Insurance Journal

BMS Group Acquires Turkish Broker Oria

BMS Group, the London-based independent re/insurance broker, has acquired Istanbul, Turkey-based Oria Sigorta ve Reasürans Brokerliği A.Ş. Financial details were not provided. Founded in 2019, Oria is an independent insurance and reinsurance broking...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Former Brewers Player Sues Reds Over Career-Ending Injury

Former major league outfielder/first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages after he suffered a career-ending injury while crashing into an uncovered tarp roller at Great American Ballpark two years ago. The lawsuit filed Thursday...

Posted: May 23, 2025

The Biggest US Oil Field Is at Risk of Poisonous Water Leaks, Texas Warns

Texas regulators are warning that wastewater from fracking in the biggest US oil basin is causing a “widespread” increase in underground pressure — a development that risks hindering crude output and harming the environment. Shale oil wel...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Missouri DCI Estimates High Uninsured Rates in St. Louis Amidst Tornado Recovery

The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance released preliminary uninsured estimates for properties in the St. Louis in response to the F3 tornado that struck the region on Friday, May 16. DCI Department Director Angela Nelson said the departme...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Poland Says Key Infrastructure at Risk After Baltic Sea Incident

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Thursday that the Baltic Sea is becoming “a new area of confrontation” with Russia, putting the country’s critical infrastructure increasingly at risk. His warning comes a day after Polish...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Viewpoint: The Vital Role of Claim Professionals After Cyberattacks

A crime victim will need a deep bench when responding to a cyber incident. While the role of brokers, privacy counsel and forensic investigators is well understood, the contribution of insurance claim professionals cannot be overlooked. A victim may...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Crypto DeFi Project Cetus Protocol Suffers Security Breach

Cetus Protocol, a decentralized crypto exchange and key liquidity provider on the Sui blockchain, said it lost approximately $223 million in a security breach. The project confirmed the incident in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating that its smar...

Posted: May 23, 2025

US ‘Not Convinced’ About Lower G7 Price Cap on Russian Oil, European Official Says

A European official said on Thursday that the United States is “not convinced” about lowering the Group of Seven nations (G7) price cap on Russian crude oil. The European Union has proposed revising the cap down to an indicative level &#8...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Four Die as Floods Hammer Area North of Sydney, With More Rain Coming

At least four people died and thousands are without power as severe storms lashed Australia’s most populous state. Large swaths of New South Wales state remain on high alert for floods and extreme weather. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue...

Posted: May 23, 2025

In Lawsuit Over Teen’s Death, Judge Rejects Free Speech Rights for AI Chatbots

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected arguments made by an artificial intelligence company that its chatbots are protected by the First Amendment — at least for now. The developers behind Character.AI are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the com...

Posted: May 23, 2025

European Officials Weigh Response to US Efforts to Thwart Local DEI Programs

European officials are weighing how to respond to US efforts to thwart local DEI programs, as the two regions come closer than ever to clashing over anti-discrimination policies. US embassies across Europe have spent the past few weeks sending letter...

Posted: May 23, 2025

‘Big Beautiful’ Tax Breaks for Insurance Agents in Bill Passed by House, Says Big I

The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America celebrated a “significant victory” for independent agents with the passage of a sweeping tax bill this week by the House of Representatives. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill&#...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Underwriters of the Future Are Constant Partners With Agents, Carrier Exec Says

The future of underwriting will be built on closer relationships between carriers and insurance agents, with carriers working hand-in-hand with agencies to maximize profits from books of business. That was the word from Chad Combs, vice president of...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Georgia Tort Reform Law Means New Hurdles for Injured People and Attorneys

On April 21, 2025, Georgia lawmakers enacted sweeping tort reform through Senate Bills 68 and 69, signaling a significant recalibration of the state’s civil litigation framework. While proponents claim these reforms will reduce “frivolous...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Former Harvard Morgue Manager Pleads Guilty To Selling Stolen Human Remains

The former manager of the Harvard Medical School Morgue this week pled guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains. Acting U.S. Attorney Attorney John Gurganus in Pennsylvania reported that Cedric Lodge, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, admitt...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Ships Have Been Hitting Brooklyn Bridge for Years But Without Fatalities Until Now

A Mexican navy tall ship’s fatal collision with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday highlighted a hazard that has worried seafarers for nearly 150 years. Even before construction on the bridge was finished in the late 19th century, the topmast of &...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Massachusetts Hacker to Plead Guilty to PowerSchool Data Breach

A Massachusetts man has agreed to plead guilty to hacking cloud-based education software provider PowerSchool and stealing data pertaining to millions of students and teachers that hackers used to extort the company and school districts into paying r...

Posted: May 23, 2025

People Moves: Big I New York Elects Gonyo as Board Chair and 4 Regional Directors

Big I New York, the trade association for independent insurance agents in New York, elected Kelly Gonyo as chair of the board for the 2025–2026 term. Gonyo is the founder and president of Blue Line Insurance Agency, headquartered in Lake …

Posted: May 23, 2025

Pacific Northwest Drivers Think They’re Safe, But Aren’t So Sure About Others

A recent survey of Pacific Northwest drivers reveals a disconnect between self-perception and well they think other drivers are doing, particularly concerning speeding in residential neighborhoods. Nearly all (87%) of respondents in a poll conducted...

Posted: May 23, 2025

Get Ready for Another Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season

With warmer than normal ocean waters, forecasters are expecting yet another unusually busy hurricane season for the Atlantic. But they don’t think it will be as chaotic as 2024, the third-costliest season on record as it spawned killer storms B...

Posted: May 22, 2025

Senate Votes to Block California’s Rule to Ban Sale of New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035

The Senate voted on Thursday to block California’s first-in-the nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, moving to kill the country’s most aggressive effort to transition toward electric vehicles as President Donald T...

Posted: May 22, 2025

D.A. Says Former California Police Officer on Workers’ Comp Went to Festival, Skied

A former Westminster, California, police officer and her stepfather were charged in a large-scale workers’ compensation fraud case after an investigation revealed the officer collected more than $600,000 in disability payments while reportedly...

Posted: May 22, 2025

People Moves: Swingle Collins & Associates Names Curtis as President

Swingle Collins & Associates announced the appointment of Dan Curtis as President. Curtis will continue to foster a culture of growth and exceptional insurance services as he succeeds former president Mac Wesson, who will remain with the agency i...

Posted: May 22, 2025

People Moves: Willis Promotes Williamson as Canada Leader; HDI Global Taps RSA’s McDowell as Sales &...

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Willis in Canada and HDI Global in London. A summary of these new hires follows here. Willis Promotes Williamson as Canada Leader Willis, a WTW business, announced the appointment of...

Posted: May 22, 2025

New Orleans Archdiocese to Pay $179M to Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse

The Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay nearly $180 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement announced Wednesday, the latest in a string of settlements by the Catholic Church. The archdiocese, its parishes and several insurer...

Posted: May 22, 2025