Insurance Journal

Starbucks Illegally Fired Manhattan Supervisor Over Union Activities, Labor Judge Rules

Starbucks violated U.S. labor law by firing a Manhattan store supervisor who had organized workers to join a union, a federal labor board judge ruled on Monday. The National Labor Relations Board established “striking and strong evidence of ani...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

New Jersey High Court to Hear Insurers’ Appeal Over War Exclusion in NotPetya Attack

The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a hostile/warlike action exclusion in an all risks property insurance policy applies in a case involving insurance coverage for a 2017 Russian cyberattack. The state’s high court will he...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Airlines Face Doubling in War Insurance Premiums After Sudan Losses: Sources

Airlines could end up paying twice as much for insurance they need to protect themselves against losses triggered by war after a bruising year wiped out aviation war insurers’ revenue for 2023, industry sources say. Aircraft were destroyed at K...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Markets/Coverages: New Lloyd’s Syndicate Provides E&S Cover for Calif. Wildfire Risks

Wildfire Defense Systems Inc., Polo Managing Agency Ltd. (PMA) and Aon, announced Lloyd’s has approved the launch of Wildfire Defense Syndicate 1996, which started underwriting on July 1, 2023. Created under Lloyd’s “Syndicate-in-a-...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Human-Induced Climate Change Plays ‘Overwhelming’ Role in July Heatwaves: Scientists

Human-induced climate change has played an “absolutely overwhelming” role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, Europe and China this month, according to an assessment by scientists published on Tuesday. Throughou...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

One Dead in Cargo Ship Fire With Electric Car as Suspected Source: Dutch Coastguard

One person died and several others were hurt when a fire broke out on a cargo ship carrying cars off the northern tip of Netherlands, forcing several crew members to jump overboard, the Dutch coastguard said on Wednesday. The Panama-registered &#8230...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Update: Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Ablaze off Dutch Coast, One Crewmember Dead

A fire blazed on a ship off the Dutch coast with nearly 3,000 vehicles on board on Wednesday, killing one member of the crew and injuring several others, the coastguard said. The fire began on Tuesday night on the 199-meter …

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Scientists Alarmed About Antarctica’s Unprecedented Lack of Sea Ice Growth

Amid a summer of record heat, the most dramatic impact may be taking place under the cover of Antarctic night. The continent at the bottom of the world normally sees a halo of sea ice grow around it each summer …

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Australia Fines Facebook Owner Meta $14M for Failure to Disclose Data Collection

An Australian court ordered Facebook owner Meta Platforms to pay fines totaling A$20 million ($14 million) for collecting user data through a smartphone application advertised as a way to protect privacy without disclosing its actions. Australia&#821...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Russia’s Danube Attacks Threaten Ukraine Grain Exports; Ports’ Insurance Rates Rise

Russian air strikes on Ukrainian grain facilities on the Danube this week threaten a vital river route for Kyiv’s exports, as Moscow seeks to tighten the noose around a key sector of the economy days after abandoning the Black Sea …

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Japanese Used Car Exec to Step Down After Revelations of Fraudulent Insurance Claims

The president of Japanese used-car dealership Bigmotor Co. Ltd. said he will step down after revelations of fraudulent insurance claims by the company’s repair shops, a scandal that has also ensnared Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. “I deeply a...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Japanese Used-Car Exec to Step Down After Revelations of Fraudulent Insurance Claims

The president of Japanese used-car dealership Bigmotor Co. Ltd. said he will step down after revelations of fraudulent insurance claims by the company’s repair shops, a scandal that has also ensnared Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. “I deeply a...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Congress Wades Into Self-Driving Debate With New US House Bills

Congress is wading into the debate over whether automakers should be allowed to sell hundreds of thousands of self-driving cars while manufacturers seek federal permission to expand testing of the technology. The US House Energy and Commerce Committe...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Congress Wades Into Self-Driving Debate With New House Bills

Congress is wading into the debate over whether automakers should be allowed to sell hundreds of thousands of self-driving cars while manufacturers seek federal permission to expand testing of the technology. The US House Energy and Commerce Committe...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Agency M&A Down 24% in First Half 2023: OPTIS

Investment banking and financial firm OPTIS Partners said the count of agency mergers and acquisitions during the first half of the year was 359, down 24% from 475 during the same time last year. “The drop-off in deal count continues …

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

New Florida Workers’ Comp Rules in Effect for Employer Penalties, Exemptions

This month, a number of new workers’ compensation rules took effect in Florida, affecting penalties for employers who fail to obtain comp insurance and setting new requirements for exemptions for corporate officers. The Florida Division of Work...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Head Scratcher: Claims Litigation Not Named as Major Factor in Florida Insolvencies

Despite years of complaints from Florida property insurers and some lawmakers that out-of-control claims litigation was destroying the industry, recent regulators’ reports about the reasons for insolvencies make no mention of the “L-word....

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Head Scratcher? Claims Litigation Not Named as Major Factor in Florida Insolvencies

Despite years of complaints from Florida property insurers and some lawmakers that out-of-control claims litigation was destroying the industry, recent regulators’ reports about the reasons for insolvencies make no mention of the “L-word....

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Pennsylvania High Court Rejects Damages Cap in Insurance Agency Poaching Case

A jury’s $2.8 million punitive damage award against an insurance agency and broker that tried to poach a competitor’s staff and book of business was not excessive even though it was more than 10 times the amount of compensatory damages, &...

Posted: Jul 26, 2023

Chubb ‘Record’ Q2 Sees Net Income Up 50.7%

Chubb second-quarter net income went up 50.7% to nearly $1.8 billion and its property/casualty combined ratio came in at 85.4. “We had another simply outstanding quarter – in fact, a record, which contributed to a record six months,” said...

Posted: Jul 25, 2023

Report: California Workers’ Comp Premium Levels on the Rise

California workers’ compensation premium levels rose by 14% in 2022 due to the economic recovery from the pandemic-related downturn, according to the new Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California’s 2023 State of th...

Posted: Jul 25, 2023

Viewpoint: Washington’s Aggressive Approach to Preventing Intoxicating Hemp Cannabinoids May Be Good...

Like other states across the country, Washington has been grappling with how to regulate intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products that are being innovated faster than state lawmakers can respond. The state has decided on an extreme solution tha...

Posted: Jul 25, 2023

People Moves: Pinnacle Hires Chen as Senior Consulting Actuary; Attain Names Habel VP and Head of Ex...

Pinnacle Actuarial Resources Hires Chen as Senior Consulting Actuary Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, Inc., based in Bloomington, Ill., hired Michael K. Chen as a senior consulting actuary. Chen has 20 years of actuarial experience and is returning to P...

Posted: Jul 25, 2023

People Moves: Pinnacle Hires Chen as Senior Consulting Actuary; Atain Names Habel VP and Head of Exc...

Pinnacle Actuarial Resources Hires Chen as Senior Consulting Actuary Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, Inc., based in Bloomington, Ill., hired Michael K. Chen as a senior consulting actuary. Chen has 20 years of actuarial experience and is returning to P...

Posted: Jul 25, 2023

First Hazing Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Female Northwestern University Athlete

CHICAGO (AP) – The hazing scandal at Northwestern University has widened to include a volleyball player who on Monday became the first female athlete to sue the university over allegations she was retaliated against by the coach for reporting her &#8...

Posted: Jul 25, 2023