Insurance Journal

UN Says U.S. Concerns Have Led to Insurers Quitting Climate Alliance

The United Nations Environment Programme on Wednesday said “recent discussions within the United States” had been behind four insurance firms quitting a UN-convened alliance aimed at reducing carbon emissions in recent months. Republican...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Brown & Brown Agrees to Buy UK Parent of Nexus Underwriting, Xenia Broking

Brown & Brown Inc., the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based broker, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kentro Capital Ltd. in the UK. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to certain closing …

Posted: May 24, 2023

Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Florida’s Ken Brown Brokerage

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the global insurance brokerage and consulting firm, said it has acquired Florida-based Insurance by Ken Brown Inc., a retail broker specializing in coverage for construction and swimming pool companies in the Southeaste...

Posted: May 24, 2023

White House Takes New Steps to Study AI Risks, Determine Impact on Workers

The White House said on Tuesday it would ask workers how their employers use artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor them, as it allocates federal investments in the technology, which is expected to change the nature of work. The White House …

Posted: May 24, 2023

2 Arkansas Teens Killed After Being Struck by Train While Walking on Tracks

CABOT, Ark. (AP) – Two teenagers have died after being struck by a train while walking on the tracks near a park in a central Arkansas town. Liam Harrison and Charlie Elliott, both 16, died in Cabot on Saturday evening, …

Posted: May 24, 2023

TWIA Finalizes Funding for 2023 Storm Season

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Board of Directors met in Austin Tuesday to finalize financial preparations for the 2023 storm season. The Board previously established $4.5 billion as the association’s 1:100 probable maximum loss for...

Posted: May 24, 2023

U.S. P/C Industry Posts Record Q1 Underwriting Loss: S&P

An analysis from S&P Global Market Intelligence found that the finger can be pointed at personal lines carriers for most of the property/casualty industry underwriting red ink during the first quarter. The U.S. P/C industry posted its first and l...

Posted: May 24, 2023

New England Health Insurer Still Dealing With Ransomware Attack

Point32Health, the parent company of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, is still dealing with a ransomware attack it first reported on April 17. The company has now disclosed that patient information has been stolen. The Massachusetts...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Facebook Owner Meta Starts Final Round of Layoffs

Meta Platforms Inc started carrying out the last batch of a three-part round of layoffs on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter, as part of a plan announced in March to eliminate 10,000 roles. Meta in March …

Posted: May 24, 2023

Alabama Couple Charged with Dumping Oil Over 33 Miles of Road, Creating a Hazard

An Alabama couple has been arrested after authorities said they dumped oil over 33 miles of road around Decatur, in the northern part of the state. The news outlet AL.com reported that crews in Lawrence County had to spread 37 …

Posted: May 24, 2023

AXA Venture Partners to Raise €1.5 Billion Fund for Investments in Tech Startups

AXA Venture Partners announced a new €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) late-stage fund to invest in European and North American tech startups, targeting companies that expect to go public within three to four years. French insurance company AXA SA, AVP&#82...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Time Lag Does Not End Insurer’s Duty to Defend, Court Rules

A federal court in New York has reiterated that a time lag between the date a trip-and-fall accident occurred and when the conduct alleged to have caused it took place does not itself relieve an insurer of its duty to …

Posted: May 24, 2023

Partial Crane Collapse at Atlanta Construction Site Injures Four

Four people were injured when a crane partially collapsed at a construction site in Atlanta, police said. Police and firefighters rushed Monday to the site in the city’s Midtown area. The four people who were hurt were taken to a …

Posted: May 24, 2023

Special Report: How U.S. Doctors Buy Their Way Out of Trouble

When federal enforcers alleged in 2015 that New York surgeon Feng Qin had performed scores of medically unnecessary cardiac procedures on elderly patients, they decided not to pursue a time-consuming criminal case. Instead, prosecutors chose an easie...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Ryan Specialty to Acquire Socius Insurance

Ryan Specialty said it has signed a definite agreement to buy national wholesale broker Socius Insurance Services from Abry Partners, employees, and other shareholders. Socius will become a part of RT Specialty, Ryan Specialty’s wholesale distr...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Analysis – EU Power Battle Could Hamper Proposed Safeguards for Financial Products

European Union plans to increase protections for consumers of financial services are reigniting a long-simmering power battle between national and EU regulators that could hamper how the tougher safeguards will be enforced. The European Commission, t...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Update: Activist Investor Cevian Sells Entire Stake in UK Insurer Aviva

Activist investor Cevian Capital has sold down its entire stake in British insurer Aviva, ending its campaign to drive up investor payouts at the FSTE 100 company. Cevian said in a statement that Amanda Blanc and her management team had …

Posted: May 24, 2023

Activist Investor Cevian Sells Almost Entire Stake in Aviva, Insurer Reveals

Activist investor Cevian Capital has sold almost its entire stake in British insurer Aviva, a spokesperson for the FTSE 100 company said on Wednesday. Cevian’s position in Aviva has fallen from more than 150 million shares at the peak in &#8230...

Posted: May 24, 2023

How Much Should Insurers Trust AI Chatbots?

Whether it’s underwriting, claims or customer service, it seems that artificial intelligence is top of mind for the insurance industry right now. William Bennett, partner at law firm Saxe, Doernberger & Vita, said on this episode of The Ins...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Ohio Resin Manufacturer Fined $171K for Exposing Workers to Respiratory Hazards

In certain concentrations, flammable vapors can ignite, leading to powerful explosions and leaving workers seriously injured or worse. For workers manufacturing plastic resin, the high heat used in the production process increases the risks. Despite...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Wisconsin Republicans Propose $125M to Combat PFAS Pollution

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Republicans on Thursday announced plans to put $125 million aside to combat pollution from so-called forever chemicals, putting off a decision on what exactly to spend the money on. The influx of money to deal &#8...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Minneapolis to Pay $700K Settlement With Family Members Detained While Police Killed Their Father

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The city of Minneapolis has agreed to a $700,000 settlement with family members who were locked inside two squad cars when police killed their father after officers refused their offers to try and help calm him down. …

Posted: May 24, 2023

Bill Would Offer Crop Insurance Discount to Farmers Who Plant Cover Crops

A bipartisan bill proposed by federal lawmakers would provide farmers a discount on crop insurance premiums by planting cover crops. The Conversation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience (COVER) Act, proposed last week by Sen. Sherrod Bro...

Posted: May 24, 2023

Carroll Adds Trump’s Post-Verdict Remarks to Defamation Case, Seeks at Least $10M

E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who won a $5 million sexual abuse and defamation award against former President Donald Trump, is seeking at least $10 million more in a court filing Monday that seeks to hold him liable for …

Posted: May 24, 2023

The Startling Cost of Technical Debt in Insurance

Concerns over cost are a common culprit when it comes to choosing business as usual over making changes or improvements to outdated technology and processes. Thinking the cost of implementing modern solutions will be far greater than the cost of &#82...

Posted: May 24, 2023