Business Insurance

Gallagher: All communications systems up after cyber event

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. on Wednesday reported to clients and business partners that all of its communications capabilities are functioning following a cybersecurity breach in late September.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

No joy in a malfunctioning video game piece: Lawsuit

A mother and son team on Monday filed a lawsuit against Nintendo over long-reported problems with its popular Nintendo Switch controllers, Wired magazine reported.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

Brexit hits London commercial insurers

A report by the International Underwriting Association said that Britain's planned departure from the European Union reduced London commercial insurers' gross written premiums by 14% to £27.6 billion ($35.6 billion) last year.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

France declares state of natural disaster

France has declared a state of natural disaster in 55 communes in the Alpes-Maritimes department after storm Alex caused more than three months worth of rain in 24 hours over the past weekend.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

Gazprom fined $7.6 billion in Poland

Poland has fined Russian energy firm PJSC Gazprom €6.5 billion ($7.6 billion) for violating antitrust laws while building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

Hurricane hits Mexico, causes widespread damage

Hurricane Delta hit Mexico on Oct. 7 and caused widespread damage.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

Japan braces for typhoon

Typhoon Chan-hom is expected to hit Japan on Oct. 8 and bring strong winds, high tides and heavy rains, which can cause landslides and floods.

Posted: Oct 08, 2020

ADA, FMLA charges reinstated against Walmart

A federal appeals court has reinstated Americans with Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act charges filed by a former injured Walmart Inc. worker who was fired after she refused an allegedly unfeasible alternative position.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

RIMS plans hybrid in-person, virtual 2021 annual convention

The Risk and Insurance Management Society’s 2021 annual convention and exhibition, to be held in Chicago April 18-21, 2021, is slated to be a hybrid in-person and virtual event, but may pivot to an entirely digital event.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Mechanic denied comp for false statements

An appellate court denied a mechanic benefits after holding he provided false statements, though one judge dissented after questioning whether the worker understood the deposition proceedings.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Nationwide, Travelers prevail in COVID-19-related litigation

Federal courts in Atlanta and Los Angeles dismissed COVID-19-related lawsuits filed by restaurants against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and Travelers Cos. units, respectively, but a state court ruled in favor of an Ohio restaurant against Cincinna...

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Mitchell launches claims analysis tool

Mitchell International Inc. has launched a tool that allows workers compensation and auto casualty claims organizations analyze medical provider treatment and billing behaviors to identify activities that may be connected to fraud, waste or abuse, th...

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Markel to move reinsurance property cat unit, cut jobs

Markel Corp. said Wednesday it will move its property catastrophe reinsurance business into Nephila Holdings Ltd. and close its Markel Global Reinsurance property catastrophe unit, resulting in some 25 job losses.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Chubb appoints overseas claims executive

Chubb Ltd. has named Nandini Mani executive vice president, claims for overseas general insurance, Chubb’s international general insurance business in 51 countries and territories.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

OxyContin maker Purdue nears guilty plea agreement

Purdue Pharma LP, the OxyContin maker controlled by members of the wealthy Sackler family, is nearing an agreement to plead guilty to criminal charges as part of a broader deal to resolve U.S. Justice Department probes into its alleged role in fuelin...

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Supreme Court hears Google bid to end Oracle suit

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday considered whether to protect Alphabet Inc.'s Google from a long-running lawsuit by Oracle Corp. accusing it of infringing Oracle copyrights to build the Android operating system that runs most of the world's smart...

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Office perks create work-from-home conundrum

The next pandemic toilet-paper concern: who pays for it for work-from-home employees?

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Top 10 Off Beats from September

September’s most popular Off Beat story featured People magazine honoring insurance companies for caring during COVID-19. A story on telecommuting interruptions, including your dog, was No. 2 for page views for the month.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

BDO USA acquires Quantum Global Advisors

BDO USA LLP said Wednesday it has acquired Quantum Global Advisors LLC, a property insurance claim and valuation consulting practice based in Chicago.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

'Mercenary' hacker group runs rampant in Middle East: Research

Saudi diplomats, Sikh separatists and Indian business executives have been among those targeted by a group of hired hackers, according to research published on Wednesday by mobile firm BlackBerry Corp.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Hedge funds make pandemic bet on insurance

Five years after London-based hedge fund Toscafund ditched the shares it held in insurance companies, the $3.5 billion firm and its peers are flocking back, drawn by sharp premium increases that are lifting the sector's post-coronavirus prospects.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

US ban on Chinese chipmaker to disrupt supply chain

The U.S. ban on the use of components from China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. could cause widespread disruption to China's chip supply chain.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Hurricane intensifies, threatens Mexico's cat bond

Hurricane Delta has intensified into the third major hurricane of this year's Atlantic storm season and could pose a test for the World Bank Group's FONDEN 2020 catastrophe bond.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020

Capital requirement parity likely for EU, UK insurers

Insurers have said that reviews of capital requirements in the European Union and Britain are likely to produce a similar set of rules for cross-border insurers.

Posted: Oct 07, 2020