Insurance Journal

UK Braces for More Hurricane-Strength Winds From Next Atlantic Storm

Just over a day after Storm Isha started to clear, the UK is bracing for more hurricane-strength winds off the Atlantic. Jocelyn — the 10th named storm of the season to hit the UK — will rip across the north …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

French Regulator Fines Amazon for ‘Intrusive’ Staff Surveillance

French regulator CNIL said on Tuesday it had fined Amazon France Logistique 32 million euros ($35 million) for what the CNIL said was an “excessively intrusive” surveillance system set up to monitor the performance of staff. The CNIL said...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Australia Imposes Sanctions on Russian Citizen Over Hack of Insurer Medibank

Australia imposed cybersecurity sanctions for the first time on a Russian hacker over his role in the breach of healthcare insurer Medibank Private Ltd. that exposed the sensitive private data of millions of Australians. Foreign Minister Penny Wong a...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

AgentSync Launches API to Streamline Insurance Producer Onboarding and Compliance

ProducerSync API, the first in AgentSync’s commercial API suite, connects insurance carriers, MGAs, and agencies to real-time data DENVER, CO., Jan. 23, 2024 –– AgentSync today announced the launch of its first commercially available ProducerSy...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Southwest Wins Appeal in Cyber Excess Coverage Dispute With Liberty

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that Southwest Airlines can continue to seek reimbursement under its Liberty Mutual cyber risk policy for costs incurred during a 2016 massive computer failure. An appeals court panel disagreed wi...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Southwest Wins Appeal in Excess Dispute With Liberty

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that Southwest Airlines can seek reimbursement under its Liberty Mutual cyber risk policy for costs incurred during a 2016 massive computer failure. An appeals court panel disagreed with the distr...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Arson and Insurance Fraud Scheme

An Illinois man admitted guilt in federal court last week for his involvement in a scheme to commit arson on residential properties and collect fraudulent insurance benefits. Rufis A. Jefferson, 47, of Venice, Illinois, pleaded guilty to 14 federal f...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Family of Texas Woman Killed in Propane Truck Collision Files $150 Million Lawsuit

The family of a Texas woman killed in a January collision with a propane truck has filed a $150 million lawsuit against the propane company and the driver of the vehicle, citing negligence and wrongful death. Nineteen-year-old Yuliana Castillo and &#...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Vans, Dickies Owner VF Corp: Data of 35.5M Consumers Stolen in Recent Cyberattack

Apparel and footwear company VF Corp. disclosed last week that the personal data of about 35.5 million consumers were stolen as part of a December 2023 cyberattack. According to a Jan. 18 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, &#823...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Exxon Files Lawsuit Against Investors’ Climate Proposal

Exxon Mobil Corp on Sunday filed a complaint in a Texas court seeking to prevent a climate proposal by activist investors from going to a vote during the company’s shareholder meeting in May. This is the first time Exxon is …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Florida Senate Committee Adopts Litigation Funding Rules; Expands Wrongful Death

Litigation financing could soon become more transparent and less influential in Florida, but a 34-year-old restriction on who can file medical malpractice wrongful death claims would be expanded under bills approved Monday by a key Florida legislativ...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Georgia Woman Wanted on Charges She Filed $45,000 in Faked Pet Insurance Claims

Law enforcement officials on Monday were looking for a Georgia woman who allegedly gained almost $45,000 from fraudulent pet insurance claims, from 2019 through 2022. Amanda Lindley, 39, of Paulding County, northwest of Atlanta, is wanted for submitt...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Roof Claim for Damage by Vultures Fails on Ordinary, Not Expert, Meaning of ‘Infestation’

How many vultures are required and how long must they be present to create an infestation? The Pennsylvania-based owner of a Maryland commercial building has learned that the answer, at least for insurance purposes, does not lie with an expert &#8230...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

5 Firefighters Injured Battling Pittsburgh Blaze; 2 Fell Through Roof

Five firefighters were injured, two by falling through a roof, while battling a blaze at three buildings in a Pittsburgh neighborhood over the weekend, authorities said. Fire crews were called just before 9:30 a.m. Saturday to the Homewood neighborho...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Man Who Built Plane That Crashed off California Coast Recalls Selling to Enthusiast

A small airplane that crashed into the ocean off the California coast on Sunday was constructed piece by piece over nearly a decade, one of tens of thousands of home-built aircraft that are part of a high-flying hobby taking off …

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

The Hartord to Start Offering Vermont’s Family Leave Insurance Program for Employers

The Hartford will begin offering the Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI) program for employers on February 15. Employers with two or more employees will have the opportunity to work withe the insurer’s brokers to design a plan to...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Family Warned School About Threats to Son Killed at Graduation: Report

An 18-year-old student fatally shot last year after his high school graduation in Virginia had been kept home for months because of fears for his safety but was still allowed to attend commencement ceremonies, according to a report released Wednesday...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

People Moves: Aspire in California Adds Gunter as General Counsel

Dale Gunter joined Aspire General Insurance as general counsel. Gunter’s previous role was with National General/Allstate. He has over 30 years of insurance experienced, joining National General Insurance when it was known as Integon Insurance...

Posted: Jan 23, 2024

Exxon Sues ESG Investors to Remove Climate Proposals on Ballot

Exxon Mobil Corp. filed a lawsuit against US and Dutch climate activist investors in an effort to remove what it describes as their “extreme agenda” from the ballot at its annual shareholder meetings. The Texas oil giant is seeking a &#82...

Posted: Jan 22, 2024

Kansas Man Sentenced for Insurance Fraud

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced a Kansas man has been sentenced to 12 months of probation for insurance fraud. Cloise Allen, age 46, pled guilty in the District Court of Sedgwick County to one misdemeanor count of a fraudulent &...

Posted: Jan 22, 2024

EPA Assessment Reveals Persistent Nutrient Pollution in US Rivers and Streams

The nation’s rivers and streams remain stubbornly polluted with nutrients that contaminate drinking water and fuel a gigantic dead zone for aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a recently released Environmental Protection Agency ass...

Posted: Jan 22, 2024

Cold Weather Grips Lower US, Causing Dozens of Deaths

Much of the U.S. remained gripped by deadly Arctic weather Sunday — with subfreezing conditions reaching as far south as Texas and Florida. But the numbing cold is expected to ease up in the coming days. Freezing rain, sleet and …

Posted: Jan 22, 2024

J&J Sets Up 3rd Talc Bankruptcy Bid by Moving Unit to Texas

Johnson & Johnson is seeking to move a unit to Texas as it prepares for a potential third bankruptcy court filing to resolve more than 50,000 lawsuits alleging tainted talc in its baby powder caused cancer. The company filed a …

Posted: Jan 22, 2024

FAA Steps Up Scrutiny of Boeing With Calls for Checks on Another 737 Model

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recommended that airlines operating Boeing 737-900ER jets inspect door plugs to ensure that they are properly secured after some operators reported unspecified issues with bolts upon inspections. Reg...

Posted: Jan 22, 2024

Power Line Falls on Car During Oregon Ice Storm, Killing 3

A power line fell on a parked car in northeast Portland, Oregon, killing three people and injuring a baby during an ice storm that turned roads and mountain highways treacherous in the Pacific Northwest. Shortly before noon on Wednesday, dispatchers...

Posted: Jan 22, 2024