Inszone Acquires J.B. Martin Insurance Agencies in New Mexico
Inszone Insurance Services acquired J.B. Martin Insurance Agencies in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This acquisition bolsters Inszone’s presence in the Southwest. Since its establishment in 1981, John Bradley Martin and his team have built J.B. Martin Insurance Agencies to provide a …
Construction Insurtech Shepherd in California Raises $13.5M in Series A Funding
San Francisco, California-based insurtech Shepherd announced it raised a $13.5 million Series A funding round led by Costanoa Ventures with participation from Intact Ventures, Era Ventures, Greenlight Re and Spark Capital. The company says it will utilize the funds to …
Judge Tosses Suit by Estate of Employee Killed in Crash After Mandatory Wine Tasting
A Connecticut judge has tossed a lawsuit by the estate of a woman who was killed in a crash while driving intoxicated following a mandatory wine tasting at the restaurant that employed her. The estate brought claims of common law …
Maine Gov. Mills Nominates Consultant Carey to Be Superintendent of Insurance
Maine Governor Janet Mills has nominated Robert L. Carey of East Boothbay, who has advised state regulators and lawmakers on health insurance issues for decades, to serve as Superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance. Prior to establishing his own …
Court Orders Sports Bar, Owner to Pay $359K for Retaliating Against Employees
A federal court has ordered a Milford, Connecticut, sports bar and its owner to pay employees a total of $359,485 in back pay, emotional distress damages, withheld compensation and punitive damages for violating labor and safety law anti-retaliation provisions. The …
People Moves: Across American Names Barr CFO/CTO; Sobel Joins Aspire in California
Barr Named CFO/CTO at Across America Insurance Leah Barr joined commercial transportation insurance wholesaler Across America Insurance, headquartered in Riverside, Calif., as chief financial and technology officer. A 20-year insurance industry veteran, Barr was previously technology manager in the premium …
Lubbock, Texas to Vote on Marijuana Despite Attorney General Lawsuit
LUBBOCK — An effort to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Lubbock is moving forward, despite Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suing five cities this week for doing the same. Lubbock Compact, the organization behind the proposed initiative, …
Chicago Children’s Hospital Forced to Take Networks Offline After Cyberattack
CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago children’s hospital has been forced to take its networks offline after an unspecified cyberattack, limiting access to medical records and hampering communication by phone or email since the middle of last week. The situation at …
People Moves: Grange Insurance Names Welch VP, Commercial Lines Underwriting
Grange Insurance Company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, named Kyle Welch vice president of commercial lines underwriting for the East region covering Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia, effective Feb. 12. Welch has 17 years of experience in the …
People Moves: Gonzales joins Marsh as Houston Energy Hub and Office Leader
Marsh, a business of Marsh McLennan headquartered in New York, announced today that Susan Gonzales has joined the firm as its Houston energy hub and office leader. In this dual role, Gonzales will lead a team of more than 70 …
Muddy Waters Shorts Canada Insurer Fairfax Financial, Alleging Asset Value Manipulation
Short seller Muddy Waters has placed bets against the shares of Canadian insurer Fairfax Financial alleging manipulation in its asset values. Shares of the property and casualty insurer sank 12% on Thursday, and set for their worst drop since Sept. …
Supreme Court in UBS Case Makes it Easier for Whistleblowers to Win Suits
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday made it easier for financial sector whistleblowers to win lawsuits accusing companies of unlawfully firing them as retaliation for disclosing wrongdoing, rejecting a bid by Switzerland’s UBS Group to impose a higher bar. The …
NC Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Comp Fraud After Photos Show Him Ziplining
A 73-year-old postal worker pleaded guilty this week to more than $100,000 in workers’ compensation fraud after social media postings showed him engaged in rigorous physical activity, including ziplining at Niagara Falls. Johnnie Franklin Sullivan Sr., of Mooresville, North Carolina, …
Markets/Coverages: Corvus Expands Tech E&O; K2 OCONUS Workers Comp for Government Contractors; Xceedance’s MGA Agility Suite
Corvus Insurance introduced a newly expanded Tech E&O product with an enhanced appetite backed by Travelers. Smart Tech E+O from Corvus provides creative risk solutions for technology businesses across the spectrum of size and complexity, including primary and excess policies. …
People Moves: WIND Network Names New Officers, Board Members
The Windstorm Insurance Network, known as WIND, a continuing education organization for adjusters, appraisers and other claims professionals, has installed new officers and board members after its annual conference in Orlando. Wayne Taylor, a plaintiffs’ attorney with Mozley, Finlayson & …
Construction Worker Killed When Foundation of House Being Waterproofed Collapses
The partial collapse of a house foundation was the apparent cause of the death of a 51-year old construction worker in Hanson, Massachusetts on Wednesday morning. The worker, Gerceir Osvaldo DeFaria, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Plymouth …
Two Years After Deadly Tornadoes, Some Kentucky Families Still Waiting for Housing
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Ashley Prince and her family have been chasing “normal” for years now. Two years ago, the tornado that whipped through Mayfield peeled the roof off their rental property “like a band-aid.” She and her fiance Dylan …
Mother of Teen Killed at Mississippi Poultry Factory Sues Company for Negligence
(AP) — The mother of a 16-year-old who died in a workplace accident at a Mississippi poultry factory is suing the companies that hired and employed him, accusing them of failing to follow safety standards that could have prevented his …
January Was World’s Hottest on Record: EU Scientists
The world just experienced its hottest January on record, continuing a run of exceptional heat fueled by climate change, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday. Last month surpassed the previous warmest January, which occurred in …
Chinese Hacking Campaign Aimed at Critical Infrastructure Goes Back 5 Years
An advanced group of Chinese hackers taking aim at U.S. critical infrastructure have been active for as long as half a decade, American and allied intelligence agencies said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The U.S. National Security Agency, U.S. …
Insurance Journal delivers the latest business news for the Property/Casualty insurance industry
Subscribe to Insurance Journal feed