Insurance Journal

Houston Windstorm Causes Preliminary Economic Loss of $5-7B: AccuWeather

The destructive windstorm that blew out windows in downtown Houston and left hundreds of thousands of southeast Texas residents without power caused upwards of $5-7 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to preliminary estimates by Accu...

Posted: May 20, 2024

AI Voiceover Company Stole Voices of Actors, New York Lawsuit Claims

Two voice actors sued artificial-intelligence startup Lovo in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, accusing the company of illegally copying their voices and using them without permission in its AI voiceover technology. Paul Lehrman and Linnea Sage s...

Posted: May 20, 2024

California’s Scenic Highway 1 to Big Sur Finally Opens to Around-The-Clock Travel

A section of California’s scenic Highway 1 leading to the famous Big Sur coast reopened to around-the-clock traffic Friday after stabilization of a storm-triggered rockslide that dropped a chunk of one lane into the ocean and hampered tourism....

Posted: May 20, 2024

Landslide Forces Closure of Iconic California Chapel

A decades-old landslide that’s rapidly accelerating has forced the dismantling of Wayfarers Chapel, an iconic Southern California church that was designed by one of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s sons and built among soaring redwood...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Bronx Firefighter Who Collapsed in Burning Home Likely Saved by Smoke Inhalation Drug

Officials credited a smoke inhalation drug for likely saving the life of a New York City firefighter who fell unconscious and stopped breathing while battling a house blaze Friday. The firefighter was one of three injured during the response in &#823...

Posted: May 20, 2024

B&B Adds Georgia-based Public Entities Team in Latest Acquisition

A part of Brown & Brown’s wholesale insurance group has acquired Public Entities of America LLC, a brokerage based in Alpharetta, Georgia, that has catered to the public sector and risk management marketplace. PEA will now be part of Apex &...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Florida’s 125% Surge in Property-Insurance Bills Sows Havoc

For Filicia Porter, the insurance bills were the final straw. They’d been climbing steeply for her assisted-living business as Florida was battered with ever more-powerful storms, and eventually, the numbers stopped adding up. So in March, she...

Posted: May 20, 2024

After Loss at Alabama Mercedes Plants, UAW Vows to Regroup and Try Again

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A decisive vote against the United Auto Workers union at two Mercedes factories in Alabama on Friday sidetracked the UAW’s grand plan to sign up workers at nonunion plants mainly in the South. But newly elected …

Posted: May 20, 2024

CIAB: Commercial P/C Premiums Increase 7.7% in Q1 2024

Overall commercial property/casualty premiums increased slightly for all account sizes to 7.7% on average in the first quarter 2024. According to The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers’ Q1 Market Survey, the 7.7% average increase in Q1 com...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Former Executive Alleges Gender Bias, Retaliatory Firing by NEXT Insurance

A former chief corporate officer for NEXT Insurance is accusing the company and its chief executive officer of gender and disability discrimination in the workplace and of firing her in retaliation for her request for medical leave for cancer surgery...

Posted: May 20, 2024

English Fishing Village Told to Boil Water After Parasite Outbreak Sickens Over 45 People

A scenic fishing village in southwestern England was under instructions to boil its tap water for a third day on Friday after a parasite sickened more than 45 people in the latest example of Britain’s troubled water system. Around 16,000 &#8230...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Zimbabwe to Get Over Half of $60 Million Payout for El Niño-Hit African Nations

Zimbabwe will get over half of an expected $60 million insurance pay out meant for four African nations as it reels from the impact of El Niño-induced drought that’s already slashed corn output and led to a state of disaster …

Posted: May 20, 2024

China-Bound Oil Tanker Hit by Houthi Missile in Red Sea, US Says

A China-bound oil tanker in the Red Sea was struck and temporarily disabled by a ballistic anti-ship missile fired by Houthi militants, the US Central Command said. The strike Saturday on the Greek-owned M/T Wind caused flooding that knocked out &#82...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Up to 2,000 Gallons of Oil Spilled into Galveston Bay After Barge Accident

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — Early estimates indicate up to 2,000 gallons of oil may have spilled into surrounding waters when a barge carrying fuel broke free from a tugboat and slammed into a bridge near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast …

Posted: May 20, 2024

Nearly All Sanctioned Russian Oil Tankers Remain Idle and Empty Months After Sanctions

Dozens of tankers remain stuck doing nothing months after being sanctioned by the Treasury Department — a signal of the US’s scope to disrupt Moscow’s petroleum supply chain if it chooses to. Since October, 40 ships involved in Russia&#82...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Michigan Police Arrest 6 Men for Stealing $8M Worth of Vehicles

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Six men working as part of a criminal organization in Michigan have been arrested in connection with the theft of more than 400 vehicles worth about $8 million, authorities said last week. The men, between the …

Posted: May 20, 2024

Thousands Remain Without Power After Deadly Storms Hit Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — As the Houston area works to clean up and restore power to hundreds of thousands after deadly storms left at least seven people dead, it will do so amid a smog warning and scorching temperatures that could …

Posted: May 20, 2024

GM, LG Agree on $150M Relief for Chevy Bolt EV Owners Over Faulty Batteries

General Motors and South Korea’s LG Electronics reached a settlement to establish a $150 million fund to provide relief to Chevrolet Bolt EV owners affected by defective batteries, documents filed in a U.S. court on Thursday showed. General Mot...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Despite Consumer Watchdog’s Supreme Court Win, CFPB Powers Still on Chopping Block

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision safeguarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—the nation’s consumer finance watchdog—earned plaudits from supporters of robust federal regulation. But their praise for the court may prove short-li...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Despite Consumer Watchdog’s Supreme Court Win, CFPB Powers on Chopping Block

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision safeguarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—the nation’s consumer finance watchdog—earned plaudits from supporters of robust federal regulation. But their praise for the court may prove short-li...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Coast Guard Studying if Other Bridges at Risk After Baltimore Collapse

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is evaluating whether other bridges nationwide are at risk after a cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, killing six people and destroying the Patapsco River crossing. Coast …

Posted: May 20, 2024

After Two Years in the Eye of the Storm, Neal Steps Down From FIGA. Brown Up Next

Corey Neal took over as executive director of the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association in early 2022, at the height of what many would say were some of the darkest days for the Florida property/casualty market. Two carriers had just been …

Posted: May 20, 2024

AM Best Affirms Arrow Mutual’s Ratings, Revises Outlooks Citing Claim Dispute

AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Arrow Mutual Liability Insurance Co. AM Best said the cred...

Posted: May 20, 2024

Workers’ Compensation Bars Doctor Who Was Shot at New York Hospital From Suing

New York’s highest court has ruled that a doctor who was injured in a shooting at the hospital where he works cannot sue his employer, finding that his injuries arose out of his employment and are thus covered by workers’ …

Posted: May 20, 2024

Maine to Spend $25 Million to Rebuild Waterfront Damaged by Winter Storms

Maine waterfrontMaine’s government will spend tens of millions of dollars to rebuild the state’s working waterfront communities after a series of devastating winter storms pummeled the state’s docks, wharves and coastal businesses....

Posted: May 20, 2024