Claims Journal

Claims People: Davies, Global Risk and Coalition Against Insurance Fraud

Davies Appoints Business Development Officer and Senior VP Davies Claims Solutions has hired Glenn Backus as chief business development officer and Tyson Ware as senior vice president, head of adjusting and innovation. Backus has 25 years of experien...

Posted: Aug 10, 2020

Viewpoint: Using AI to Identify Work Comp Fraud Related to COVID-19

As employees return to work after the COVID-19 crisis has subsided, insurers and employers will likely experience a surge in claims related to the virus. Analysts expect coverages for workers compensation, employer liability, and business interruptio...

Posted: Aug 08, 2020

D.C. Judge Hands Insurers Another Win in COVID-19 Business Interruption Fight

The insurance industry has notched another victory in its defense of its commercial insurance policies against claims for business interruption due to the coronavirus. In a case brought by the owner of several restaurants against its insurer over bus...

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Sources: Insured Losses From Beirut Blast Seen Around $3 Billion

Insured losses from the Beirut port warehouse explosion are likely to total around $3 billion, similar to those from an explosion at the Chinese port of Tianjin in 2015, industry sources and analysts say. The blast on Tuesday, the biggest …

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

AAA Study Finds Modern Driver-Assistance Technology ‘Far From Reliable’

Advanced driver assistance technology automating steering and braking in a growing number of vehicles is not providing reliable safety benefits, a new study by the American Automobile Association showed on Thursday. Researchers at AAA, a federation o...

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Judge Appears Receptive to Uber, Lyft Warnings in California Driver Case

A California judge signaled on Thursday he might be leaning against a request for a preliminary injunction forcing Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc to classify drivers as employees rather than contractors. In a hearing in San Francisco Superior Cou...

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Nevada Passes Virus Liability and Worker Protection “Deal”

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada lawmakers voted to shield certain industries from coronavirus-related legal liability and require hotels and casinos to enact worker protection measures after days of complicated negotiations with Gov. Steve Sisolak’s offic...

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Lack of Study and Oversight Raises Concerns About Tear Gas

SALEM, Ore. — On June 2, Justin LaFrancois attended a protest against police violence and racism in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, where he planned to livestream the event for his alternative newspaper’s website. Shortly into the march, police,...

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Los Angeles Company Charged Over Deteriorating Oil Wells

LOS ANGELES — An oil and gas exploration company in Los Angeles has been charged with more than two dozen criminal counts after allegedly flouting a state order and failing to properly abandon its oil wells. Los Angeles City Attorney …

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Mechanical Failure, Human Error Cited in Guard Copter Crash

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Mechanical failure and human error led to the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter that killed three Minnesota National Guard members last December, according to a Guard summary released Wednesday. According to the summary of results …

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Honda Safe Driving App Links With Insurers for Premium Discounts

Honda Motor Co. is offering an app that scores the safety of car owners’ driving habits and links with insurance carriers that can offer discounts to drivers who are deemed a good risk. The Driver Feedback app is available to …

Posted: Aug 07, 2020

Lebanon Officials Ignored Warnings on Chemical Tied to Blast

The volatile chemical suspected of causing the deadly explosion that flattened Lebanon’s main port had been lying in storage there for six years despite warnings from customs officials about its hazards, documents show. The ammonium nitrate — equival...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Heaviest One-Day August Rain in 47 Years Slams Mumbai

The heaviest one-day rain in August in 47 years in Mumbai, home to India’s financial markets and the central bank, inundated large parts of the mega city and disrupted businesses and services. The Colaba weather station recorded 33.2 centimeters (13...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

J&J Stung by New Jersey Court Ruling Reviving Talc Cancer Claims

A New Jersey appeals court’s decision to revive two lawsuits accusing Johnson & Johnson’s iconic Baby Powder of causing cancer may lead to the reinstatement of about 1,000 suits targeting the talc-based product. A three-judge panel of the New Jersey...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Appeals Panel Rejects Suit Over Abandoned Mine Shaft Death

DENVER — A federal appeals panel has upheld the dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a woman who died when the car she was riding in drove off a Forest Service road and into an …

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Most Evacuations Lifted Near Huge Southern California Fire

BANNING, Calif. — Authorities on Tuesday lifted most evacuation orders as firefighters made slow progress against a huge blaze in the Southern California mountains that forced thousands of people from their homes. The wildfire straddling Riverside an...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Glass Maker Seeks to Seize Venezuela-Owned Oil Tanker to Collect Award

NEW YORK/MEXICO CITY — U.S. glass manufacturer O-I Glass Inc is seeking to seize an oil tanker owned by Venezuela to collect part of a $500 million arbitration award it won after the 2010 expropriation of two manufacturing plants, according …

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

FAA Proposes Fine of $1.25M on Boeing for Pressuring Workers at Airplane Plant

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE –The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday said it was proposing to fine Boeing Co $1.25 million after the agency alleged Boeing managers at its South Carolina plant exerted undue pressure on workers who handle safety o...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

Report on Electric Storage Explosion Highlights Danger of a Growing Technology

An investigation into the cause of an explosion at an Arizona energy storage facility that injured four firefighters confirms what engineers had feared: Packing lithium-ion batteries tightly together can spark a chain reaction that can cause catastro...

Posted: Aug 06, 2020

The Odds of Catching Covid on a Flight Are Slim: Viewpoint

If you decide to fly, the odds that you will pick up Covid-19 are low, according to one expert analysis. Despite the known dangers of crowded, enclosed spaces, planes have not been the sites of so-called superspreading events, at least …

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Florida Teen Pleads Not Guilty to Masterminding Twitter Hack

A 17-year-old Florida boy accused of masterminding the hacking of celebrity accounts on Twitter Inc, including those of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, pleaded not guilty to charges on Tuesday. Graham...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

U.S. Pursues Nearly $13 Billion of Claims in Purdue Pharma Opioid Probes-Sources

U.S. prosecutors are pursuing possible penalties of nearly $13 billion to resolve investigations of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma after uncovering evidence of criminal and civil misconduct stemming from the company’s alleged role in fueling the natio...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Miners Need More Engineers to Meet New Tailings Dam Safety Standard

JOHANNESBURG/TORONTO — Mining companies need more skilled engineers if they are to meet strict new global safety standards for tailings dams aimed at preventing catastrophic failures like those in recent years that have killed hundreds of people and...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

County Pledges Probe Into Health Worker’s Coronavirus Death

Officials in a Maryland county say they “will spare no time or expense” investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a veteran public health worker who died of COVID-19 after relatives and coworkers believe she contracted the virus on the...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Vehicle Malfunction Sparked Southern California Wildfire

BANNING, Calif. — A wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles that has forced thousands of people from their homes was sparked by a malfunctioning diesel vehicle, fire officials said Monday. The vehicle spewed burning carbon from its exhaust system,...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020