Insurance Journal

Residents of PFAS-Polluted Island File $42M in Claims Against Wisconsin City

A CROSSE, Wis. (AP) – Residents of an island polluted with PFAS chemicals have filed claims demanding more than $40 million from a western Wisconsin city they say is responsible for the contamination. As of June 2021, more than 500 …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Fire Causes Explosions at Louisiana Chemical Plant

PLAQUEMINE, La. (AP) __ A fire at a Louisiana chemical plant triggered explosions that shook homes several miles away and sent flames and smoke billowing into the air, prompting emergency officials to urge a few hundred nearby residents to shelter &#...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Alaska Volcano Spews Ash Cloud High Enough to Draw Weather Service Warning for Pilots

An erupting volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands sent a towering cloud of ash into the air Friday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an inflight warning to pilots. The Shishaldin Volcano began erupting July 11, according to the Al...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Higher Reserving Uncertainties Could Sustain Hard Market Conditions: Report

Systemic shocks related to the recent pandemic, the war in Ukraine, natural catastrophe losses and elevated inflation have raised questions about reserve adequacy for property/casualty insurers, according to a Swiss Re report. These recent shocks hav...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp Sued by Oregon Wineries Over Fire Damage

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s PacifiCorp was sued by Oregon wineries claiming that smoke from wildfires ignited by the utility’s equipment in 2020 destroyed their grape harvests, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in damages and lost wi...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

AAA Is Not Exiting Florida But Will Not Renew ‘Small Percentage’ of Policies

The Auto Club Insurance Company (AAA) of Florida has announced that it will not renew a “very small percentage” of auto and home insurance package policies in Florida. But, the insurer stressed, it is not leaving the state — it’s &#...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

AAA Is Not Exiting Florida But Will Non-Renew ‘Small Percentage’ of Policies

The Auto Club Insurance Company (AAA) of Florida has announced that it will not renew a “very small percentage” of auto and home insurance package policies in Florida. But, the insurer stressed, it is not leaving the state — it’s &#...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Liberty Mutual Announces Organizational Changes, Leading to 370 US Job Losses

Liberty Mutual Insurance announced major organizational changes and executive leadership appointments, which are aimed at enhancing its personal and small commercial lines business in long-term strategic markets. Approximately 370 jobs will be lost i...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Reinsurance Broker, Augment, Launches with Access to $100M in Funding

Augment, a new Miami-headquartered reinsurance broker, announced its official launch with access of up to $100 million in funding from Altamont Capital Partners. Over the last decade, the global reinsurance market has been buffeted by significant shi...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Reinsurance Broker, Augment, Launches With Access to $100M in Funding

Augment, a new Miami-headquartered reinsurance broker, announced its official launch with access of up to $100 million in funding from Altamont Capital Partners. Over the last decade, the global reinsurance market has been buffeted by significant shi...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Insurers Reviewing Black Sea Ship Cover After Russia Suspends Grain Deal: Sources

Insurers are reviewing whether to freeze cover for any ships willing to sail to Ukraine after Russia said on Monday it will suspend participation in a UN-backed deal that allows the export of grain through a Black Sea safe corridor, …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Insurers Reviewing Black Sea Ship Cover After Russia Quits Grain Deal: Sources

Insurers are reviewing whether to freeze cover for any ships willing to sail to Ukraine after Russia on Monday quit a U.N.-backed deal that allows the export of grain through a wartime Black Sea safe corridor, industry sources said. The …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

South Carolina Expands Ignition Interlock Law for Drunk Drivers

South Carolina is expanding the number of drunk driving offenders who must install temporary breathalyzers before taking the wheel. Under the new law, anyone convicted of driving under the influence will have to breathe into a device that confirms no...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Death Records Should Be Open to Public, Rules Pennsylvania Court

Autopsy records should be open to the public, a Pennsylvania court ruled in response to the county`s denial of a journalist`s requests for records pertaining to an inmate`s death. The case marks a further easing of the public’s access to &#8230...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Swiss Investor Group Lawsuit to Seek Compensation Over UBS-Credit Suisse Deal

A Swiss investors’ association is planning to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for former Credit Suisse shareholders, the latest legal action triggered by the bank’s emergency takeover by its cross-town rival UBS UBSG.S. “Due to...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

South Korea Flood Death Toll Rises to 40, Yoon Blames Botched Disaster Responses

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday blamed authorities’ failure to follow disaster response rules as the death toll from days of torrential rain rose to 40, including a dozen people found dead in a submerged underpass. Deluges have &...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

South Korea Flood Death Toll Rises to 40; Yoon Blames Botched Disaster Responses

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday blamed authorities’ failure to follow disaster response rules as the death toll from days of torrential rain rose to 40, including a dozen people found dead in a submerged underpass. Deluges have &...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Canada’s Wildfires Burn Record 25 Million Acres With No End in Sight

Canadian wildfires have scorched more than 10 million hectares (25 million acres) this summer, an area about the size of Iceland, with no end to the burning expected anytime soon. About 900 active fires were reported as of Saturday, most …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Global Rules Leave Crypto Firms With No Place to Hide: G20 Watchdog

Globally agreed rules leave crypto firms with no option but to introduce basic safeguards to prevent the blow-ups seen at FTX exchange and other crypto casualties, the G20’s Financial Stability Board said on Monday. The FSB published on Monday...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Deadly Storms Across US Northeast Bring Floods, Tornado Alerts

A cluster of severe thunderstorms pounded the US Northeast including New York City on Sunday, unleashing deadly flooding in Pennsylvania, halting operations at several airports, and prompting tornado watches across New England. In Chicago, air qualit...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Typhoon Talim Expected to Smash Into China Late Monday

Talim continued to gain power after strengthening into a typhoon early on Monday and is set to be the first to make landfall in China this year, prompting authorities to cancel flights, suspend high-speed trains and order people to stay …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Update: Typhoon Talim Makes Landfall in Southern China; Flights and Trains Canceled

Typhoon Talim became the first typhoon to make landfall in China this year on Monday evening, prompting authorities to issue flood warnings, cancel flights and trains, and order people to stay at home. Talim, the fourth typhoon of the year, …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

JPMorgan Should Pay $190 Million Over Epstein Ties, US Virgin Islands Says

The US Virgin Islands said it was seeking at least $190 million from JPMorgan Chase & Co. in its lawsuit accusing the bank of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking. The territory stated its minimum damages in a Friday filing in Manhatt...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Is Automation the Answer to Microbusiness Insurance Profitability?

Could self-service and digital quoting and binding be gamechangers for independent agents and brokers working in microbusiness lines? Though they’re the smallest of small businesses, microbusinesses account for the largest portion of small busi...

Posted: Jul 17, 2023

Disney Hopes to Toss Board’s Lawsuit Against It

Walt Disney Co asked a Florida judge on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit by a state oversight board as part of the entertainment giant’s effort to pursue its case against Governor Ron DeSantis, the latest development in a year-long feud. …

Posted: Jul 17, 2023