Insurance Journal

Clorox Takes Down Some IT Systems After ‘Unauthorized Activity’

Clorox Co. has taken some of its information technology systems offline after identifying “unauthorized activity” in its computer networks that has disrupted some business operations. The incident is expected to continue to affect some pa...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Don’t Forget About Continuing Ed for Transportation Insurance Professionals

In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of insurance, staying up-to-date with industry trends, regulations, and best practices is paramount. For insurance professionals serving the transportation industry, this is even more crucial due to the secto...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Increased Vehicle Sales, Search for Lower Rates Boost Auto Insurance Shopping

Auto insurance shopping rates rose 12% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2023, according to a new TransUnion report. While vehicle sales played a role in the increase, TransUnion said in a press release that the search for lower insurance &#823...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Broken Wheel Causes Derailment of Train Blocking Swiss Tunnel

The derailment that blocked the Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland last week was caused by a broken wheel on the freight train, according to investigators. The Swiss Accident Investigation Service said its investigators had found pieces of the train&#821...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Markets/Coverages: Chubb Launches Vehicle Tracking System in UK to Stymie Car Theft

Chubb has launched a vehicle tracking system in the UK to help protect the insurer’s customers from car theft. With criminals now often targeting high-value vehicles – particularly “keyless” models – Chubb S5 Vehicle Tracker and Chu...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

2023 Summer Heatwaves – Insights on Heat Stress in a Changing Climate: RMS

Executive summary: Climate change, caused by human activity, is already leading to an increase in the frequency and severity of hot extremes, including heatwaves. While it is difficult to ascribe any given event to climate change, Moody’s RMS s...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

The National Alliance Launches CISR High School Program at Central Tech Campuses

Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 14, 2023 – The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research announces that Central Technology Center has successfully completed the first year of the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) High Sch...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

What Are China’s ‘Sponge Cities’ and Why Aren’t They Stopping Urban Floods?

China has been hit by devastating floods in recent weeks, inundating cities and causing deaths and infrastructural damage, as well as raising questions about the effectiveness of its 2015 “sponge city” initiative aimed at reducing urban f...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

El Niño Expected Between September and November: Australian Weather Bureau

Australia’s weather bureau said on Tuesday the El Niño weather event, associated with hotter, drier weather, was likely to hit during the southern hemisphere spring, between September and November. El Niño, characterized by elevated sea surface...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Typhoon Lan Grounds Flights, Halts Trains as It Crosses Japan

Typhoon Lan reached the coast of central Japan early Tuesday, grounding flights and halting trains as residents braced for heavy rain, flooding and landslides. Known locally as Typhoon No. 7, the storm has been traversing the archipelago’s cent...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Ships Remain Backed Up in Black Sea Lanes as Russia Warning Shots Raise Tensions

Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea on Monday as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel. …

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Fintech Vesttoo Seeks Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Israel-based fintech Vesttoo is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a U.S. court which will enable it to pursue legal action against those responsible for a fake collateral scandal, it said in a statement on Monday. Vesttoo – partly bac...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Don’t Expect Quick Fixes in ‘Red-Teaming’ of AI Models; Security Was an Afterthought

White House officials concerned by AI chatbots’ potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas. So...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

People Moves: MCIEF Names Schoonover to Education Director Spot

The Motor Carrier Insurance Education Foundation (MCIEF) has named Jim Schoonover its new education director. He succeeds Tommy Ruke who founded the organization in 2013. Schoonover, whose mission will be to educate transportation industry insurance...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Alabama Tow Truck Operator Set for Trial on Overcharging Insurance Companies

One of five Alabama tow truck operators charged with overcharging insurance companies will go to trial in April, almost four years after the men were hit with insurance fraud charges. Danny Williams, owner of Southport Towing, in Mobile, Alabama, was...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Carolina Roller Coaster Reopens After Large Crack Repaired and Tested

A towering North Carolina roller coaster that shut down in June due to a large crack in its support column reopened Thursday after a month of repairs and testing, the park announced on its website. Carowinds amusement park, which straddles …

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

New Jersey Supreme Court Backs Catholic School in Firing of Unwed, Pregnant Teacher

The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Roman Catholic school that fired a teacher who became pregnant out of wedlock. The high court found that where an employment decision is clearly based on the tenets of …

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

People Moves: CIBA in California Names Aldorisio Head of Product Development

CIBA, headquartered in Glendale, Calif., named Andrew Aldorisio head of product development and a member of the executive management team. Aldorisio has more than 15 years of insurance experience, most recently as chief underwriting officer at Obsidi...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Boston Man Hopes His Civil Rights Suit Bankrupts White Supremacist Group

A Black teacher and musician who says members of a white nationalist hate group punched, kicked and beat him with metal shields during a march through Boston last year has sued the organization. Charles Murrell III, of Boston, was in …

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

42,000 Vermonters Affected by MOVEit Data Breach

The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation reports that the large-scale data security breach of the MOVEit software has compromised the personally identifiable information of roughly 42,000 Vermonters and more than 38 million consumers nationwide...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

New York Workers’ Compensation Fund Returned $585 Million to Employers

The New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer, allocated $585 million to New York employers last year through its dividends and return-of-premium programs. Every year, NYSIF returns funds to...

Posted: Aug 15, 2023

Estimate of Losses From Devastating Hawaii Wildfires Increases to $14B-$16B

AccuWeather increased its estimate of the total damage and economic loss from the devastating wildfires burning in Hawaii to $14 to $16 billion. The update follows AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate last week of total damage and economic loss o...

Posted: Aug 14, 2023

Montana Youth Climate Activists Get Historic Win in State Case

A state judge ruled Monday that Montana’s oil and gas policies are infringing on young people’s constitutional rights to a safe environment, handing a big win to youth climate plaintiffs. An adjustment to the Montana Energy Policy Act (ME...

Posted: Aug 14, 2023

Arkansas Restaurant Chain Sued for Sexual Harassment

Simply Slims, L.L.C., and or Dixie Chicken, L.L.C. d/b/a Slim Chickens in Hot Springs, Arkansas, violated federal law when it subjected a class of teens and young adults to sexual harassment and a sexually hostile work environment, the U.S. Equal &#8...

Posted: Aug 14, 2023

$3 Billion BP Deepwater Horizon Settlement Funding Massive Ecosystem Restoration in Louisiana’s Plaq...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Nearly $3 billion in settlement money from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster that devastated the Gulf Coast and killed hundreds of thousands of marine animals is now funding a massive ecosystem restoration in southeastern Louisiana...

Posted: Aug 14, 2023