Insurance Journal

NFL Says Preseason Saw Fewest Concussions Since Tracking Started

The NFL saw its fewest number of concussions in the preseason since tracking started in 2015. There were 44 concussions in practices and games, a decrease of about 24% from last year. “The reason for that change has certainly to …

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

River Level at Amazon Rainforest Port Hits 122-Year Low Amid Drought

The river port in the Amazon rainforest’s largest city of Manaus on Friday hit its lowest level since 1902, as a drought drains waterways and snarls transport of grain exports and essential supplies that are the region’s lifeline. Below-a...

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Hurricane Kirk’s Remnants Forecast to Hit Europe Later This Week

The remnants of Hurricane Kirk are forecast to hit northwest France on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds. Hurricane Kirk peaked at Category 4 storm over the Atlantic last week, but is weakening as it heads toward Europe. Still, &#82...

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Update: Hurricane Kirk’s Remnants Forecast to Hit Europe Later This Week

The remnants of Hurricane Kirk are forecast to hit northwest France on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds. Hurricane Kirk peaked at Category 4 storm over the Atlantic last week, but is weakening as it heads toward Europe. Still, &#82...

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Employee at Louisiana Fertilizer Plant Dies in Accident

DONALDSONVILLE, La. (AP) — An employee at a fertilizer plant in Louisiana died after getting injured in an accident at the facility, officials said Friday. CF Industries said the incident happened at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday at its nitrogen fertiliz...

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Hippo, Orion180 Expand Homeowner Offerings in Southeast

Hippo, a publicly traded property insurance brokerage based in California, said it will expand its new homes insurance program in the disaster-prone states of Florida, Texas and California. By the end of this year, Hippo, owned by a number of …

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Long COVID Claims Still Impact California’s Workers Comp System, Report Shows

The impact and surge of long-term COVID on the California workers’ compensation system since 2020 has been prevalent, including long-term impacts on disability and long-term patterns of medical cost and treatment on long COVID claims. That&#821...

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

JPMorgan Client Who Lost $50 Million Fortune Amid Dementia Denied Trial

A once-wealthy JPMorgan Chase & Co. client whose portfolio crumbled as he slid into dementia lost a legal battle seeking to recoup his fortune from the bank. A federal judge in Boston threw out a lawsuit filed by Peter Doelger, …

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Supreme Court to Decide If White, Straight Workers Face Higher Bar in Bias Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether it should be more difficult for workers from “majority backgrounds,” such as white or heterosexual people, to prove workplace discrimination claims. The justices took up an appeal...

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Couple Seriously Injured in Uber Crash Blocked From Court by Uber Eats Terms

A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that a couple severely injured in an Uber driver crash cannot sue Uber because their minor daughter months earlier waived their rights to a trial when she ordered food via the Uber Eats …

Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Hurricane Francine Insured Losses Expected to Be Manageable

Losses from Hurricane Francine are expected to be manageable for property/casualty insurers, with major population centers sparred from the worst of the storm’s damage. Privately insured loss from Hurricane Francine are estimated to be close to...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Texas Farm Bureau

AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to B++ (Good) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to “bbb+” (Good) from “a-” (Excellent) of Texas Farm Bureau Casualty Insuranc...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Treating Employees Like Clients Is the Golden Rule at Morris & Garritano

By Don Jergler Want a simple, yet effective agency management tip for making your employees happy? Treat them like customers. That mindset stood out among comments from employees who nominated Morris & Garritano in Insurance Journal’s 2024...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Employee Well-Being Is a Priority at Prestige

By William Rabb Finding insurance coverage for trucking firms could be considered a high-stress occupation. With the rise of nuclear lawsuit verdicts and “big-truck attorneys,” escalating premiums, and new state laws and regulations, it&#...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

NCCI Unveils New, More Precise Workers’ Comp Medical Price Index

By William Rabb In recent years, workers’ compensation insurers have struggled to accurately gauge the precise trends in medical costs, and have had to rely on indexes that weren’t quite on-point: The U.S. Consumer Price Index is geared t...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

It’s All in the Family at Higginbotham

By Chad Hemenway There’s a certain “something” about Rusty Reid that makes it clear why folks might like to work for him as chief executive and chairman of Higginbotham. He feels like a buddy, a big brother, maybe an uncle. …

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Employee-Owned CoVerica Goes the Extra Mile

By Ezra Amacher Earlier this year CoVerica Insurance rolled out an employee-owned stock program, giving the agency’s staff an opportunity to become part-owners of the organization. That decision to become an employee-owned company gave CoVerica...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

How Insurance Industry Can Use AI Safely and Ethically

Several types of artificial intelligence are already being adopted by various parts of the insurance industry and they have the potential to deliver extraordinary efficiency savings, opening the door for even more profitability, innovation, and compl...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

At Mackoul Risk Solutions, ‘Employees Come First’

By Allen Laman Instead of becoming a major league umpire, Ed Mackoul chose to help his father build an insurance empire. Ed wasn’t sure how his life would turn out before joining Mackoul & Associates in 1995. College didn’t give &#823...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Using AI to Provide a More Human Claims Experience

The robots are coming — and in some cases, they’re here. Advancements in generative artificial intelligence are enhancing claims processes in many ways, from improving First Notices of Loss (FNOLs) to analyzing videos and images to assess...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Trust Matters

When it comes to small business owners and their insurance providers, trust matters. So do personalized relationships. Even in an environment of rising rates in which 36% of small business owners have experienced premium increases during the past yea...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Redefining the Employee Experience for Today’s Workplace

An organization’s ability to provide an exceptional employee experience impacts its success in many ways, from driving profitability and growth to enhancing customer satisfaction. However, now that the majority of insurers have adopted long-ter...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

A Better Customer Experience: What Agents Should Expect from Insurers

In today’s competitive insurance environment, successful independent agencies have focused on building their agency’s brand. To that end, agents must focus on working with insurance companies whose service capabilities enhance their clien...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Flexibility, Employee Engagement Rule at Robertson Ryan Insurance

By Jahna Jacobson What makes Robertson Ryan Insurance a great place to work? The freedom to do the job, do it well and still have the time and energy for the life you want to lead, according to folks who …

Posted: Oct 06, 2024

Strategies to Recruit Insurance Producers in Today’s Job Market

A surprising question about recruiting emerged in 2024. Insurance agencies have consistently asked me, “What are you seeing in the market for insurance producers?” The fact that agencies are looking for producers doesn’t shock me. I...

Posted: Oct 06, 2024