Claims Journal

Fires Roil California’s Virus Fight Just as Outbreak Was Easing

Just as California appeared to be turning a corner in its fight against the coronavirus, raging wildfires threaten to worsen the outbreak. Blazes that rank among the largest in state history have sent thousands of residents fleeing to evacuation cent...

Posted: Aug 26, 2020

Honda Motor Units to Pay $85M to Settle States’ Probe Over Takata Air Bags

NEW YORK — Units of Honda Motor Co have agreed to pay $85 million to settle an investigation by most U.S. states into its use of defective Takata airbag inflators in its vehicles, according to a consent order made public …

Posted: Aug 26, 2020

Report Shows Insurers Recognizing ‘Mega’ Claims More Quickly

The share of “mega” workers’ compensation claims — those expected to cost $3 million or more — climbed steadily since 2013 after dropping as construction employment declined sharply during the Great Recession, according to a report by the National Co...

Posted: Aug 26, 2020

Boeing Boosts 737 Max Safety With Spacecraft, Drone Technology

Boeing Co. is preparing to bolster the long-term safety of its troubled 737 Max with technology borrowed from space vehicles and urban drones that can provide data to help back up its sensors. The system — known as synthetic air …

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Power the WiFi or the Fan? California Fires and Blackouts Test Home Offices

Silicon Valley workers previously enjoyed some of the most well-appointed offices in corporate America. Lunch was free, dry-cleaning was on site and the internet was lightning fast. Now that those workers have settled into their less glamorous home o...

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Shot by Police, Thwarted by Judges and Geography

FORT WORTH, Texas — When David Collie slipped off his shirt as he set out one sultry night to visit some friends, he didn’t know he was putting himself in grave danger. But he was. He now fit the description: …

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Hurricane Laura Approaches Gulf Coast Forcing Tens of Thousands to Evacuate

Hurricane Laura was bearing down on the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday, threatening fierce winds and storm surge from San Luis Pass, Texas to Ocean Springs, Mississippi and prompting thousands to evacuate before an expected Thursday landfall. The storm s...

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

FBI Investigating Covid-19 Data Breach in South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The FBI is investigating a data breach that may have compromised the identity of people with the COVID-19 virus in South Dakota. Paul Niedringhaus, who directs the South Dakota Fusion Center that handles emergency calls, sent …

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Lloyd’s Evades $3M in Judgment Interest Because FDIC Waited Too Long to Collect

Lloyd’s of London does not have to pay the U.S. government’s Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. $3 million in judgment interest because the FDIC waited too long —18 months after a final judgment — to try to collect it. The action …

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Japan Ship Deviated From Shipping Lane Before Mauritius Impact, Data Shows

The Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off Mauritius and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs diverted more than 100 kilometers from a regular shipping lane, data from a maritime analysis firm showed. The MV Wakashio, ow...

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Court Rules Coverage May Be Owed for Settlement in Firefighters’ Deaths

An insurer may be liable for $14 million of a mortgage company’s settlement with the estates of two Chicago firefighters who were killed while battling a blaze at an abandoned laundry, a federal appellate court ruled Monday. A district court …

Posted: Aug 25, 2020

Delta Doubles Cabin Cleaners in ‘Pit Stop’ Revamp, Buys Kits to Test for Germs

Delta Air Lines has doubled its staffing to handle revamped pre-flight “pit stops” for deeper cleaning and wants to ensure that tray tables and restroom door handles are germ-free with a new testing process, an executive told Reuters. Airlines’ effor...

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Rare Double Storm Blow Menaces U.S. Gulf With Stronger Laura

The threat of a rare double storm blow looms for the U.S. Gulf Coast despite a weaker Tropical Storm Marco, with more than half of offshore oil production already shut and forecasts showing the potential for Laura to become a …

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Baupost Collects $3 Billion Wagering on PG&E’s Wildfire Claims

Baupost Group, the hedge fund run by Seth Klarman, received more than $3 billion in July from its bet on insurance claims against PG&E Corp. connected to a series of deadly California wildfires, according to people with knowledge of the …

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Riot Declared Outside Portland Public Safety Building

PORTLAND, Ore. — Police forced protesters away from a law enforcement building in Oregon’s biggest city early Sunday, as efforts to stop the demonstrators from gathering at the building seemingly fell apart. The protesters apparently had plans Saturd...

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Hurricane Phoenix is Tampa Bay’s Worst-Case Scenario

TAMPA, Fla. — It is only a simulation. It’s also the worst-case scenario. One day, it could be reality. “Hurricane Phoenix” is the hypothetical disaster that would change life in the Tampa Bay area forever. Imagine a Category 5 storm …

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Driver Accused of Texting Gets Prison in Pedestrian’s Death

FREEHOLD, N.J. — A New Jersey woman has been sentenced to five years in prison in the death of a pedestrian that prosecutors said occurred as the driver was texting — an accusation the defendant denied on the stand. Alexandra …

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

California ‘Dream House,’ Decades in the Making, is in Ashes

VACAVILLE, Calif. — When he closes his eyes at night, Hank Hanson hears sirens in his dreams — a byproduct of living nearly 30 years in the wildfire-prone wilderness of Northern California between San Francisco and Sacramento. But at about …

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Insurers Chasing Fewer Tips From Tech, Hoping for Better Return on Investment

Even though insurers have invested heavily in fraud-fighting technology, the percentage of referrals from automated systems accepted by special investigation units has declined to 15 percent from 22 percent in the past two years, the Coalition Agains...

Posted: Aug 24, 2020

Genevieve Loses Punch as 2 New Storms Aim for the Gulf of Mexico

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — Hurricane Genevieve lost some of its punch Thursday even as it lashed Mexico’s Los Cabos tourist resorts with hurricane-force gusts and heavy rains. And two storms formed in the Atlantic Basin — both on potential …

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Bayer to Pay $1.6 Billion to End U.S. Suits Over Contraceptive

Bayer AG agreed to pay $1.6 billion to resolve most of the U.S. litigation over its now-withdrawn Essure contraceptive device, which some women said caused excessive bleeding and pelvic pain or failed to prevent pregnancies. The deal will resolve abo...

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Apple Can’t Dodge Suit Claiming Sex-Bias for Canceled Contract

Apple Inc. can’t dodge a lawsuit in which it’s accused of canceling a contract with a janitorial service because the owner is a woman. In a tentative ruling Wednesday in California state court in San Jose, Judge Cynthia Lie ruled …

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

COVID-19 Era Highlights ‘Black Hole’ Compensation Fund For Vaccine Injuries

A U.S. government program that compensates people who say they have been harmed by an emergency vaccine has paid out on fewer than 10% of claims, raising questions whether the process should be used to address any potential side effects …

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

N.C. Political Donor Gets 7 Years In Prison, Hayes Probation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A major political donor convicted of attempting to bribe a North Carolina elected official to secure preferential regulatory treatment for his insurance business was sentenced Wednesday to more than seven years in prison. Billionair...

Posted: Aug 21, 2020

Federal Judge Upholds $925M Damages Verdict in Robocall Case

PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge has upheld a $925 million damages award in a class-action case against a Michigan-based marketing company that a jury in Portland, Oregon found had conducted unlawful telemarketing practices. ViSalus Inc. placed almos...

Posted: Aug 21, 2020