hamilton, Bermuda-based Argo Group International Holdings Ltd., and are investing in another insurance firm.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Bill aims to clarify medical marijuana act

Addressing workplace safety and workers compensation, lawmakers in Pennsylvania on Friday introduced a bill that would clarify an employer’s responsibility and rights regarding the state’s four-year-old medical marijuana law.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Sports fashion chain settles EEOC discrimination case

A sports fashion chain that does business in Chicago and the surrounding area has agreed to pay $420,000 to settle a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency said Friday.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

UK regulator, insurers set for court battle over COVID-19 case

The UK Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Nov. 16 of the Financial Conduct Authority’s test case over which insurance companies should offer payouts to small businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Monday.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Refreshing news for those suing ginger ale maker

It’s settled: Canada Dry ginger ale contains none of the health benefits of ginger.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Employer may have to cover compound creams

An employer may be on the hook for $4,827.56, plus interest, in costs for a pain-relieving compound cream dispensed to an injured worker whose claim it accepted and whose pharmacy order went without a utilization review request, a judge in Pennsylvan...

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Australian pension fund settles landmark climate suit

One of Australia’s largest pension funds on Monday agreed to settle a landmark climate risk litigation filed by a 25-year-old member who alleged it was failing to protect his retirement savings against climate change.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Supreme Court rejects NFL, DirecTV appeal in TV package suit

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a bid by the National Football League and AT&T Inc.'s DirecTV unit to avoid a proposed class-action antitrust lawsuit that accuses them of overcharging for a popular satellite television package.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Hiscox sets aside $75 million to pay out catastrophe claims

Insurer Hiscox said on Monday it reserved $75 million for catastrophe claims in the third quarter and flagged further exposure to event cancellations if COVID-19 curbs continue into the new year.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Hurricane Zeta losses could approach $4.4 billion

Insured losses to onshore properties from Hurricane Zeta range from around $1.5 billion to close to $4.4 billion, according to latest estimates Monday from several catastrophe risk modeling companies.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

7.0-magnitude quake devastates Turkey

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Turkish town of Seferihisar in Izmir province on Oct. 30 and caused widespread damage.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Typhoon threatens $225 million Philippine cat bond

The World Bank Group-issued $225 million catastrophe bond for the Philippines is under threat from typhoon Goni, which may cause a partial loss of principal.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Semiconductor plant fire hits global supply chains

A fire that broke out at AKM Semiconductor Inc.'s factory in Nobeoka City, Japan, on Oct. 20 and burnt for more than two days has hit the global supplies of numerous digital-to-analog converter chips.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Reinsurance industry faces pressure from all sides

Hedi Hachicha, an official at Scor SE's Middle East & Africa unit, said that the reinsurance industry is facing pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related losses and the current financial market situation.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Brazilian firm to sue shareholders, former managers

Brazilian meat processor JBS SA will sue its majority shareholders and a few former managers for a plunge in the company's share price in 2017 after they confessed to bribing multiple government officials.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Hailstorms cause more than $40 million damage

Hailstorms hit the Australian state of Queensland on Nov. 1 and caused $60 million Australia ($42 million) worth of damage.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Industry premiums rise 1.4% in India

Data from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India showed that local nonlife insurers' gross written premiums increased 1.4% year-over-year to more than 968 billion Indian rupees ($13 billion) in the six months ended Sep. 30.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

In era of COVID-19, providers’ risks rising

Healthcare providers are facing growing liability risks during the global coronavirus pandemic, as more care is delivered through telehealth and virtual visits. Learn how Coverys can help providers understand the risks and gain insights on how to mit...

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

How to reduce liability risks for nonprofit organizations

Nonprofits face various liability risks, from D&O to employment practices, to fiduciary liability and more. Mitigating risk is key to sustaining operations. Learn more in this Business Insurance Risk Perspective from Philadelphia Insurance Companies.

Posted: Nov 02, 2020

Civil rights groups file suit against Trump diversity order

Two civil rights groups filed suit against President Trump, the Department of Labor and U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia on Thursday challenging the president’s diversity training executive order.

Posted: Oct 30, 2020

Virus-related delays lead to expensive soft-tissue claims

The pandemic negatively affected both medical costs and indemnity for workers with soft tissue injuries, according to a study released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California.

Posted: Oct 30, 2020

Hartford’s Q3 results hit by cat losses, restructuring costs

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. reported third-quarter net income of $453 million, a 14% decrease from the same quarter in 2019 due to restructuring costs related to Hartford Next and losses from the sale of its operations in continental Europ...

Posted: Oct 30, 2020

Judge doesn’t toss business interruption suit filed by pub

In a policyholder victory, a state court judge has refused to dismiss COVID-19 business interruption litigation filed by a Philadelphia pub against Lloyd’s of London, in a preliminary ruling.

Posted: Oct 30, 2020

Black franchisees at McDonald’s file new discrimination suit

McDonald’s Corp. was hit on Thursday with a potentially multi-billion-dollar lawsuit by Black franchise owners who accused the fast-food giant of racial discrimination for steering them to underperforming stores.

Posted: Oct 30, 2020