Insurance Journal

People Moves: B. F. Saul Hires Horcher; Maryland Auto Appoints Brown

B.F. Saul Insurance, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, appointed John Horcher, Jr. as a commercial lines producer. Horcher is based in Philadelphia. Horcher’s previous roles include vice president positions at Marsh, HUB International and Ar...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Lawsuit Targets Universities for Allegedly Favoring Wealthy in Admissions

Children of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools. Georgetown’s then-president, for example, list...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Preconstruction Work to Begin in January to Rebuild Collapsed Baltimore Bridge

Preconstruction work to collect data to design a new Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is scheduled to begin in January, according to Maryland officials. The Baltimore Sun reports that work is scheduled to include topographic and underwater surve...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

FAA Probes Holiday Drone Show Accident that Injured Florida Boy

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it has launched an investigation into why several drones collided and fell from the sky during a holiday show over the weekend in downtown Orlando, Florida, injuring a 7-year-o...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Hockey Player Involved in Deadly Collision Seeks Donations for Legal Costs

Matt PetgHockey player Matt Petgrave has called the death of Adam Johnson “a tragic accident” in a public appeal for donations to his legal costs amid a police investigation. Johnson, who had briefly played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, di...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Investigation Continues After South Florida Boat Explosion Kills 1, Injures 6

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A boat explosion at a South Florida marina has left one person dead and six others injured, officials said. The explosion occurred Monday night about 6 p.m. at the Lauderdale Marina, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue …

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Japan Plane Crash Probe Points to Coast Guard Crew Confusion

Cockpit voice recordings released Wednesday indicate Japanese coast guard pilots wrongly thought they could enter an active runway minutes before being struck by a Japan Airlines Co. jet. The recordings, in a report tabled by the Japan Transport Safe...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Rescuers Retrieve 38 Bodies and Recorders From Azeri Plane Crash

Kazakh authorities said that a rescue team has recovered 38 bodies at the crash site of Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer SA 190 aircraft as clean-up efforts continue. As many as 29 people survived the crash and are in the hospital, while …

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

INSIGHT-Airline Pilots, Crews Voice Concerns About Middle East Routes

In late September, an experienced pilot at low-cost European airline Wizz Air felt anxious after learning his plane would fly over Iraq at night amid mounting tensions between nearby Iran and Israel. He decided to query the decision since just &#8230...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Catastrophe-Bond Issuance Pushes Overall Market to Almost $50 Billion

Catastrophe-bond issuance rose to a record this year, increasing the overall market to almost $50 billion, as insurers transferred more risk from costly climate disasters to private investors. Sales of bonds earmarked for supplemental coverage of lar...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Claims Satisfaction Leaders Reveal Secrets to Success

What is the secret to an insurance claims experience that satisfies customers? For years, J.D. Power has conducted surveys and curated lists recognizing insurers that succeed at providing satisfactory claims experiences. Carrier Management recently a...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

What Changes Should Small Businesses Be Aware of for 2025?

For small businesses, the biggest change in the new year will be the arrival of a presumably more business-friendly administration in Washington. But there are other shifts owners should keep on their radar. Among them: changes to state-level overtim...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Five Collision Claim Trends to Watch in 2025

The auto insurance industry has weathered its share of storms in recent years. Despite fewer claims in early 2024, carriers still face headwinds when it comes to vehicle complexity and its effect on severity and cycle time. Following are the …

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Allied World Policy Doesn’t Cover Troubled Sperm Bank’s Lawsuits, Court Says

At what point does a demand from an injured party constitute an insurance claim? In the case of a Georgia-based sperm bank, it’s when the injured party sends the letter – a date that came before the clearly worded policy …

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Durham & Bates in Oregon

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Portland, Oregon-based Durham & Bates Agencies Inc. Jeremy Andersen, Sean McCarthy, Christen Picot, Stephanie Murphy, David Hearns and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Losses From Crypto Hacks Jump to $2.2 Billion in 2024, Report Says

Funds stolen by hacking cryptocurrency platforms surged 21% from a year ago to $2.2 billion in 2024, a report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis showed on Thursday. The hacking amount exceeded $1 billion for the fourth straight year and the &#...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

California’s Lemon Law is Changing and Car Buyers Have Fewer Protections in the New Year

The year 2025 is shaping up to be a confusing one for Californians unlucky enough to buy a new or used car that turns out to be a clunker. Starting Jan. 1, car buyers who purchase a faulty vehicle will …

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Trump’s Lawyers Take Broad Approach in Suits Against Media

President-elect Donald Trump is adopting a wide-ranging legal strategy in suing media companies over what he describes as false or misleading coverage about him, filing cases under civil anti-fraud laws in addition to defamation lawsuits. Some legal...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Cal/OSHA Cites Animal Services Center $563K After Worker Mauled

An animal services center has been fined for several worker safety violations, including one in which an employee’s leg was mauled by a dog, requiring hospitalization. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued $563,250 in...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy Upheld on Appeal

A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that the state bar association’s diversity policy of setting aside a certain number of its governance seats for members of under-represented minority groups is a legal exercise of the association’s Fir...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

Insurance Clusters Explained: Is Joining One a Smart Move

This post is part of a series sponsored by Darkhorse Insurance. The insurance industry presents a range of challenges. From competing with other agents to managing client expectations and navigating relationships with carriers, it can feel like a con...

Posted: Dec 26, 2024

ZestyAI Receives Regulatory Approval From Iowa Insurance Division

ZestyAI, a provider of AI-informed climate and property risk analytics solutions, has received regulatory approval from the Iowa Insurance Division for its Severe Convective Storm suite, including Z-HAIL, Z-WIND, and Z-STORM. ZestyAI’s Severe C...

Posted: Dec 23, 2024

Michigan Taco Restaurant Owner Ordered to Pay $823K in Back Wages

A federal court has ordered the owner of three West Michigan taco restaurants to pay 177 workers a total of $823,326 after the court granted the U.S. Department of Labor’s request for summary judgment, concluding that the restaurants operated a...

Posted: Dec 23, 2024

Freight Train Collision in West Texas Kills 2 Union Pacific Employees

Two Union Pacific employees were killed and three people were injured when a freight train collided with a tractor-trailer and derailed in a small West Texas city, authorities said Thursday. The train derailed around 5 p.m. Wednesday in Pecos after &...

Posted: Dec 23, 2024

Texas Teacher Killed and Toddlers Injured in Daycare Crash

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A teacher at a San Antonio-area day care was killed and another employee and five toddlers were injured when a parent’s car accelerated into another vehicle in the parking lot and both vehicles crashed into a …

Posted: Dec 23, 2024