Insurance Journal

Update: Zurich Insurance Tops Profit Forecast, on Track to Beat 2025 Targets

Zurich Insurance posted a record first-half operating profit on Thursday and said it was on track to beat its 2025 targets, but concerns about natural catastrophe losses sent its shares lower. Insurers have benefited from several years of rising prem...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Western Insurers Provide Cover for Russian Oil Despite Price Cap Concerns

A group of Western insurers have provided cover for tankers carrying Russian crude, keeping its oil flowing after many in the trade sector withdrew for fear of breaching the rules of a G7 price cap, data from traders and shippers …

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Federal Judge Tosses Much of Mexico’s Lawsuit Against US Gunmakers

A U.S. judge dismissed on Wednesday much of Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit seeking to hold U.S. gun manufacturers responsible for facilitating the trafficking of firearms to violent drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Survey: 78% of Ransomware Victims Paid and 74% Suffered Multiple Strikes

A survey of nearly 1,000 IT and security professionals shows numerous organizations were targeted by ransomware attacks in the past year with a high degree of success, with most paying a ransom—many of which paid multiple times. Semperis, a cyber &#8...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Florida Insurer Can’t Object to Appraiser After the Award is Decided, 11th Circuit Says

If a property insurer is going to object to an appraisal panel member’s fee arrangement, it must do so early in the process – not after the panel provides an unfavorable, multimillion-dollar appraisal award. That was the word this week …

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Florida Insurer Can’t Object to Appraiser After the Award Is Decided, 11th Circuit Says

If a property insurer is going to object to an appraisal panel member’s fee arrangement, it must do so early in the process – not after the panel provides an unfavorable, multimillion-dollar appraisal award. That was the word this week …

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

New Mexico Nursing Home Inspections Find at Least 1 Violation in 88% of Facilities

Recent unannounced inspections of nursing homes across New Mexico found at least one violation in 88% of them, authorities said. State health officials said just 11 of the 91 assisted living facilities received a perfect score, while 55 got a …

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Pandemic Shifted US Jobs Out of Big Cities Into Smaller Metros

The pandemic changed where Americans are likely to live and work, with a growing portion of job openings moving away from the biggest cities and into smaller metro areas, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York . Job …

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Families of Loved Ones Left Decaying in Colorado Funeral Home Owed $950M

The Colorado funeral home owners who allegedly stored 190 decaying bodies and sent grieving families fake ashes were ordered by a judge to pay $950 million to the victims’ relatives in a civil case, the attorney announced. The judgment is &#823...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

People Moves: XPT Specialty Appoints Myers Transportation Underwriter; Falvey Founder Will Transitio...

XPT Specialty, headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, appointed Tyler Myers as transportation underwriter. Myers has over 10 years of experience as a broker specializing in underwriting commercial automobile risks. He began his career as an associa...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Maine Grappling With Requests of Companies to Give Up Ownership of Dams

State environmental officials in Maine on July 30 denied petitions from corporate owners of three Bucksport-area dams to forfeit ownership. It was the second time within a week that the state Department of Environmental Protection identified deficien...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Instructor in Plane Crash That Killed Student Pilot Had 2 Prior Crashes: Prosecutors

A flight instructor charged with involuntary manslaughter for a crash that killed a student pilot in eastern Pennsylvania had surrendered his pilot’s certificate after two prior crashes with students aboard, prosecutors said in an indictment un...

Posted: Aug 08, 2024

Delta Passengers Sue Airline for Refusing Refunds After Massive Computer Outage

Delta Air Lines was sued by passengers who complained that the carrier refused to offer full refunds after delaying or canceling their flights in the wake of last month’s massive computer outage. The proposed class action was made public on &#8...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Defining Your Risk When Considering a Wrap-Up: Part 2

This post is part of a series sponsored by TSIB. We continue where we left off in Part 1, looking to answer, is a Wrap-Up right for every project? Now that we have previously identified the 2 main categories of …

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Fast-Moving Southern California Wildfire Torched Hillside Homes, Forcing Evacuations

A fast-moving wildfire that swept into a Southern California hillside community this week destroyed five homes and damaged three others, authorities said. The flames erupted Monday afternoon and chased residents from the neighborhood in San Bernardin...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Arkansas Fines PBMs $1.5M for Violating State Law

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Insurance Department Commissioner Alan McClain announced Tuesday notices of penalties and hearings against four major pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Caremark, Magellan, Express Scripts, and MedImpact. T...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Study Links Fracking Wastewater Injection to Surface Blowouts in West Texas Oil Wells

Fracking wastewater, injected underground for permanent disposal, traveled 12 miles through geological faults before bursting to the surface through a previously plugged West Texas oil well in 2022, according to a new study from Southern Methodist Un...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

People Moves: Lockton Names Ryan US President; Everest Names Buonpane and Stewart to Lead US Wholesa...

Lockton Names Ryan US President Lockton, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, appointed Tim Ryan as U.S. president. Ryan has 19 years of experience as the COO of Lockton’s Northeast business and 30 years of industry experience. Ryan reports...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

People Moves: Markel Announces 2 Key Hires for International Casualty Team; Howden Re Taps Gruen Fro...

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Markel and Howden Re. A summary of these new hires follows here. Markel Appoints 2 Key Hires for International Casualty Team Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group, anno...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Virginia Declares State of Emergency in Anticipation of Tropical Storm Debby

Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for Virginia based on National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center forecasts that indicate the state could see significant rainfall and flooding from Tropical Storm Debby. The Virginia E...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

King Insurance Partners Acquires Lincoln Group in Georgia

King Insurance Parnters, based in Gainesville, Florida, continues to expand with the acquisition of Lincoln Insurance Group in McDonough, Georgia. Lincoln is an independent agency that offers auto, home, life and commercial inurance coverage, King sa...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Severe Storms (Mostly in US) Account for 70% of Global Insured Natural Disaster Losses

Global insured losses from natural catastrophes totaled US$60 billion during the first half of 2024, or 62% above the 10-year average, according to preliminary estimates from Swiss Re. Severe thunderstorms (mainly in the US) accounted for 70% of insu...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

EEOC Sues Illinois Contractor for Disability Discrimination

Alto Ingredients, Inc., a manufacturer of industrial and food-grade, corn-based alcohols, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it terminated an electrician from its campus in Pekin, Illinois, because of his disability, the Equal Em...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Former Michigan State Football Coach Sues School Over His Firing

Former Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker is suing the university and school leaders, alleging that they wrongfully fired him last year and violated his constitutional rights after he was accused of sexual harassment. The federa...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024

Small Tornado Briefly Swept Into Buffalo, Damaging Buildings, Scattering Tree Limbs

A small tornado took Buffalo by surprise Monday, damaging buildings, flipping cars and sending debris swirling over downtown. A spiraling column was caught on multiple videos shortly before 1 p.m. One video showed the cell appearing to move from Lake...

Posted: Aug 07, 2024