Insurance Journal

Missouri County Agrees to $1.2 Million Settlement Over Inmate Restraint Chair Death

Missouri`s second-largest county will pay a $1.2 million settlement to the parents of a 21-year-old man with mental health concerns who, according to a lawsuit, screamed “I can`t breathe” as he was subdued by jail staff before dying in a...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Britain’s National Grid Drops China-Based Supplier Over Cyber Security Fears: FT

Britain’s National Grid has started removing components supplied by a unit of China-backed Nari Technology from the electricity transmission network over cyber security fears, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The decision came in April a...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Update: London Marine Insurers Widen High Risk Zone in Red Sea as Attacks Surge

London’s marine insurance market has widened the area in the Red Sea it deems as high risk after a surge in attacks on commercial ships, according to a statement issued on Monday. Guidance from the Joint War Committee (JWC), which …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

London Marine Insurers Widen High Risk Zone in Red Sea as Attacks Surge

London’s marine insurance market has widened the area in the Red Sea it deems as high risk amid a surge in attacks on commercial ships, according to a statement issued on Monday. Guidance from the Joint War Committee, which comprises …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Activision Blizzard to Pay $54M to Settle California Workplace Claims

Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay about $54 million to settle discrimination claims brought by California’s civil rights agency on behalf of women employed by the video game maker. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, resolve...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Mission Accomplished: Allstate Announces Calif., NY, NJ Rate Approvals

The departments of insurance in California, New York and New Jersey approved double-digit auto rate increases for Allstate in the three states that the carrier considered exiting in the absence of approvals, the Northbrook, Ill.-based carrier announc...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

McDonald’s Seeks Tighter Child-Labor Compliance by Franchisees

McDonald’s Corp. will survey its US franchisees about their child-labor practices — a step toward tightening compliance following a series of violations by restaurant operators. The US Department of Labor fined franchisees in Kentucky, Pennsylv...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Child Dies, Another Injured When Christmas Tree Catches Fire in NC Home

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — One child was killed and another was injured when a Christmas tree caught fire in a North Carolina manufactured home Tuesday evening, according to fire officials. Firefighters called to a home on Fanning Pointe Lane i...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Alera Group: Personal Insurance Outlook ‘Discouraging’

Unprecedented industry losses and unprofitability in homeowners and auto insurance will significantly impact pricing and availability in 2024, especially in catastrophe-prone areas and states with challenging regulations, Alera Group forecasted in a...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Hurricane Season May be Over, but High Winds Still Lashing South Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It’s beginning to look at lot like … hurricane season — at least across much of South Florida, where it’s been windy and rainy for two days and the forecast predicts more of the same …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Safety Board: Chemical Leak That Killed 6 Georgia Poultry Workers Was Preventable

A chemical leak that killed six workers at a Georgia poultry plant in 2021 resulted from a poorly designed freezer that spilled deadly liquid nitrogen as well as a failure by the plant`s owner to install safety equipment and properly …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

SEC Says No to New Crypto Rules; Coinbase Asks Court to Review

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday denied a petition by Coinbase Global seeking new rules from the agency for the digital asset sector, which the country’s largest crypto exchange then sought to challenge in court. The five-m...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

New York Fund Receives $7.75 Million After Workers’ Compensation Fraud Prosecution

Law enforcement officials announced the final sentencing in their prosecution of an $18 million workers’ compensation fraud case and the return of $7.75 million to the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF). Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bra...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Shipping Firms Avoid Red Sea as Attacks From Iran-Backed Houthi Militants Rise

Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea to show their support for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza. The attacks, targeting a route that allows East-West trade, especially of o...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Minnesota Construction Contractor Faces $1.8 Million in OSHA Penalties

Despite signing a 2021 settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor that included a promise to protect its employees from potentially deadly trenching and excavation hazards, a Minnesota construction contractor was again found endangering e...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Minnesota Construction Contractor Faces $1.8 Million in Penalties for Endangering Workers

Despite signing a 2021 settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor that included a promise to protect its employees from potentially deadly trenching and excavation hazards, a Minnesota construction contractor was again found endangering e...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Australian Tourist Hotspot Inundated With Life-Threatening Floods After Cyclone Jaspar

A key tourism area in Australia’s far north has been inundated with life-threatening flooding after days of torrential rainfall in the wake of a tropical cyclone. Major flood and strong wind warnings have been issued across several areas in Que...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Lloyd’s Extends Lease on Iconic London Headquarters Until 2035

Society of Lloyd’s, better known as Lloyd’s of London, has reached an agreement to remain in its One Lime Street headquarters until at least 2035, the Financial Times reported. The deal with landlord Ping An Insurance Group, which came to...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Industry Experts Gather at Inaugural Oklahoma Insurance Day

The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) hosted the inaugural Oklahoma Insurance Day in Oklahoma City on Dec. 14. The conference was held at the Embassy Suites Downtown Medical Center and attracted a total of 125 attendees from across the insurance se...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Are Billions in Wind Mitigation the Answer for Florida’s Insurance Problems?

While Florida’s property insurance landscape appears to be leveling out, much more funding is needed to fortify homes against hurricane winds and prevent devastating losses for insureds and insurers, a few panelists said at the Florida Chamber&...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

From Litigation to Capital, Florida Insurance Market Improving, Panelists Say

The Florida property and casualty insurance market is not out of the woods but it is showing signs of progress, from litigation trends to capital investments in the state, according to almost two dozen people who spoke at the Florida …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Firefighters Battled Blaze in Historic Firehouse Near U.S. Capitol

Firefighters in Washington, D.C., on Friday battled a three- alarm fire that started in a three-story former firehouse under renovation near the U.S. Capitol. DC Fire and EMS said one firefighter declared mayday and was rescued. No injuries were repo...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

New Jersey Casino Workers Light Up in State House to Protest Smoking in Workplace

With prospects for a smoking ban in Atlantic City`s casinos looking hazier than ever, workers who want smoking banned took matters into their own hands, lips and lungs Thursday. Members of the United Auto Workers union disrupted a meeting of …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Fire Marshal Investigating Blast That Injured One, Severely Damaged Pennsylvania Home

One person was injured and a house was severely damaged Friday by an early morning explosion at a home about 10 miles northwest of Reading, Pennsylvania. A male was hospitalized after the blast just before 7 a.m. in Bernville. A …

Posted: Dec 18, 2023

Washington Insurance Commissioner Issued $305K in Fines

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in November totaling $305,694 against insurance companies and insurance producers for violations of state insurance laws and regulations. Following are the fines, the reasons for them from...

Posted: Dec 18, 2023