Insurance Journal

Increased NFIP Discounts Coming to East Baton Rouge

In Louisiana, East Baton Rouge Parish residents and business owners will be eligible for an increased discount on their flood insurance premiums this fall. According to a press release from the City of Baton Rouge, beginning Oct. 1, homeowners and &#...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

Russian Oil Finds New Site for Controversial Cargo Switching

Under pressure from Greece’s navy, traders of Russian oil have found a new place to switch cargoes of crude in the Mediterranean sea, a sign of how hard it will be to clamp down on an activity that has alarmed …

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

Canadian Billionaire Prem Watsa to Step Down as Chairman of Fairfax India

Fairfax India Holdings Corp. on Monday said Prem Watsa, popularly known as “Canada’s Warren Buffett,” will step down as the investment firm’s chairman. He will be replaced by his son Benjamin Watsa, effective July 1, as chair...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

AXA XL Realigns Operations in the Americas; Redundancies Caused by Moves

AXA XL said it streamlined its underwriting operations in the Americas, which will now be three segments—large commercial, middle-market and professional. The realignment is “resulting in redundancies,” confirmed a company spokesperson vi...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

Judge Lets More Than 70,000 Zantac Lawsuits Go Forward

A Delaware judge has allowed more than 70,000 lawsuits over discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to go forward, ruling that expert witnesses can testify in court that the drug may cause cancer. The ruling on Friday by Judge Vivian Medinilla of …

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

US Cyber Chief Sees ‘Very Aggressive’ Chinese Hacking Strategy

A top US spy chief said China is increasingly using its companies to find vulnerabilities in their own computer networks and then tapping that knowledge to target foreign nations and industries. “We’re really seeing China be very aggressi...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

People Moves: InsureTrust Names Kozel Senior VP

InsureTrust, an Atlanta-based specialty broker specializing in cyber risk, has named Sonja Kozel as senior vice president. Kozel, with 10 years in the business, previously led sales for Cowbell, a cyber insurance company, and for Markel Specialty. Sh...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

Tallahassee Mayor Says Tornado Costs Now Top $50 Million

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Recovery from a May 10 tornado outbreak has cost Florida’s capital city $50 million so far, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said Friday. Florida officials have requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency declar...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

New Hampshire Won’t Reinstate License of Trucker Acquitted in Deadly Crash

New Hampshire safety officials last Thursday upheld the license suspension of a commercial truck driver who was acquitted in the 2019 deaths of seven motorcyclists but said another hearing will be held to determine how long the suspension will last....

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

Oregon Utility Regulator Rejects PacifiCorp Request to Limit Liability in Wildfire Suits

Oregon utility regulators have rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits. Under the proposal, PacifiCorp would only have been responsible for paying out actual economic damages in lawsuit awards. The c...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

University to Pay $9 Million Over Campus Shooting That Killed 3, Wounded 2

The University of Virginia will pay $9 million in a settlement related to a 2022 campus shooting that killed three football players and wounded two students, a lawyer representing some of the victims and their families said last Friday. But …

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

People Moves: IMA Financial Group Adds Hennessey as EVP, Regional Sales Leader

IMA Financial Group, Inc. named Matt Hennessey executive vice president, Pacific Northwest region sales leader of Parker, Smith & Feek. Hennessey will be based in Seattle and work out of the Bellevue office. Hennessey has nearly 30 years of insur...

Posted: Jun 04, 2024

AccuWeather: Year’s First Big Heatwave Raises Wildfire Risk in West

Severe heat will raise the risk of brush and grassfires from central and northern California, also bringing a moderate to and high risk of wildfires in parts of Arizona and New Mexico, a forecast out on Monday shows. The first …

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Sentry Expands to Marine Cargo With Falvey Partnership

Sentry Insurance announced it has partnered with Falvey Insurance Group to offer admitted and non-admitted marine cargo capacity to Falvey’s broker partners. Falvey is a niche leading MGA offering several property and casualty solutions focused...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Insurance Council of Texas Offers Tips for Hurricane Preparation

With June marking the start of 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) is reminding residents of steps to take to prepare for hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-av...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Louisiana Law That Limits Filming of Police Violates First Amendment, Attorneys Say

A new Louisiana law that makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet (7.6 meters) of a police officer under certain circumstances is an affront to the movement for racial justice and violates the First Amendment, civil rights attorneys …

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Kansas Workers’ Comp Bill Increases Some Benefits, Streamlines Processes

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly last week signed Senate Bill 430, bipartisan legislation making comprehensive reforms to the state’s workers compensation system. The bill, a result of collaboration between business and labor, provides coverage for...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Report: Cost of Prescriptions in Workers’ Comp on The Rise

While overall utilization is trending downward, cost of prescriptions in workers’ compensation is on the rise, driven by “high-dollar topical agents” that primarily come from out-of-network channels, as well as increased utilization...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

RiverStone Acquires Electric Insurance; Plymouth Rock Gets Renewal Rights

RiverStone International reports it has closed on its acquisition of Electric Insurance Co. and its two subsidiaries, Elm Insurance Co. and Electric Insurance Agency. Electric Insurance is a Beverly, Massachusetts-domiciled insurer licensed in all 50...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Manufacturer Faces $222K Fine for Worker’s Severe Burns at Ohio Facility

One of the world’s largest and best-known tool and equipment manufacturers could have prevented a 29-year-old maintenance electrician from suffering severe burns during an electrical arc blast at a company facility in Willard if required safety...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

American Airlines Sued for Removing Black Passengers From Flight

American Airlines was accused in a lawsuit on May 29 of race discrimination for temporarily removing three Black men from a flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City. In a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the plaintiffs …

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Universal Says it Completed Reinsurance Program with only a Slight Bump in Cost

Universal Insurance Holdings, the publicly traded parent of one of Florida’s largest property insurers, said it has completed its reinsurance program for its two subsidiaries ahead of the June 1 renewal. “For this renewal, we approached t...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Universal Says it Completed Reinsurance Program With Only a Slight Bump in Cost

Universal Insurance Holdings, the publicly traded parent of one of Florida’s largest property insurers, said it has completed its reinsurance program for its two subsidiaries ahead of the June 1 renewal. “For this renewal, we approached t...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Firefighters Battle California Wildfire with Hot Weather in The Forecast

Firefighters battling a California wildfire burning east of San Francisco have increased containment on the fire, but hot weather is in the forecast for the next few days. Nearly 500 firefighters, along with several air tankers from throughout the st...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024

Firefighters Battle California Wildfire With Hot Weather in the Forecast

Firefighters battling a California wildfire burning east of San Francisco have increased containment on the fire, but hot weather is in the forecast for the next few days. Nearly 500 firefighters, along with several air tankers from throughout the st...

Posted: Jun 03, 2024