Business Insurance

The BI Top 10: Week of Aug. 3, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic’s impact on insurers became clearer as several released second-quarter results. On the litigation front, groups of restaurants in New York and Chicago sued insurers for COVID-19 cover.

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Sampo to acquire UK insurer

Finnish insurer Sampo Oyj and South Africa-based Rand Merchant Investment Holdings Ltd. plan to acquire U.K.-based insurer Hastings Group Holdings PLC for around £1.66 billion ($2.2 billion).

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Beirut blast causes up to $15 billion damage

The blast in Beirut on Aug. 4 is expected to have caused up to $15 billion worth of damage, an increase from an earlier estimate of $5 billion.

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Aviva to pass $363 million of COVID-19 claims to reinsurers

U.K.-based insurer Aviva PLC received COVID-19 pandemic-related claims of £441 million ($580 million) in the first half of the year, of which around 63% or £276 million ($363 million) will be passed on to reinsurers.

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Heavy rains, floods cause more than $20 billion damage

A report by Aon PLC said that heavy rains and floods caused more than $20 billion worth of damage in Asia in July.

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Construction firms could face insurance cover cuts

U.K.-based outsourced insurance buyer Mactavish Group said that construction companies should expect considerable erosion in the quality and extent of insurance cover offered following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Flood-related claims surpass $760 million

Data from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission showed that six provinces received a total of 188,000 flood-related insurance claims worth nearly 5.3 billion Chinese yuan ($763 million) in the past month.

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Insurers secure another win in fight over COVID-19 cover denials

Insurers on Thursday scored their third straight victory in cases involving COVID-19 business interruption claims when a District of Columbia judge ruled that the forced closure of a dozen restaurants in Washington did not constitute a direct physica...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Capital One to pay $80M fine after data breach

Capital One Financial Corp. will pay an $80 million penalty to a U.S. bank regulator after the bank suffered a massive data breach one year ago.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Deli worker’s hostile work environment case reinstated

A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling and reinstated a hostile work environment case filed by a supermarket deli worker who said a fellow worker allegedly stared at her, stood within one or two feet of her, followed her around a...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Patriot expands in California with acquisition

Acquisitive brokerage Patriot Growth Insurance Services LLC has bought Cypress, California-based agency Bowermaster and Associates, Patriot announced Thursday.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Australia to spend $1.2B on cyber security for private sector

Australia will spend A$1.66 billion ($1.19 billion) over the next 10 years to strengthen the cyber defenses of companies and households after a rise in cyberattacks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

SEC fines World Acceptance $21.7 million for Mexican bribes

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday that it had fined World Acceptance Corp., a consumer loan company, $21.7 million for paying bribes in Mexico.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Axa CEO confident in XL business after coronavirus hit

The CEO of Axa on Thursday expressed confidence in the French insurer's company-focused XL Group after the business reported a loss in the first half following a spike in COVID-19-related claims.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Boyfriend’s burning passion leads to fire insurance claim

A romantic devil in Sheffield, England, spent two weeks planning a marriage proposal to remember for his sweetheart, but ended up burning down the couple’s home when the stunt went wrong.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Axa says $1.2 billion asset sale collapses, income slides

French insurer Axa said on Thursday the planned €1 billion ($1.2 billion) sale of its Axa Life Europe unit to Cinven had collapsed, and that it would make no fourth-quarter shareholder payouts after net income fell 40% in the first half.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Beirut blast causes up to $5 billion damage

The blast in Beirut on Aug. 4 is expected to have caused up to $5 billion worth of damage.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Canon suffers ransomware attack, 10TB of data stolen

Japan-based Canon Inc. suffered a ransomware attack, in which 10 terabytes of data was stolen.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Uniqa gets approval to acquire Axa's units

Austria-based Uniqa Insurance Group AG has received regulatory approval for the acquisition of French insurer Axa SA's units in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Gazprom fined $57 million in Poland

Poland's anti-monopoly watchdog has fined Russian energy firm PJSC Gazprom 213 million Polish zloty ($57 million) for not cooperating in its proceedings with regard to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Saudi Re's premiums rise more than 30%

Saudi Reinsurance Co.'s gross written premiums increased more than 30% year-over-year to surpass 659 million Saudi riyal ($176 million) in the first half of the year.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Heavy rains cause widespread damage in South Korea

Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in South Korea and caused widespread damage after two areas were declared disaster zones after 42 consecutive days of rain.

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Judge rules against Labor Department over pandemic leave

A federal district judge has issued a ruling that removes limits as to employees taking leave if there is no work available under a regulation issued by the Department of Labor under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Insurer has no duty to defend contractor in worker injury case

A general liability insurer has no duty to defend a “pro bono” contractor for the injuries a church worker sustained on its job site, an appellate court held Tuesday.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020