Business Insurance

Virus highlights ‘black hole’ compensation fund for vaccine injuries

A U.S. government program that compensates people who say they have been harmed by an emergency vaccine has paid out on fewer than 10% of claims, raising questions whether the process should be used to address any potential side effects from a corona...

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Judge narrows SEC suit against VW over diesel emissions

A U.S. judge on Thursday dismissed portions of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit accusing Volkswagen AG of defrauding American investors in connection with the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Chipping away at the change

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is facing claims that it is short-changing its customers. Literally.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

The BI Top 10: Week of Aug. 17, 2020

This week’s Top 10 shows that litigation is alive and well, with seven stories concerning court decisions filling out the rankings.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Ex-Uber security chief charged with covering up 2016 hacking

In an unprecedented case, a former chief security officer for Uber Technologies Inc. was criminally charged on Thursday with trying to cover up a 2016 hacking that exposed personal information of about 57 million of the ride-hailing company’s custome...

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Suncorp's profit falls by a third

Australia-based Suncorp Group Ltd.'s profit fell a third year-over-year to $749 million in the year-ended June.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Japan's general insurance sector to contract

U.K.-based data analytics firm GlobalData PLC predicts Japan's general insurance sector will contract 0.9% this year, compared with 1.7% growth in 2019.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Save Re weathers pandemic, premiums rise nearly 11%

Slovenia-based insurer and reinsurer Pozavarovalnica Sava dd's gross written premiums totaled €322 million ($381 million) in the first six months of the year, up 10.6% from the year-ago period.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Heavy rains, floods cause nearly $290 million damage

Heavy rains and floods have caused 2 billion Chinese yuan ($289 million) worth of damage in China's Chongqing municipality.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Reinsurer’s appetite grows as market hardens

U.K.-based insurer and reinsurer Lancashire Holdings Ltd. is looking to underwrite more property catastrophe risks as the insurance and reinsurance market hardens.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Chinese probe could damage Australian wine industry

China's anti-dumping investigation into Australian wine imports could further damage Australia's wine industry, which is already suffering because of bushfires and a decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Uniqa's profit falls 62% in first half

Austria-based Uniqa Insurance Group AG's profit declined nearly 62% year-over-year to €40.5 million ($48 million) in the first six months.

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

California court ruling paves way to stave off Uber, Lyft shutdown

A California appeals court on Thursday halted a lower court order that would have forced Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. to treat their drivers as employees, paving the way for the companies to avoid a shutdown of ride services in the state.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Student’s sexual assault suit reinstated

A woman who attended classes at University of Kentucky facilities but was not technically a student can still pursue her discrimination litigation against the university in which she charges it with failing to adequately address her sexual assault cl...

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Travelers loses with reversal of intellectual property case

An intellectual property exclusion in a Travelers Cos. Inc. unit’s insurance policy was ambiguous, said a federal appeals court Wednesday in overturning a lower court’s ruling in the Travelers’ favor in a coverage dispute.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Worker may pursue claims against Helmsman

A worker may pursue his claims for bad faith delay, denial of workers compensation and emotional distress against third-party administrator Helmsman Management Services LLC, the Delaware Superior Court ruled.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Bayer to pay $1.6B to resolve claims for birth-control device

German drugs and pesticides group Bayer AG said on Thursday it will pay around $1.6 billion to settle the majority of U.S. claims involving its Essure birth-control device.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Chinese insurtech firm Waterdrop raises $230M, plans IPO

Chinese online insurance technology platform Waterdrop Inc. has raised $230 million in a new funding round led by reinsurer Swiss Reinsurance Co. Ltd. and Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., it said on Thursday.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

U.S. loses fight over Hanford nuclear site worker protections

The state of Washington did not violate federal law by creating a law to protect workers engaged in cleanup activities at the Hanford Nuclear Site.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

NSC appoints Hyatt safety executive as VP of workplace

The National Safety Council has appointed Mark Baker vice president of workplace, the Itasca, Illinois-based nonprofit announced Wednesday.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

COVID-19 comp claims rise in California

As of Aug. 10, there were 9,515 COVID-19 workers compensation claims reported for July, bringing the total for the year to 31,612 claims, or 10.2% of all California job injury claims in 2020, the California Workers’ Compensation Institute reported Tu...

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

COVID-19 legislative, regulatory changes affecting comp: report

More than one-third of states have accepted COVID-19 as an occupational illness for certain professionals, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Guy Carpenter hires global head of sales from Willis Re

Guy Carpenter & Co. LLC, the reinsurance business of Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc., snagged Jeffrey Livingston from Willis Re and named him to the newly created role of global head of sales, effective Sept. 1.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Broker wins ruling to escape COVID-19 business interruption suit

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a restaurant group’s suit against its insurance broker, ruling that the damages that the policyholder sought for alleged negligence in placing business interruption coverage were not recoverable under Texas law.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020

Uzbekinvest’s international reinsurance premiums rise eight-fold

Uzbekistan-based Uzbekinvest Insurance Co.'s international reinsurance premiums increased eight-fold to $345 million in the first half of the year.

Posted: Aug 20, 2020