Insurance Journal

BMS Group Acquires Australia’s Bluebook Insurance Brokers

BMS Group, the London-based independent specialist re/insurance broker, has entered into an agreement to acquire Brisbane-based specialty broker Bluebook Insurance Brokers. The deal is the sixth Australian acquisition by BMS in the past 12 months as...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Insurers Look to Loosen UN Climate Alliance Rules After Member Exodus: Sources

The remaining insurers in a United Nations-backed coalition aimed at tackling climate change are poised to loosen the alliance’s membership requirements, after a recent exodus of members, according to two people familiar with the discussions. T...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Economic Cost of French Riots Could Top €1 Billion as Unrest Continues to Drop

President Emmanuel Macron will meet with more than 200 mayors to assess the riots that have rocked France as a massive police deployment led to a continued drop in the level of unrest overnight. French employers’ lobby Medef estimated the &#823...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

French Insurers Say Cost of Riots Totals $305 Million, So Far

French insurers have so far received around 5,900 claims worth a total of some €280 million ($305 million) resulting from damage caused during a week of riots following the police shooting of a teenager. This compares with 10,000 claims for …

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Why Did It Take a Pandemic to Drive Electronic Placement in the London Market?

Electronic placing in the London market was a long time coming, with many obstacles to overcome – It took the pandemic to prove electronic placement is a benefit not a threat and, now it’s here to stay, we’re heading full …

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Court Says Fear Created by Data Breach Suffices for Class-Action to Proceed

Former customers of Injured Workers Pharmacy whose personal information was stolen by hackers and allegedly used to file a fake tax return may pursue a class-action lawsuit against the company, a panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled &#8230...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

‘Synthetic’ Agents? Lemonade Says Finance Deal Limits Cash Burn

Late last week, Lemonade announced a financial agreement to borrow 80% of the costs it incurs to acquire insurance customers from a venture firm. The insurtech carrier revealed the deal in a media statement and several social media messages. The &#82...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Twitter Accused of Ducking a Fight Over Musk’s Mass Layoffs

Twitter Inc. is refusing to engage in arbitration with ex-employees who were fired when Elon Musk took over the company after pushing them to use that process to resolve claims that they weren’t paid, didn’t get promised severance, or wer...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Fla. High Court: 2-Year Statute of Repose Applies, Even in Liability Insurance Suits

A Florida Supreme Court decision has put to rest some questions about whether a statute of limitations on lawsuits can be extended just because the insurance carrier is a party being sued. It cannot, the court held last week in …

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Know the Plaintiff Side Through Data, Drive Down Litigation Costs

One of the most significant challenges facing property and casualty (P&C) insurers is the sheer volume of unstructured data from various sources needed to make informed decisions. The claims process is complex, often involving multiple parties, v...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Using Forklift to Tow Vehicle at Night Not Covered by Shop’s Liability Policy – MS Court

Using the boss’ forklift to tow a personal vehicle to a welding shop at night is not work-related and is not covered by a Penn-Star Insurance commercial liability policy, the Mississippi Supreme Court has decided. “The trial court’s...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Top Global Business Risks and Their Effects on the Insurance Industry

This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. Exploring the Top Global Business Risks of 2023 and Their Effects on the Insurance Industry Earlier this year, international corporate insurance carrier Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (A...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Activists Challenge Legacy Admissions at Harvard as Unfair to Minority Students

A civil rights group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the mostly white children of alumni. The practice of giving priority to the children...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Maryland AG Settles With CarMax for Allegedly Failing to Disclose Open Recalls

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown reported that his consumer protection unit has reached a settlement with used car retailer CarMax, Inc. over its alleged failure to disclose open safety recalls on the used vehicles it offered and sold. The...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Car Crashes Into New Hampshire Restaurant, Injures Dozens

A car crashed into a busy New Hampshire restaurant and injured more than a dozen patrons inside, authorities said. The vehicle struck the Looney Bin Bar & Grill a little after 12:40 p.m. Sunday and came to a stop well …

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Virginia High School Admissions Case May Prompt Next Affirmative Action Ruling

A federal appeals court’s ruling last month about the admissions policy at an elite public high school in Virginia may provide a vehicle for the U.S. Supreme Court to flesh out the intended scope of its ruling Thursday banning affirmative &#823...

Posted: Jul 05, 2023

Truck Driver Who Triggered Deadly Arizona Freeway Collision Had Just Been on Tiktok

A tractor-trailer driver was on the social media app TikTok just before causing a Phoenix-area freeway collision that killed five people, authorities said. The Arizona Department of Public Safety announced in a news release that 36-year- old Danny G....

Posted: Jul 04, 2023

Mercury Offering New Homeowners and Renters Coverages and Discounts in Nevada

Los Angeles, Calif.-based Mercury Insurance announced five new coverages and five new discounts available for homeowners and renters in Nevada. Mercury’s new coverages provide additional insurance protections with an option for environmentally-...

Posted: Jul 04, 2023

Thousands of Southern California Hotel Workers Strike, Demanding Better Pay and Benefits

Thousands of hotel workers in Southern California walked off the job on Sunday, demanding higher pay and better benefits in what the union is calling the largest strike in its history. Cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen and front d...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023

TWIA Committee to Review 2023 Rate Adequacy at July Meeting

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) Actuarial and Underwriting Committee will meet July 11 to review the association’s 2023 rate adequacy analysis. TIWA’s rate analysis for 2023 indicates that current rates are inadequate by...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023

Risk Strategies Acquires Ohio’s First Insurance Group

Risk Strategies and Premier Financial Corporation announced that Risk Strategies has acquired Ohio-based First Insurance Group from Premier Financial Corp., (Nasdaq: PFC), a community banking and financial services holding company based in Defiance,...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023

Florida Injury Attorney Arrested in Homicide of his Father in Boca Raton

A south Florida injury attorney, suspended from practice this year over alleged financial irregularities, has been charged with murdering his father, Boca Raton lawyer Paul Labiner. News outlets and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023

NCOIL Writes IRS, FTC on Rules it Says Infringe State Regulation

The National Council of Insurance Legislators last week urged the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Trade Commission to reconsider proposed rules that the organization said encroaches on state regulation. The first of the letters from NCOIL ad...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023

People Moves: BindDesk Insurance Services in California Names Young President

BindDesk Insurance Services, headquartered in San Diego, Calif., named Robert Young president. Young has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Young led the startups of two wholesale operations, Magellan Insurance Services and V...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023

Western Heat Wave Ahead of July 4th Raises Prompts Changes in Utah

Extremely hot, dry conditions forecast across much of the West through the Fourth of July are heightening concerns about wildfires and the dangers of fireworks, including in Salt Lake City where officials are replacing their traditional explosive ext...

Posted: Jul 03, 2023