Applied Systems, Comulate Spar Over Trade Secret Theft Allegations
Competitors in the insurance technology market are now warring through litigation, with each company bringing hard-hitting allegations against the other. Late last month, insurance software provider Applied Systems sued Comulate on allegations that Comulate created a fake agency to take …
Texas’ Camp Mystic Announces New Safety Upgrades Following Tragic Flood
The owners of an all-girls summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, where 25 campers and two teenage counselors died in catastrophic July 4 flooding, announced plans on Tuesday for new safety upgrades that will be in place when a …
ZestyAI’s Z-Water Approved in Five States
ZestyAI announced that its non-weather water risk model, Z-WATER, has been reviewed and accepted for use in underwriting and rating in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, and Wisconsin. Insurers in these states will now be able to set property-specific rates, align …
King Risk Partners Acquires Ohio’s Arnold Insurance Agency
King Risk Partners announced the acquisition of Arnold Insurance Agency, an independent firm based in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The Arnold Insurance Agency is recognized throughout Ohio as one of the premier providers of construction insurance, small business insurance, personal insurance, risk …
Construction Firm Owner Pleads Guilty to $600K Workers’ Compensation Fraud
The owner of an iron and erection construction company was sentenced this week for underreporting payroll to avoid paying $600,000 in workers’ compensation policy premiums. According to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, business owner Mahendranauth Khargie of Rockville …
Nevada Governor Signs Sweeping Crime Bill as State Seeks to Boost Tourism
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed his sweeping crime package into law over the weekend that will help revive a unique court program that barred offenders of some crimes from the Las Vegas Strip and will stiffen penalties for smash-and-grab robberies, …
Hedge Funds Get Jittery on Prospect of UK’s Noncompete Ban
The UK is reviving a plan to make it easier for employees to switch jobs, putting financial firms on edge, as some of the most controversial non-compete clauses in their hiring contracts come under scrutiny once again. The government published …
Putin Warns of Possible Strikes on Ukrainian Allies’ Ships
Vladimir Putin warned that Russia may consider striking the ships of countries supporting Ukraine if a surge in attacks on Moscow’s tanker fleet doesn’t halt.”What the Ukrainian armed forces are doing now is piracy,” Putin told reporters in Moscow, in …
Hong Kong Races to Remove Scaffolding Nets Blamed for Fueling Deadly Fire
Hong Kong authorities rushed on Thursday to remove mesh netting on all buildings undergoing renovation across the city after the material was blamed for fanning a blaze last week that has killed at least 159 people. The government late on …
People Moves: Flagg Reappointed to Texas Mutual Insurance Company Board
Brett Flagg, of Frisco, Texas, has been reappointed to the Texas Mutual Insurance Company board of directors by Gov. Greg Abbott. His board term for Texas Mutual—a policyholder-owned company and the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance—is set to …
The World’s Plastic Glut Is Set to Get Much Worse by 2040, Study Finds
Despite clear evidence that plastic is clogging oceans and beaches and breaking down into microplastics that enter our bodies, humans are continuing to produce the material at accelerating rates. The result: Global plastic pollution will hit 280 million metric tons …
Deadly Floods’ $20 Billion Toll Shows Asia’s Rising Climate Risk
Devastating floods have killed more than 1,300 people and caused at least $20 billion in losses since late last month across parts of South and Southeast Asia, underscoring the increasing risks from climate change and extreme weather for the region’s …
FEMA Puts Whistleblowers Back on Leave After Reinstatements
Days after reinstating a group of Federal Emergency Management Agency employees who raised concerns about the government’s disaster preparedness, federal officials have placed those whistleblowers back on administrative leave. The move comes hours after CNN first reported the return to …
People Moves: Neumann Appointed Howden US Financial Lines Claims Leader
Howden, with U.S. headquarters in Miami, Florida, appointed Elizabeth Neumann as executive vice president, financial lines claims leader. Neumann will be based in New York. Neumann joins Howden from CAC Specialty, where she spent the last two years as CAC’s …
Surveys Show Concerns About Florida Market, But Consumers Are Warming Up
New surveys of Florida homeowners show continued concerns about property insurance, premiums and hurricanes, but policyholders seem to be breathing a little easier in recent months. A poll by Florida Atlantic University found that 49% of respondents are concerned about …
Trump Outlines Plan to Unwind Biden-Era Car Mileage Mandates
President Donald Trump unveiled his administration’s plan to relax stringent Biden-era fuel efficiency standards, casting the change as a way to lower consumer costs. “Today my administration is taking historic action to lower costs for American consumers, protect American auto …
People Movers Still in Use at Dulles Airport Despite Recent Crashes
People movers will continue darting across Dulles International Airport for years to come, despite recent incidents that have revived safety questions for passengers who use them. At the Nov. 19 meeting of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) board of …
Keen Appointed Oregon Insurance Commissioner
T.K. Keen has been named Oregon’s insurance commissioner following a period serving as an interim commissioner. Keen, who has been acting insurance commissioner since being promoted in late May, was appointed to the role by Oregon Department of Consumer and …
Viewpoint: Prudent or Not, an Insured’s Extra Expense Must Be Strictly ‘Necessary’
In a well-reasoned recent opinion, an Illinois appellate court strictly construed a cyber policy, ruling that reasonable—but contractually unnecessary—payments made by an insured following a cyberattack did not constitute insured “extra expense.” While the decision is designated as “unpublished,” it …
Instacart Sues New York City Over Worker Pay, Tipping Laws
Instacart sued New York City on Tuesday, seeking to block enforcement of five laws affecting the grocery delivery company, including higher minimum pay for app-based workers and greater disclosures to customers about tipping. According to a complaint filed in Manhattan …