Insurance Journal

New Jersey Expands Workers’ Compensation for First Responders

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed into law a change in workers’ compensation coverage for volunteer and professional public safety and law enforcement personnel. The new law (A-5909/S-4267) amends current workers’ compensation l...

Posted: Jan 24, 2024

Pennsylvania Slashes Insurance Licensing Fees, Speeds Up Application Reviews

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) announced the removal of certain fees associated with insurance licensing forms and faster review times for pending applications. “Accelerating our review time for pending license applications and rem...

Posted: Jan 24, 2024

Natural Disaster Protection Gap Returned to ‘Average Levels’ in 2023

Global insured losses from natural catastrophes totaled $118 billion in 2023, according to Aon’s annual Climate and Catastrophe Insight report. That number represented 31% of the total economic loss caused by 398 global natural disaster events....

Posted: Jan 24, 2024

ALKEME Acquires Texas-Based Mogul Wealth Strategies

ALKEME announced the acquisition of Mogul Wealth Strategies, a multi-line independent insurance agency and wealth management firm located in Frisco, Texas and serving the entire United States. Founded in 1996, Mogul Wealth Strategies has been serving...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Grand Jury Indicts Baldwin in Fatal Shooting of Cinematographer on New Mexico Set

A grand jury indicted Alec Baldwin on an involuntary manslaughter charge in a 2021 fatal shooting during a rehearsal on a movie set in New Mexico, reviving a dormant case against the actor. Special prosecutors brought the case before a …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Inszone Acquires Kansas’ American Heritage Agency

Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of American Heritage Agency, Inc., a well-established insurance agency that has been serving the Hays community in Kansas since 1999. This marks Inszone’s entry into the Kansas market. Americ...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

California May Face Major Flooding From Jan. 30: Weather Watch

The odds are rising that California and the West will be struck by a plume of moisture known as an atmospheric river from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, the US Climate Prediction Center said in a social media post. The …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Young Risk Professionals Expands National Leadership Team with New Board Members

As Young Risk Professionals looks towards continued growth in 2024, the networking organization has announced the appointment of Taylor Jones, Michelle Khajeh, and Holly Ragsdale as board members to the national leadership team. These elections refle...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

People Moves: Wallace & Turner Names Leventhal Director of Operations & Business Development

Wallace & Turner, Inc., headquartered in Springfield, Ohio, named Mary Jo Leventhal director of operations and business development. Leventhal has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Before joining Wallace & Turner, sh...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Brawner Insurance Agency Joins Valley Insurance Agency Alliance

Brawner Insurance Agency, headquartered in Kirksville, Mo., joined Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), comprised of more than 160 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. Founded in 1992, Brawner Insurance Agency is led by second...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Carolina Homeowners Give an Earful on Proposed 42% Average HO Rate Increase

North Carolinians have had plenty to say about a proposed homeowners insurance rate increase that could, on average, raise rates in the state by double digits. At a public forum held online and in Raleigh, homeowners blasted the 42% average …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Michigan Hospital Agrees to Pay $50K to Settle Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

Trinity Health Grand Rapids, formerly known as Mercy Health St. Mary’s, a hospital and member of the Trinity Health-Michigan health system, agreed to pay $50,000 and provide other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

What Does Red Sea Disruption Mean for Europe’s Economy?

Weeks of attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants on vessels in the Red Sea have disrupted shipping in the Suez Canal, the fastest sea route between Asia and Europe, carrying around 15% of global sea trade. For the European economy, already …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Microsoft’s Bing, Edge to Avoid EU’s Digital Dominance Crackdown

Microsoft Corp.’s Bing search engine, Edge web browser and Advertising services are set to be exempt from strict new European Union antitrust rules reining in Big Tech platforms because watchdogs tentatively concluded they’re not dominant...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Broken Pipes in Memphis Cause Water Pressure, Supply Problems

(AP) — Subfreezing conditions and treacherous roadways have contributed to dozens of deaths this month across the U.S., where states as far south as Texas and Florida were gripped by deadly arctic weather on Sunday. Nationally, winter storms have cla...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

SEC Blames ‘SIM Swapping’ for its X Account Hack

Wall Street’s top regulator was the victim of “SIM swapping,” a technique internet fraudsters use to seize control of telephone lines, when its account on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, was hacked earlier th...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

J&J Agrees to Resolve Talc Investigations in 42 States

Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday said it had reached a tentative settlement to resolve probes by U.S. states into whether it misled consumers about the safety of its talc products, which thousands of lawsuits claim can cause cancer. The deal …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Massachusetts Hospital Faces Class Action Over Christmas Cyber Attack

A Massachusetts hospital that suffered a cyber attack in December has been hit with a class action lawsuit for its alleged failure to secure patients’ personal information. Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport experienced a significant shut down...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

911 Calls From Maui Capture Pleas for Stranded, and Those Caught in Fire’s Chaos

The day after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century destroyed a seaside community on Maui, the barrage of 911 calls didn’t stop: Reports of missing people, stranded family members and confused tourists trapped without food or water lit up &#...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

911 Calls From Maui Capture Pleas For Stranded, and Those Caught in Fire’s Chaos

The day after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century destroyed a seaside community on Maui, the barrage of 911 calls didn’t stop: Reports of missing people, stranded family members and confused tourists trapped without food or water lit up &#...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Markets/Coverages: CFC Launches Embedded Transaction Liability Insurance Product

Specialty insurance provider CFC has launched what it is calling the first ever transaction liability insurance product to be embedded into online M&A platforms in the USA. CFC is initially making its Seller Protect available on the Flippa.com on...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Florida to Borrow Billions to Backstop Insurers After Hurricanes

The state corporation that oversees the Florida Cat Fund is planning to borrow as much as $3.8 billion to ensure the fund has plenty of money on hand to reimburse property insurers for losses when homes are damaged or destroyed …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Florida Cat Fund to Borrow up to $3.8 Billion in New Bond Issue

(Bloomberg) — The state corporation that oversees the Florida Cat Fund is planning to borrow as much as $3.8 billion to ensure the fund has plenty of money on hand to reimburse property insurers for losses when homes are damaged …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

US Appeals Court Revives Mexico’s $10B Lawsuit Against Gun Maker

A U.S. appeals court on Monday revived a $10 billion lawsuit by Mexico seeking to hold American gun manufacturers responsible for facilitating the trafficking of weapons to drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Brown & Brown’s Q4 Profit Jumps on Robust Growth in Fee, Investment Income

Insurance brokerage Brown & Brown reported an 85% surge in fourth-quarter profit to $268.6 million on Monday, helped by higher commissions and fees alongside better investment returns. The insurance industry typically enjoys stable demand for its...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024