Claims Journal

U.S. Refining Capacity Poised For First Big Drop in Nearly a Decade

NEW YORK/HOUSTON — U.S. oil refining capacity this year could decline by the largest amount in nearly a decade as pandemic-related travel curbs and a fire shut several plants, reversing years of small gains. Refiners globally have been idling plants...

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

7th Circuit: California Claims Adjuster’s Wage Suit Must be Decided in Indiana

A former claims adjuster who says Ryze Claims Solutions violated his rights by paying him a base salary of $455 per week won’t be able to make that argument in his home state of California. The 7th Circuit Court of …

Posted: Aug 05, 2020

Robots Running the Industrial World Are Open to Cyber Attacks

Industrial robots are now being used to assemble everything from airplanes to smartphones, using human-like arms to mechanically repeat the same processes over and over, thousands of times a day with nanometric precision. But according to a new repor...

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Viewpoint: Washington Impedes Progress on Self-Driving Cars

Imagine how different the discussion about returning to the office or school would be if we could deploy autonomous vehicles — and therefore had more alternatives to public transportation or school buses without worrying about parking — or how much …

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

AIG’s Pandemic Losses Hit $730M for First Half of 2020 -CEO

Insurer American International Group Inc racked up $730 million in COVID-19-related losses during the first half of the year, its chief executive officer said on Tuesday. The pandemic is a “formidable and ongoing catastrophe,” AIG CEO Brian Duperreau...

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Europe Air Safety Regulator Gives No Firm Date For 737 Max to Fly Again

PARIS — Europe’s air safety watchdog has no firm date for Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX to resume flights, it said on Tuesday, adding that the U.S. planemaker had some more work to do before a 17-month-old safety ban could be …

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Tropical Storm Isaias Kills One as Tornadoes Threaten Northeast

Tropical Storm Isaias pummeled Virginia on Tuesday on its way toward Washington and other cities of the U.S. Northeast, and killed at least one person after a tornado it spawned obliterated a mobile home park in North Carolina. The fast-moving …

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

Thousands Remain Evacuated From Southern California Wildfire

BANNING, Calif. — Evacuation orders remained in place early Monday for thousands of people after a wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles exploded in size and forced crews to battle flames in triple-digit heat. The Apple Fire in Riverside …

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

FAA Proposes Requiring Key Boeing 737 MAX Design Changes

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it is proposing requiring four key Boeing Co 737 MAX design changes to address safety issues seen in two crashes that killed 346 people and led to the plane’s grounding …

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

U.S. Issues Alert About Malware Used by Chinese Government

The U.S. government issued an alert Monday that a type of malware seen frequently by security researchers in the last decade is tied to the Chinese government, the latest in a series of American warnings about China’s cyber capabilities this …

Posted: Aug 04, 2020

The Cost of Killer Heat: A Rising Risk of Death in Poor Nations

A few years ago, several top climate researchers joined forces to launch a data-intensive economics research project that promised the most careful estimates yet of how much damage warming may bring and what it implies for the cost of climate …

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

‘Rebuilding Paradise’ Looks At Emotional Toll of Deadly Fire

SAN FRANCISCO — Almost two years since a wildfire swept through his mountain town and virtually wiped it out, Steve “Woody” Culleton got to put the final touches on his new home. Two redwood trees were planted in the ground, …

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

California Wildfire Destroys 1 Home, Prompts New Evacuations

BEAUMONT, Calif. — A wildfire northwest of Palm Springs flared up Saturday, with evacuation orders for thousands of people as firefighters fought the blaze in triple-degree heat. An unspecified number of homes were in the path of the flames but …

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

Murder, Arson Charges Filed Against Man in Seattle Fire

SEATTLE (AP) _ A deadly fire that sent people jumping from a fourth-floor window at an apartment building-turned motel in Seattle in July was apparently set in retribution over a stolen laptop, King County prosecutors said. Jesse Puff, 24, of …

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

Hail, High Water and Lockdown: Europe’s Fruit Growers Prepare For Tough Harvest

PARIS/LONDON, July 31 — Europe’s been eating more fruit under lockdown, by all accounts. The problem is, it could struggle to find people to pick it. The region’s growers are preparing for upcoming summer and autumn harvests of apples, pears …

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

Tropical Storm Isaias Grazes Florida, Heads Up East Coast

MIAMI, Aug 2 — The Florida coast looked set to avoid major damage late on Sunday with Tropical Storm Isaias keeping offshore as it rumbles north, although it could strengthen to a hurricane by the time it reaches the Carolinas …

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

Insurers Face Possible British Action Over Calculation of Pandemic Payouts

LONDON — Insurers that do not treat customers fairly when calculating payouts for business interruption due to the coronavirus crisis will face action by Britain’s markets watchdog. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has taken eight insurers to co...

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

COVID-19 a Growing Share of Shrinking Work Comp Claims in 2 States

COVID-19 has become a large chunk of a dwindling number of workers’ compensation claims in Florida and California, limited data shows. The number of COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims reported in California more than quadrupled to 22,621 since the...

Posted: Aug 03, 2020

Immersive Simulator Tests ‘Trust’ Between Humans and Self-driving Cars

Mass production of autonomous vehicles is expected to soar by the early 2020s. Consumers have high expectations and a high degree of skepticism when it comes to self-driving cars. According to a World Economic Forum study, consumers are very reluctan...

Posted: Jul 31, 2020

PG&E Fire Insurance Costs Skyrocket After Bankruptcy, Fires

PG&E Corp. is finding it very costly to buy fire insurance after wildfires triggered by its power lines sent the company into bankruptcy and left it paying $25.5 billion for claims. It’s hoping customers will foot the bill. The San …

Posted: Jul 31, 2020

China-Backed Hackers ‘Targeted COVID-19 Vaccine Firm Moderna’

WASHINGTON — Chinese government-linked hackers targeted biotech company Moderna Inc, a U.S.-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, this year in a bid to steal data, according to a U.S. security official tracking Chinese hacking. China on Frida...

Posted: Jul 31, 2020

Chemical Safety Watchdog To Proceed, With Only One Board Member

HOUSTON — The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which has only one board member instead of the usual five, was to meet on Friday despite efforts by President Donald Trump to wind down the federal watchdog agency responsible for probing major …

Posted: Jul 31, 2020

Florida Declares Emergency On Coast as Hurricane Isaias Barrels Toward State

MIAMI — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday declared a state of emergency for counties on the Atlantic coast with Hurricane Isaias expected to hit the state as early as this evening before moving up north into early next week. …

Posted: Jul 31, 2020

Slaying at US Judge’s Home Raises Concern About Cyberthreats

PHILADELPHIA — In 2005, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow returned from work to find her husband and mother shot dead in the basement of her Chicago home. Investigators initially focused on a White Supremacist who had put out a hit …

Posted: Jul 31, 2020

Insurer Must Defend Landlord in Security Deposit Lawsuit Despite Policy Exclusion

A policy that sought to limit exposure from any disputes about security deposits did not protect the insurer from having to defend a landlord against a class-action lawsuit claiming state laws were not followed, a federal appellate court ruled. In …

Posted: Jul 31, 2020