Business Insurance

Young to Trump: Stop ‘rockin’ in the free world’

Neil Young wants you to “keep on rockin’ in the free world” — unless you’re at a Trump rally.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

EEOC issues guidance for employees who use opioids legally

Employees who are using opioids legally are protected under federal disability law and can request an accommodation if its use creates a safety issue, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says in employee guidance issued Wednesday.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Citation, penalty in worker electrocution affirmed

A power line company must still pay nearly $12,000 in fines after federal inspectors found safety and health violations following the death of a worker.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Gallagher buys Canadian retail brokerage

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Canada-based retail brokerage Insight Insurance & Risk Management Ltd., Gallagher announced Wednesday.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Colorado State predicts ‘extremely active’ hurricane season

Researchers at Colorado State University on Wednesday upgraded their forecast for the 2020 Atlantic season to “extremely active” from “very active.”

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Hannover Re expects ‘major loss’ from Beirut explosion

German reinsurer Hannover Re SE on Wednesday said it will see a “major loss” from the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, as it reported net income fell 39.3% to €402 million ($478 million) for the first half of the year.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Top 10 Off Beats from July

July’s most popular Off Beat story featured a Kit Kat lawsuit. A story on Amazon delivering car insurance was No. 2 for page views for the month.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Engineer gets 18 months in prison for stealing Google files

A U.S. judge on Tuesday sentenced former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski to 18 months in prison for stealing a trade secret from Google related to self-driving cars months before becoming the head of Uber Technologies Inc.'s rival unit.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Commercial insurance rates keep rising

Commercial insurance rates continued to rise in most lines in July although in some cases the pace of the increases slowed slightly from the prior month, according to insurance exchange Ivans Insurance Services’ monthly pricing index released Wednesd...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

US pursues claims in Purdue Pharma opioid probes: Sources

U.S. prosecutors are pursuing possible penalties of nearly $13 billion to resolve investigations of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma after uncovering evidence of criminal and civil misconduct stemming from the company's alleged role in fueling the natio...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Guy Carpenter names Canadian chief amid management changes

Guy Carpenter & Co. LLC named Peter Askew president and CEO of its Canadian operations, replacing its long-standing top executive in the country, as the reinsurance broker continues to revamp its management.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Blast kills 78 people, injures 4,000 others

A powerful blast at port warehouses in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Aug. 4 killed 78 people and injured nearly 4,000 others.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Hong Kong to introduce ILS regulatory

Hong Kong has approved a new insurance bill to allow for the issuance of insurance-linked securities such as catastrophe bonds.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Kuwait Re's premiums fall 3.5% in first half

Kuwait Reinsurance Co. KSCP's gross written premiums declined 3.5% year-over-year to nearly 40 million Kuwaiti dinar ($130.5 million) in the first six months of the year.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Allianz Q2 net profit declines 29% amid coronavirus

German insurer Allianz on Wednesday posted a 29% fall in net profit for the second quarter from a year earlier and shied away from updating its full-year profit guidance as the coronavirus pandemic slows business and clouds the outlook.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Spanish island declares emergency due to fire

The government of Spain's Canary Islands has declared an emergency after a fire broke out in an industrial complex on the island of El Hierro on Aug. 4.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Airlines cancels all domestic flights to and from Manila

The Philippines' flag carrier PAL Holdings Inc. has cancelled all domestic flights to and from Manila until Aug. 18, as the country re-entered lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Fight over business interruption claims continues

U.K.-based law firm Rubric Lois King Solicitors has sued insurers on behalf of more than 300 businesses for denying business interruption claims related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Firms consider COVID waivers before bringing workers back onsite

As employers make plans to bring their employees back to the workplace in the fall, questions over liability and responsibility are leading some to require workers to sign waivers or acknowledgments concerning COVID-19. However, experts question whet...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

CICA settles event cancellation claim with Tokio Marine

The Captive Insurance Companies Association said Tuesday it has settled its event cancellation claim with insurer Tokio Marine HCC for its 2020 international conference that was canceled due to COVID-19.

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Engineering firm not entitled to coverage for pollution loss

A mechanical engineering firm cannot recover a pollution loss under its coverage because it filed its claim late, even though it was allegedly told by its insurer’s claims department to hold off filing a claim until a formal demand had been made, a f...

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Health care workers have filed most COVID-19 comp claims: Study

Health care industry employees have filed the majority of workers compensation claims related to COVID-19, according to a study released Wednesday by Mitchell International Inc.

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Nebraska votes for comp for first responders

Nebraska lawmakers unanimously voted to enable first responders diagnosed with mental illness or injury as a result of their jobs access to workers compensation.

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Liberty Mutual wins suit over skyscraper damage

A Liberty Mutual Insurance Group unit has prevailed in litigation over a damaged Houston skyscraper because the damage does not meet the requirements of ensuing loss provision, says a federal appeals court, in affirming a lower court ruling.

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Deadline extended for Women to Watch nominations

Following numerous requests for more time, Business Insurance has extended the deadline to submit nominations for the 2020 Women to Watch Awards until 11:59 p.m. Central on Aug. 19. This will be a hard deadline.

Posted: Aug 04, 2020