Insurance Journal

Colorado City Police Beating Lawsuit Settled for $2.1 Million

Colorado Springs leaders agreed Tuesday to pay $2.1 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a Black man who was punched and kicked by police during a traffic stop in 2022. City councilors voted to back the agreement to …

Posted: May 16, 2024

Swiss Re Names Gonzalez CEO of Corporate Solutions, Ojeisekhoba to Step Down

Swiss Re announced that Ivan Gonzalez, CEO Reinsurance China, has been appointed CEO of Corporate Solutions, succeeding Andreas Berger, who is moving into the role of group CEO, effective July 1, 2024. Gonzalez will join the Group Executive Committee...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Ransomware Frequency Up 64% on Remote Access Tools, Says At-Bay

A 64% jump in ransomware claims in 2023 is driven by an explosion in “indirect” ransomware incidents, up over 415% in 2023, with remote access tools accounting for 58% of attacks. The year-over-year increases were seen among mid-market an...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Driver of Pickup Charged with DUI After Crash with Bus that Killed 8 Farmworkers

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested the driver of a pickup truck that crashed into a farmworker bus early Tuesday, killing eight, on charges of driving under the influence-manslaughter. Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, faces eight cou...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Swiss Re to Withdraw From Digital Insurer iptiQ, Reports Strong Q1 Net Income of $1.1B

Swiss Re announced plans to withdraw from its digital B2B2C insurance business, iptiQ, following a strategic review. The iptiQ business lost $250 million in 2023, but the loss was projected to be less in 2024. Nevertheless, Swiss Re decided its &#823...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Georgia County Must Pay for Transgender Deputy’s Surgery, Appeals Court Says

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that a Georgia county illegally discriminated against a sheriff’s deputy by failing to pay for her gender-affirming surgery. In its ruling Monday, the 11th U.S. Circ...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Fed’s Powell Downplays Potential for a Rate Hike Despite Higher Price Pressures

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the central bank is unlikely to raise its key interest rate in response to signs of stubborn inflation and underscored his view that price increases would soon start to cool again. Yet …

Posted: May 16, 2024

Popular SC Country Music Venue Shuts Down Due to Liquor Liability Insurance Costs

A popular country music venue in Greenville, South Carolina, has closed its doors after almost 30 years, citing the cost of liquor liability insurance in the state. The Post and Courier newspaper and other news outlets reported Wednesday that the &#8...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Lindberg Convicted in Second Trial on Attempting to Bribe NC Insurance Commissioner

A federal jury on Wednesday convicted Greg Lindberg, who once controlled two life insurance companies, a reinsurance company and multiple other businesses, and his co-defendant John Gray, of attempting to bribe the North Carolina insurance commission...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Patents for Sale? State Farm Reveals Website of Inventions

State Farm announced that it has launched a new website to showcase some of its patented technology, and making it available for licensing, purchase or collaboration opportunities. “State Farm is more than just an insurance company. With a focu...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Overall US P/C Combined Ratio Improves in 2023 but Trouble Spots Remain: S&P

The U.S. property/casualty industry’s net combined ratio improved in 2023 to 101.7 from 102.5 the prior year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The combined ratio for the industry’s personal business lines came in at 106.7%...

Posted: May 16, 2024

UK Tightens Scrutiny of All Indian Spice Imports Amid Contamination Allegations

Britain’s food watchdog has applied extra control measures on all spice imports from India, it said on Wednesday, becoming the first to ramp up scrutiny of all Indian spices after contamination allegations against two brands sparked concerns am...

Posted: May 16, 2024

ECB Warns of Financial Stability Risks From Global Elections, Geopolitics

Geopolitical tensions and a raft of elections around the world are heightening the risk that investors will be jolted by negative surprises and endanger financial stability, the European Central Bank warned. Markets have so far taken a relaxed view o...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Zurich’s First-Quarter P/C Revenue Rises on Higher Premiums

Zurich Insurance Group AG said revenue from property and casualty insurance rose 12% in the first quarter on a like-for-like basis, helped by higher premiums. Gross written premiums in the business rose 9% from a year earlier, as Asia and …

Posted: May 16, 2024

Oil-Sands Capital of Canada Now Grappling With Second Wildfire

The unofficial capital of Canada’s oil-sands industry is now facing a second wildfire that’s north of the city and closer to major energy operations. The new blaze near Fort McMurray, Alberta, is about 3 hectares (7 acres) in size, and &#...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Whistleblower Questions Delayed Use of Sensor Plane After Ohio Train Derailment

The U.S. government has a specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors that officials brag is always ready to deploy within an hour of any kind of chemical disaster. But the plane didn’t fly over eastern Ohio until four days after …

Posted: May 16, 2024

Last Wrongful Death Lawsuit From Astroworld Tragedy Set for Trial in September

HOUSTON (AP) — The one remaining wrongful death lawsuit filed after 10 people were killed during a deadly crowd crush at the 2021 Astroworld music festival has been set for trial in civil court in September, a judge said Tuesday. …

Posted: May 16, 2024

Texas Is Warned of Blackout Risk as Sun Sets This Summer

The risk of power failures this summer remains elevated for many parts of North America amid soaring demand and generator shutdowns. The main Texas grid is especially vulnerable at sunset when solar generation plunges and demand remains high, with th...

Posted: May 16, 2024

People Moves: Front Street Re Appoints Fong as CEO; Carmichael Beazley’s New Head of US Cyber

Front Street Re, an operating subsidiary of Lexasure Financial Group Limited headquartered in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, appointed Edison Fong as CEO. Before joining Front Street Re, Fong was a director at Converge Re and an actuary at Manulife Fina...

Posted: May 16, 2024

People Moves: Front Street Re Appoints Fong as CEO

Front Street Re, an operating subsidiary of Lexasure Financial Group Limited headquartered in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, appointed Edison Fong as CEO. Before joining Front Street Re, Fong was a director at Converge Re and an actuary at Manulife Fina...

Posted: May 16, 2024

St. John’s Names Lloyd’s Exec Watkins to Head Greenberg Risk Management School

New York’s St. John’s University announced the appointment of Henry “Hank” Watkins Jr., regional director and president of the Americas at Lloyd’s, as executive director and associate dean of the Maurice R. Greenberg Sch...

Posted: May 16, 2024

US Senators Unveil AI Policy Roadmap, Seek Government Funding Boost

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, called on Wednesday for a big jump in government research funding of artificial intelligence as they debate new legal safeguards. Generative AI—which can create text, photo...

Posted: May 16, 2024

People Moves: Torres Joins XPT Specialty; Brown & Riding Adds Visconti

XPT Specialty, headquartered in Barre, Vermont, appointed Suzette Torres as vice president of personal lines. She will help expand the company’s offerings for retail agencies selling specialty products like personal lines property, umbrellas, a...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Virginia Judge to Decide Whether Frozen Embryos Are Property With Monetary Value

A trial is underway in Virginia that will determine whether state law allows frozen embryos to be considered property that can be divided up and assigned a monetary value. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Dontae Bugg heard arguments last Thursday &...

Posted: May 16, 2024

Maine OKs 15.7% Rate Cut for Its Biggest Workers’ Compensation Insurer, MEMIC

The Maine Bureau of Insurance has approved a 15.7% average rate reduction in workers’ compensation insurance premiums for Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Co. (MEMIC), the largest workers’ compensation carrier in the state. The bur...

Posted: May 16, 2024