Claims Journal

Delta Losses Bring Hurricane Damages to $26B for Year

Hurricane Delta caused from $700 million $1.2 billion in insured losses from wind damage and storm surge, and an additional $800 million to $1.5 billion in losses to offshore structures, CoreLogic said Tuesday. The damage is far less than estimated …

Posted: Oct 14, 2020

J&J Sued for Misleading Auris Investors Over 2019 Buyout

Johnson & Johnson was accused in a lawsuit of falsely promising billions of dollars in future payments to Auris Health Inc. investors last year when J&J agreed to spend as much as $5.7 billion to acquire the company. Fortis Advisors …

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

‘Nothing Left’: How Back-to-Back Hurricanes Gutted a U.S. Town

On the day after Hurricane Delta cut its ruinous path across southern Louisiana, Dick Frerks pointed to a lone 20-foot pylon rising from the bayou and summed up what he’d lost. “Our house used to be on top of that,” …

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

J&J to Contribute Up to $5 billion to Potential U.S. Opioid Settlement

Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday said it will contribute up to $1 billion more to a potential settlement of lawsuits alleging it and other companies fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic, bringing the total amount it would pay to $5 billion. …

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

Mechanical Problems Likely Cause of Industrial Plant Fire

TACOMA, Wash. — Mechanical problems at a Tacoma industrial plant are the likely cause for a fire that triggered explosions and spewed toxic chemicals into the air early Sunday. KING-TV reports it took several hours for Tacoma firefighters to put …

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

76 Arrests as Fans, Some Rowdy, Cheer Lakers Win in LA

LOS ANGELES — Seventy-six people were arrested and more than 30 buildings and business were damaged when a downtown celebration turned chaotic after the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th National Basketball Association championship, police said Monda...

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

The Case of the Cat on the Carpet

Iranian (Persian) rugs and carpets are one type of very sought-after, artisan-made rug for those who admire beautiful, long-lasting, potentially appreciable, hand-knotted rugs. Some enthusiast compare a fine Persian rug to a Picasso or a Van Gogh. Du...

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

Energy Companies Restore U.S. Gulf Production After Hurricane

HOUSTON — Energy companies forged ahead restoring oil and natural gas production in the U.S.-regulated northern Gulf of Mexico on Monday, three days after Hurricane Delta made landfall, said the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BS...

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

Hyundai to Expand Kona EV Recall to N. America, Europe

SEOUL — Hyundai Motor Co is set to triple the number of recalled Kona electric cars over battery cell fire risks with plans to recall around 51,000 vehicles in North America, Europe, China and other markets, Yonhap news agency reported …

Posted: Oct 13, 2020

State Takes Over Houston’s Harvey Home Repair Program

HOUSTON — All Houston resident Alice Torres has wanted in the three years since Hurricane Harvey hit was to repair her family’s flood-damaged home so her 85-year-old mother can feel safe and settled again. But when her mother, Dolores Torres, …

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

Team Investigating Deadly Calif. Fire Seizes PG&E Equipment

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility has reported. PG&E said in a filing …

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

In Hurricane-Ravaged Louisiana, Residents Dig Out, Again

LAKE CHARLES, La. — First, Hurricane Laura roared ashore with its staggering, 150 mph (241 kph) winds. Then Hurricane Delta followed, with less wind but with ferocious downpours. The two back-to-back hurricanes in the space of six weeks have left …

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

State: Worker Who Got $186,000 in ‘Dog Phobia’ Case Owned Dogs

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A meter reader who was attacked by a dog while on duty and collected years of workers’ compensation is now accused of stealing the money, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said . Linda Jordan …

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

Report: Iowa’s Derecho Crop Losses Increase By More Than 50%

DES MOINES, Iowa — Crop loss estimates from a rare wind storm that slammed Iowa in August have increased by more than 50%, a new report shows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday that the number of crop acres …

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

Michigan Agency Removes Foxes, Coyotes From Unlicensed Rehab Center

Officials removed a half-dozen red foxes, three coyotes and other animals from an unlicensed rehabilitation center in western Michigan where the owner’s 2-year-old granddaughter lost an arm after reaching into a pen that housed two wolf-dog hybrids....

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

Claims Business: ClimateCheck, Mitchell and Crawford & Co.

Startup Offering Free Climate Risk Checkups ClimateCheck, a San Francisco startup, is offering consumers free reports that assess the vulnerability of individual properties to climate-related risks such as wildfires and flooding. The company said in...

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

Claims People: Sedgwick, Crawford & Co., MedRisk, Ametros

Sedgwick Names Presidents for Casualty, Managed Care Sedgwick has appointed John Stanzi as president of casualty operations for the Americas and Andrea Buhl as president of managed care operations. The global claims administrator, based in Memphis, T...

Posted: Oct 12, 2020

The One-Stop Rebuilding Shop for Wildfire Victims

California is on fire. Already this year, thousands of people have lost their homes, and communities are struggling to figure out how to rebuild. Nikki Pechet wants to be the person they turn to. Pechet co-founded Homebound Inc. in 2018 …

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

Virgin Hyperloop Picks West Virginia to Test High-Speed Transport System

SEATTLE/WASHINGTON – Virgin Hyperloop has picked the U.S. state of West Virginia to host a $500 million certification center and test track for billionaire Richard Branson’s super high-speed travel system, the company told Reuters. The center will be...

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

Boeing in Talks With Alaska Airlines For Potential 737 Max Order — Sources

SEATTLE/CHICAGO — Boeing Co is in discussions to sell 737 MAX jets to Alaska Airlines once the plane returns to service following a lengthy grounding, three people familiar with the matter said. The talks are part of a series of …

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

Hurricane Delta Halting Oil Production From Platforms, Refineries

HOUSTON — Hurricane Delta raked across the Gulf of Mexico, halting most of the region’s offshore oil output on Thursday after energy companies shut-in wells, pulled staff from offshore platforms and began securing coastal processing plants. The storm...

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

France Clamps Down on Use of Weedkiller Glyphosate in Farming

PARIS — France’s health and environment agency announced restrictions on weedkiller glyphosate in farming, but stopped short of a full ban in the European Union’s top agricultural producer due to a lack of non-chemical alternatives in some areas. The...

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

Louisiana Bracing for 6th Hurricane to Make U.S. Landfall This Year

MORGAN CITY, La. — Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsul...

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

Removal of Georgia Shipwreck Delayed Again Over Anchor Issue

SAVANNAH, Ga. — An engineering problem has forced another delay before salvage crews can start removing an overturned cargo ship that’s been partially submerged on the Georgia coast for more than a year, officials said Wednesday. The multi-agency com...

Posted: Oct 09, 2020

Allstate Liable in Fatal Accident Because Victim Was a ‘Resident Relative’

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Allstate must pay $25,000 in uninsured motorist benefits to the estranged husband of a woman who died while riding as a passenger in a car crash after moving back in with her parents. …

Posted: Oct 09, 2020