Insurance Journal

Honeycomb Insurance, Using Tech to Bypass Property Inspections, Expands to Virginia

Honeycomb Insurance, a which says its technology eliminates the need for physical property inspections, has won regulator approval to write policies in Virginia. The company, which began operating in 2021, writes in 15 states, including North Carolin...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Alibaba’s Ant Receives Chinese Government Nod to Roll Out AI Services

Ant Group Co., the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., received approval from the Chinese government to roll out products powered by its large language model Bailing to the public. Bailing will be applied to Ant’s various services...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Maryland Mechanic Sentenced for Filing $223,000 in False Claims for Auto Repairs

A Maryland mechanic who filed false claims for automobile repairs and was paid more than $223,000 by insurers will have to spend at least a few years behind bars after he was sentenced this week. Kenneth Wayne Collins, 36, was …

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

FTX Investors Shift Focus to Celebrity Endorsers After SBF Conviction

Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal fraud conviction came just as the FTX implosion was approaching its first anniversary. But for others who helped promote the cryptocurrency exchange, the legal fallout will continue for years. Attention now turns to...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Georgia Law Officers Call for Full Salary Benefits Under Workers’ Comp

Georgia law enforcement leaders are urging state lawmakers to grant injured officers their full salaries while they recover, a move that could significantly alter the nature of workers’ compensation insurance. News outlets in the state reported...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Fatal Fire in Maine Under Investigation

FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine (AP) — A house fire in northern Maine that killed a father, mother and daughter is under investigation, police said Thursday. The fire took place in Fort Fairfield late last week. Police said the fire killed three …

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Off-duty US Park Police Unintentionally Shot Fellow Officer in Virginia, Police Say

McLEAN, Va. (AP) — An off-duty U.S. Park Police officer fatally shot another off- duty officer in a Virginia apartment in what local authorities are describing preliminarily as an unintentional shooting involving alcohol. Fairfax County detecti...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

WTW Launches Asia Pacific Climate Risk Centre in Singapore

WTW announced the launch of an Asia Pacific Climate Risk Centre (ACRC) in Singapore, which aim to provide climate risk quantification and management capabilities to support the region’s climate resilience and transition to net zero. The centre...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Right Turn on Red? With Pedestrian Deaths Rising, US Cities Are Considering Bans

Sophee Langerman was on her way to a bicycle safety rally in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in June when a car turning right rolled through a red light and slammed into her bike, which she was walking off the curb and …

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Siemens, Ericsson Warn Proposed EU Cybersecurity Rules May Disrupt Supply Chains

Electronics makers Siemens, Ericsson and Schneider Electric, along with industry group DigitalEurope warned on Monday that onerous proposed EU rules targeting cybersecurity risks of smart devices could disrupt supply chains on a scale similar to duri...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Nike Sues New Balance, Skechers for Patent Infringement Over Sneaker Tech

Footwear giant Nike filed federal lawsuits on Monday against rivals New Balance and Skechers, accusing them of infringing patents related to Nike’s technology for making upper portions of sneakers. The lawsuits said that several New Balance ath...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Microsoft Vows to Revamp Security Products After Repeated Hacks

Microsoft Corp., battered for its role in several major hacks, said it’s revamping the way it provides cybersecurity protection, using artificial intelligence and other methods to speed the company’s response to vulnerabilities and better...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Palo Alto Acquires Israeli Cyber Startup Talon in M&A Push

Palo Alto Networks Inc. agreed to buy Talon Cyber Security Ltd., marking the second acquisition of an Israeli peer within a week. The deal is valued at about $625 million, according to a person familiar with the plans who asked …

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Collab with Claims Handling is Key to Success for Insurance Defense Litigation

Navigating insurance defense litigation is a complex and often challenging process. Understanding the roadmap and important rules along the way ensures a smoother and more successful path. It is crucial for claims handlers and defense counsel to work...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Boston Begins Requiring Contractors to File and Vow to Implement Site Safety Plans

The city of Boston will begin requiring construction and demolition contractors to file site-specific safety plans and attest to following them starting December 1. The requirement is part of the city’s implementation of a new safe construction...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

New York No-Fault Fraudster Pleads Guilty, Agrees to Pay $40M in Restitution

A man whom federal prosecutors in New York say was the mastermind behind a $40 million automobile insurance fraud scheme pleaded guilty on Friday to bribery, health care fraud and identify theft charges. Alexander Gulkarov, 37, owned medical clinics...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Plumbing Supply Firm Fights Sales Reps’ Court Award of $3.2M Overtime Wages

The U.S. Department of Labor expects to recover more than $3.2 million in overtime back wages for more than 700 inside sales representatives of the F.W. Webb plumbing supply company. DOL has accused F.W. Webb of misclassifying its inside sales &#8230...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

California Insurance Agent Arraigned After Allegedly Leaving Client’s Business Uninsured

Licensed insurance agent Vlada Cruz, 40, of Encino, California, was arraigned on two felony counts of grand theft after a California Department of Insurance investigation found she allegedly stole over $37,000 in insurance premiums, leaving her clien...

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

New Jersey Man Charged With Arson and Insurance Fraud Tied to Home Fire

A former Camden County, New Jersey man has been indicted on charges including arson and insurance fraud relating to a fire that caused significant damage to a house in Cherry Hill in 2018. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin reported that …

Posted: Nov 07, 2023

Members of California Congressional Delegation Call out Insurance Commissioner’s Proposal to Protect...

Representatives John Garamendi, Zoe Lofgren and other members of California’s congressional delegation sent a letter to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara urging him to use his power under state law to stabilize the insurance market...

Posted: Nov 06, 2023

Three Passengers Sue Alaska Airlines After Off-Duty Pilot Accused of Trying to Cut Engines

Three passengers sued Alaska Airlines, saying they suffered emotional distress from an incident last month in which an off-duty pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of a plane while catching a ride in the cockpit from …

Posted: Nov 06, 2023

Tyson’s Dinosaur-Shaped Chicken Nuggets Recalled After Possible Metal Contamination

Tyson Foods Inc., the largest US meat producer, is recalling almost 30,000 pounds (13 metric tons) of chicken nugget products aimed at children due to possible contamination with metal pieces. Plastic bags of fully cooked “Fun Nuggets” th...

Posted: Nov 06, 2023

People Moves: Rockford Mutual Names Jacobson CEO; H.W. Kaufman Group Promotes 11 Associates

Rockford Mutual Names Jacobson CEO Rockford Mutual Insurance Company (RMIC), headquartered in Rockford, Ill., named Rob Jacobson president and CEO. Jacobson has over three decades of property & casualty insurance, including leadership roles at Li...

Posted: Nov 06, 2023

People Moves: Breaux Joins Novatae Risk Group as Chief Operating Officer

Breaux Joins Novatae Risk Group as Chief Operating Officer Von Breaux joined Novatae Risk Group, headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, as chief operating officer. Breaux has more than 35 years of insurance industry leadership experience. He previously s...

Posted: Nov 06, 2023

Austin, Texas Becomes Largest US City to Drop Parking-Spot Requirements

Austin on Thursday became the largest city in the country to stop requiring new developments to have a set amount of parking — a move aimed at both fighting climate change and spurring more housing construction amid the city’s affordability &#8...

Posted: Nov 06, 2023