Claims Journal

Twitter’s Security Woes Included Broad Access to User Accounts

Twitter Inc. has struggled for years to police the growing number of employees and contractors who have the ability to reset users’ accounts and override their security settings, a problem that Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey and the board were …

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Hanna’s Rain Remains Biggest Threat to Virus Hot Spot Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — South Texas braced for flooding Sunday after Hanna roared ashore as a hurricane the day before, bringing winds that lashed the Gulf Coast with rain and storm surge to a part of the country trying to …

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Workers Praise Disney Virus Safety, But Will Visitors Come?

ORLANDO, Fla. — Every week, it seems, Kaila Barker, her husband and their five children change their minds about whether to travel from their home in Connecticut to Florida’s Walt Disney World as planned in September. On the one hand, …

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Crush of Boat Buyers Seek Recreation, Safety During Pandemic

YARMOUTH, Maine — Brandon Mitchell had big plans to visit family in Michigan and take his wife and three kids to Disney World. The pandemic put those plans on ice. So they bought a boat instead. “We’re going to take …

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Hurricane Douglas Nears Hawaii, Bringing High Winds and Rain

HONOLULU — Hawaii prepared for the onslaught of Hurricane Douglas on Sunday, with predictions of high winds, rain and storm surge. “It’s definitely going to be a triple threat,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Vanessa Almanza said. Rainfa...

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Protests Spark Rioting, Fires in Three States as Civil Unrest Continues

Protests in Washington state, California and Virginia devolved into riots that sparked fires and property damage. A protest through the streets of downtown Oakland, California, in support of racial justice and police reform turned violent when “agita...

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Coronavirus Challenging For Crews Fighting Arizona Wildfires

PHOENIX — This year’s wildfire season has been an extra challenging one for firefighters. Not only have crews had to battle some massive fires around Arizona, they have had to deal with changes in their routine due to the COVID-19 …

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Auto Claims Climbed with Summer Reopenings, but Dropping Again as Virus Rages

The sharp reduction in personal auto claims that followed COVID-19 shutdown orders began to fade away after the Memorial Day weekend, but frequency appears to dropping again in reaction to a resurgence of the disease. Andy Cohen, chief operating offi...

Posted: Jul 27, 2020

Facebook Sweetens Biometric Privacy Accord to $650 Million

Facebook Inc. bowed to a judge’s concerns and proposed increasing its settlement offer to $650 million to resolve claims by users that the company illegally gathered biometric data through a photo-tagging tool. A federal judge had voiced skepticism a...

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

FAA Warns 737s Sitting in Storage Are Corroding During the Pandemic

Boeing Co. 737 planes in storage because of the coronavirus pandemic are at risk of losing power in both engines when they fly again and must be inspected, aviation regulators said. The emergency order applies to older “Next Generation” and …

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

Portland’s Mayor Tear-Gassed By Federal Agents as Protest Rages

PORTLAND, Ore. — The mayor of Portland, Oregon, was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents late Wednesday as he stood at a fence erected to protect a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of the agents sent …

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

Sources Say More Than 1,000 People at Twitter Had Ability to Aid Hack of Accounts

SAN FRANCISCO — More than a thousand Twitter employees and contractors as of earlier this year had access to internal tools that could change user account settings and hand control to others, two former employees said, making it hard to …

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

Indivior to Resolve U.S. Opioid Treatment Marketing Claims For $600 Million

Indivior Plc on Friday said it had agreed to pay $600 million and have a subsidiary plead guilty to a criminal charge to resolve U.S. allegations that it engaged in an illegal scheme to boost prescriptions of its opioid addiction …

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

U.S. Insurers Explore Officer Coverage as Police Reform Debate Rages

U.S. insurers and brokers are starting to craft professional liability coverage for police officers, spurred on by signs that policymakers in some cities and states want to use a financial stick to curb police misconduct. They see a potential market...

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

BASF, Cahill Law Firm to Pay $72.5 Million in Talc-Scam Deal

BASF SE, the world’s biggest chemical maker, and a law firm agreed to pay a combined $72.5 million to resolve claims they hid evidence that certain talc products contained asbestos in an effort to scuttle thousands of lawsuits. Executives of …

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

Economist Says COVID-19 Likely to Strip Profits Out of Work Comp

The workers’ compensation line is unlikely to generate a profit this year and may not recover in 2021, an insurance industry economist said during a webcast Thursday. Steven N. Weisbart, senior vice president and chief economist for the Insurance Inf...

Posted: Jul 24, 2020

Boeing 737 MAX Not Expected to Fly Before October, FAA Preparing Directive

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday it plans to issue a proposed airworthiness directive for the Boeing 737 MAX in the “near future” to address changes made since the plane was grounded in March 2019 after …

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Travelers Posts Second-Quarter Loss, Walloped By Severe Storms, Civil Unrest

Property and casualty insurer Travelers Cos Inc reported a second-quarter loss on Thursday, hurt by a sharp increase in catastrophe losses and dismal returns on non-fixed income investments in pandemic-hit financial markets. Travelers reported a net...

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Vegas Casino Unions Drop Mgm From Coronavirus Safety Lawsuit

LAS VEGAS — Unions representing 65,000 Las Vegas-area casino workers have dropped two MGM Resorts International properties from a lawsuit accusing companies of skimping on protective measures and putting employees at risk of illness and death during...

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Outbreak at Iowa Pork Plant Was Larger Than State Reported

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The first confirmed coronavirus outbreak at an Iowa meatpacking plant was far more severe than previously known, with more than twice as many workers becoming infected than the state Department of Public Health told the public, …

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Weather Unfavorable on Northern California Fire Lines

SUSANVILLE, Calif. — Firefighters and aircraft worked Tuesday to halt the spread of two forest fires in rural northeastern California as unstable weather brought the risk of gusty winds, thunderstorms and lightning strikes that could start new blazes...

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Powerful Quake Jolts Alaska Towns, Produces Small Tsunami

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A powerful earthquake off Alaska’s southern coast jolted coastal communities late Tuesday, and some residents briefly scrambled for higher ground over fears of a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of damage in the sparsely p...

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Zurich Drops Cover for Canada’s Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline

Insurer Zurich has decided not to renew cover for the Canadian government’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline, said a spokeswoman for the project, which is opposed by environmental campaigners and some indigenous groups. All financial services companies ar...

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

How Tesla Defined a New Era For the Global Auto Industry

FRANKFURT/BEIJING/DETROIT — Tesla Inc’s rapid rise to become the world’s most valuable carmaker could mark the start of a new era for the global auto industry, defined by a Silicon Valley approach to software that is overtaking old-school manufacturi...

Posted: Jul 23, 2020

Tear Gas Device for Home Use Is Selling Fast

A supplier of tear gas to the police and the military is experiencing a surge in demand for a launcher it makes for home use as consumers anxious about civil unrest arm themselves for self defense. Byrna Technologies Inc.’s Byrna …

Posted: Jul 22, 2020