Business Insurance

Beecher Carlson names national cyber practice executive

Beecher Carlson Insurance Services LLC has named Oren Wortman managing director of its national cyber practice, the brokerage said in a statement Wednesday.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

US employer mandate of COVID-19 vaccine unlikely: Experts

Private U.S. companies have the right under the law to require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but are unlikely to do so because of the risks of legal and cultural backlash, experts said.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Helping workers with substance use disorders cuts costs: NSC

Employers can save an average of $8,500 in turnover, replacement and health care costs by supporting workers suffering from substance use disorders, according to a study released Wednesday by the National Safety Council.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Skyward Specialty appoints construction executive

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group Inc. said Tuesday it has named Rick Childs to the newly created position of senior vice president, construction.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Half of employers believe they lack resources to manage COVID-19

Fifty-four percent of global employers say they do not have “adequate” resources to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to ensuring the health and safety of workers, according to a risk outlook report released Wednesday by London-based heal...

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Capco buys Connecticut-based tech consultancy

The Capital Markets Company NV, a Belgium-based management and technology consultancy that operates under the name Capco, announced Wednesday that it has acquired Neos LLC, a Hartford, Connecticut-based technology consultancy.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

AmWINS makes Bermuda buy

AmWINS Group Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to buy Hamilton, Bermuda-based International Specialty Brokers Ltd., a property/casualty wholesaler and reinsurance broker.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Keogh named president of Chubb

John Keogh, executive vice chairman and chief operating officer of Chubb Group, has been named president, effective immediately.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Employer not required to modify home of paraplegic who died

An appeals court in Mississippi on Tuesday classified as “moot” the court-ordered home modifications in a case stemming from a woman who became a paraplegic as a result of a work-related car accident in 2015 and who died while her case went to appeal...

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Hub buys Canadian brokerage

Hub International Ltd. has acquired Canadian brokerage Seymour Alper Inc., Hub said in a statement Wednesday.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Alera buys Michigan broker

Alera Group has acquired Lighthouse Group, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based property/casualty and employee benefits brokerage.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Lockton snags M&A insurance trio from Aon

Lockton Cos. LLC has hired three transaction liability brokers from rival Aon PLC, the brokerage announced on Wednesday.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Marsh & McLennan Agency buys transportation specialist

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, the middle-market unit of Marsh LLC, has bought Louisville, Kentucky-based Heritage Insurance Service Inc., the brokerage announced Wednesday.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Allianz acquires Westpac’s general insurance arm

Germany-based insurer Allianz SE has acquired Australia-based Westpac Banking Corp.’s general insurance business for $725 million Australian ($535 million).

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Axa XL aims to reduce natural catastrophe exposure

Axa XL, a unit of French insurer Axa SA, is looking to reduce its exposure to natural catastrophes in the upcoming years to improve business sustainability and profitability.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Hackers steal Israeli insurer’s client data

A hacker group breached Israel-based insurer Shirbit Insurance Co. Ltd.’s network infrastructure on Dec. 1, stealing personal details of the insurer’s employees and clients.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Daewoo fined for mistreatment of subcontractors

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has fined shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. 15.3 billion South Korean won ($13.8 million) for violation of the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Hurricanes cause lasting damage in Central America

U.S.-based Moody's Investors Service Inc. has said that Hurricanes Eta and Iota have inflicted lasting damages on Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Hackers target over 600 Japanese entities

At least 607 Japanese organizations suffered cyber attacks due to unpatched virtual private network appliances that facilitate remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

General insurers report 73% drop in net profit

Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority showed that general insurers’ aggregate net profit after tax declined by 73% to 0.9 billion Australian ($0.66 billion) in the year ended September 2020.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Pandemic, no-deal Brexit threatens automakers

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has said that a no-deal Brexit with resulting trade barriers and tariffs could cost €110 billion ($132 billion) in lost trade to the European automotive industry by 2025.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Top 10 Off Beats from November

November’s most popular Off Beat story featured a prominent ginger ale maker being sued. A story on the Iowa derecho and insurance claim denial finished among the top stories for page views for the month.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

COVID-19 claims acceptance lower than predicted

It has been more than eight months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and the impact on workers compensation claims continues to be less than predicted, experts say.

Posted: Dec 02, 2020

Supreme Court justices question human rights claims against companies

U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday appeared wary of barring lawsuits against American companies over alleged human rights abuses abroad but signaled they could toss out a case accusing Cargill Inc. and a Nestle SA subsidiary of knowingly helping...

Posted: Dec 01, 2020