Business Insurance

Record profit lifts Aviva shares, pays out on coronavirus claims

(Reuters) - U.K.-based insurer Aviva PLC shares jumped on Thursday as it posted a record profit in its first year under CEO Maurice Tulloch, although he said the coronavirus outbreak added uncertainty to the outlook.

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

UK businesses could lose out on coronavirus claims

The Association of British Insurers has said that thousands of businesses may not be able to claim losses due to the coronavirus outbreak, despite the government reclassifying the illness as a "notifiable disease."

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

Hailstorm property claims near $450 million

Swiss catastrophe loss data provider Perils AG expects property insurance claims related to the hailstorms that struck Australia in January to total $670 million Australia ($443 million).

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

Lotte Chemical declares force majeure after explosion

South Korea-based petrochemical products maker Lotte Chemical Corp. has closed its ethylene cracker plant in Daesan indefinitely following an explosion on March 4.

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

Storm hits Brazil, devastates Sao Paolo

A storm caused heavy rains and landslides on Brazil's southeastern coast and devastated the state of Sao Paolo and neighborhoods on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

Boots suspends loyalty card payments after cyber attack

Health and beauty products retailer Boots U.K. Ltd. has suspended payments using Boots Advantage Card loyalty points in shops and online following a cyber attack.

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

Axa Indonesia completes merger of general insurance units

French insurer Axa SA's Indonesian arm has completed the merger of two general insurance subsidiaries PT Asuransi Axa Indonesia and PT Mandiri Axa General Insurance.

Posted: Mar 05, 2020

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Posted: Mar 05, 2020

Employers face ‘gray area’ with comp, coronavirus: Expert

Workers compensation legal experts say employers can look at past outbreaks and pandemics to try to understand the intersection of workplace injury and coronavirus, but that even history may not provide an accurate picture of what to expect if a pand...

Posted: Mar 04, 2020

Insurers unsure of extent of Tennessee tornado damage

Damage consistent with winds up to 165 miles per hour is being found in Nashville and surrounding areas after they were hit by a series of powerful tornadoes early Tuesday, according to industry experts.

Posted: Mar 04, 2020

Insurer wins ruling over property damage to warehouse

A federal district court ruled in favor of a Cincinnati Financial Corp. unit Tuesday in coverage litigation filed by a warehouse owner based in part on a pollution exclusion provision in its coverage.

Posted: Mar 04, 2020

Insurtech funding hits record for quarter, year
Insurtech funding hits record for quarter, year

Quarterly insurtech funding reached an all-time high of $1.99 billion during the fourth quarter, marking the sixth consecutive quarter over $1.2 billion, according to the Quarterly InsurTech Briefing released Friday by Willis Towers Watson Plc.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Marsh & McLennan buys LA-based broker
Marsh & McLennan buys LA-based broker

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, the middle-market agency subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired Los Angeles -based Momentous Insurance Brokerage Inc., MMA said in a statement Friday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Marsh & McLennan buys L.A.-based broker
Marsh & McLennan buys L.A.-based broker

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, the middle-market agency subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired Los Angeles -based Momentous Insurance Brokerage Inc., MMA said in a statement Friday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Marsh unit buys L.A.-based broker
Marsh unit buys L.A.-based broker

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, the middle-market agency subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired Los Angeles -based Momentous Insurance Brokerage Inc., MMA said in a statement Friday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

No promise Impossible Whoppers vegan: Burger King
No promise Impossible Whoppers vegan: Burger King

(Reuters) — Burger King, saying it never billed its "Impossible Whoppers" as vegan or promised to cook them a particular way, said a proposed class action by a vegan customer over the plant-based patties being cooked on the same grills as meat burger...

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Airbus bribed public officials, hid payments: Prosecutors
Airbus bribed public officials, hid payments: Prosecutors

(Reuters) — European planemaker Airbus bribed public officials and hid the payments as part of a pattern of corruption that led to a record $4 billion bribery settlement with France, Britain and the United States, French prosecutors said on Friday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Bayer considers new tactic in Roundup settlement talks
Bayer considers new tactic in Roundup settlement talks

(Reuters) — As Bayer AG tries to settle U.S. lawsuits claiming that its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer, the company is considering a proposal that would bar plaintiffs' lawyers involved in the litigation from advertising for new clients, according...

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

RFIB CEO Steven Beard resigns
RFIB CEO Steven Beard resigns

Steven Beard, CEO of London-based Risk Transfer Group, which trades under the RFIB brand, is resigning, effective immediately, said Integro Insurance Brokers Holdings Ltd. on Friday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Pet insurance is the new millennial pink
Pet insurance is the new millennial pink

The “humanization” of pets among millennials will likely be responsible for a spike in the pet insurance market in the next five years, according to a Pet Insurance Market Analysis & Projections to 2025 report.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Aon Q4 revenue increases 4%
Aon Q4 revenue increases 4%

Aon PLC reported fourth-quarter 2019 revenue of $2.9 billion on Friday, a 4% increase from the fourth quarter of 2018, driven by 7% organic revenue growth, as its reinsurance business soared due to strong growth in catastrophe bonds and capital marke...

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

County not due comp funds in med mal suit
County not due comp funds in med mal suit

Self-insured Baltimore County is not entitled to medical reimbursements stemming from a workers compensation claimant who won a medical malpractice lawsuit after treatment for his work-related injury, a Maryland appeals court ruled Thursday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

Gallagher reports 19% gain in Q4 revenue
Gallagher reports 19% gain in Q4 revenue

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. on Thursday reported a 19% increase in fourth-quarter brokerage revenue, to $1.19 billion.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

BOJ warns of cyberattack vulnerability ahead of Olympic Games
BOJ warns of cyberattack vulnerability ahead of Olympic Games

(Reuters) — Japan's financial institutions must guard against cyberattacks ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, with nearly 40% of banks and other firms experiencing attacks over the past three years, the Bank of Japan said on Friday.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020

The BI Top 10: Week of Jan. 27, 2020
The BI Top 10: Week of Jan. 27, 2020

The announcement of this year’s Business Insurance U.S. Insurance Awards finalists topped this week’s news. There was also strong interest in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s acquisition of a North Carolina-based regional managing general agency.

Posted: Jan 31, 2020