Business Insurance

J&J not liable for Illinois woman’s death in talc case

An Illinois jury on Friday refused to hold Johnson & Johnson liable for a woman’s death from ovarian cancer, which her family blamed on decades of using its talc-based powders.

Posted: Aug 02, 2021

Zoom reaches $85 million settlement in online security case

Zoom Video Communications Inc. agreed to pay $85 million and bolster its security practices to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users’ privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, and letting hackers disrupt Zoom m...

Posted: Aug 02, 2021

Axa rebounds from pandemic as XL unit swings to profit

Axa posted a 180% surge in first-half net income on Monday as the French insurer rebounded from a spike in pandemic-related claims that led to a €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) charge last year.

Posted: Aug 02, 2021

Doctor pleads guilty in kickback scheme involving pain creams

A Lake Charles, Louisiana, physician pleaded guilty Friday to federal fraud charges stemming from a profit-splitting arrangement with a company selling topical creams and patches to injured workers, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Posted: Aug 02, 2021

DOJ intervening in Kaiser whistleblower litigation

The U.S. Department of Justice said Friday it is intervening in six complaints in whistleblower litigation alleging that members of the Kaiser Permanente consortium violated the False Claims Act by submitting inaccurate diagnosis codes for its Medica...

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Scarlett Johansson goes red over release of ‘Black Widow’

Who’s the villain now? Walt Disney Co., according to actress Scarlett Johansson, who filed a lawsuit Thursday against the film company.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

DOL strikes down Trump-era joint employer rule

The Biden administration on Thursday rescinded a Trump-era rule favored by employers that defined who should be considered a joint employer.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Chinese IPO hopefuls must provide more risk disclosures

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will not allow Chinese companies to raise money in the United States unless they fully explain their legal structures and disclose the risk of Beijing interfering in their businesses, the agency said Friday...

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Gallagher makes Illinois buy

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. on Friday said it has acquired Oakbrook, Illinois-based R.J. Riordan & Co.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

PG&E disputes plan for criminal charges in 2020 wildfire

PG&E Corp. said late on Thursday it disagreed with a Northern California prosecutor who said that criminal charges will be filed in last year’s Zogg Fire, arguing the California grid operator had already resolved civil claims with the affected county...

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Life insurer probes personal data leak of two million customers

Indonesian life insurer PT Asuransi BRI Life is investigating claims that personal data of more than two million of its customers is available online for sale.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Argentina declares six-month water emergency for Parana River

The 180-day “water emergency” declared for the Parana River by the Argentine government threatens the country’s grain exports at the peak time, as vessels cut cargoes to avoid grounding in the shallow river.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Fisheries agency seeks $800 million from miner for fuel spill

Russia’s Federal Agency for Fishery is seeking 58.7 billion Russian rubles ($800 million) from mining conglomerate MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC for the devastating Arctic fuel spill of May 2020 that harmed aquatic bioresources.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Financial services D&O fines reach $270 million in UK

Law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP’s tracker data revealed that financial services providers’ director and officers in the U.K. were handed down more than £196 million ($269.5 million) in large regulatory fines since 2020.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Repeat violations common in latest round of heavy OSHA fines

An Ohio contractor and a Georgia recycling facility face fines of more than $100,000 each for repeatedly exposing workers to deadly hazards, according to statements issued Thursday by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Authorities probing Emergent BioSolutions

Drug manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions Inc. on Friday said it has received inquiries and subpoenas from a swathe of U.S. authorities related to its abilities to manufacture COVID-19 bulk drug substance.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Ransomware threatening national security: Webinar

Sanctions risk is a growing concern for policyholders and insurers as they face a rising tide of ransomware events and claims, a panel of experts said.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Alliant snags Willis exec for public entity practice

Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has recruited former Willis Towers Watson PLC executive Kaci Snyder as senior vice president in its public entity practice.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Allianz, China's first foreign-owned insurance asset management firm

Allianz SE said on Friday that its local Chinese asset management unit had received regulatory approval and would be the first wholly foreign-owned insurance asset management company in the country.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

China watchdog promotes greater market access for foreign investors

China's banking and insurance watchdog said it would seek to stabilize the expectations of foreign investors by continuing with efforts to implement policies designed to expand their market access.

Posted: Jul 30, 2021

Gallagher reports higher revenue, more market firming

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. reported total revenue of $1.9 billion for the second quarter, a 22.2% increase over the same period last year, though organic revenue growth was lower than some of its rivals that have reported so far.

Posted: Jul 29, 2021

Arch’s Q2 earnings jump 54%

Arch Capital Group Ltd. late Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $718.7 million, up 54.1% from the same quarter in 2020, as premiums soared.

Posted: Jul 29, 2021

Comp fraud conviction blocks naturalization application

A federal appeals court Wednesday upheld a district court’s ruling that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not err in denying a woman’s naturalization application because of a workers compensation fraud conviction.

Posted: Jul 29, 2021

NFP hires executive from Marsh

NFP Corp. has recruited former Marsh LLC executive Morgan Frick as senior vice president in its management and professional liability practice.

Posted: Jul 29, 2021

Lloyd’s launches climate change plan; accused of ‘greenwashing’

Lloyd’s of London this week published a report – “Insuring a Sustainable, Greener Future” – and an action roadmap the day after a member of Insurance Rebellion, a protest group pressuring insurers to withdraw from the fossil fuel sector, was arrested...

Posted: Jul 29, 2021