Third Time’s No Charm as Insurance Agent Is Charged Again
A grand jury for Baltimore County has handed down an indictment charging Michael C. Okolo, of Parkville, Maryland, with theft of property valued at $100,000 or more. This is the third time since September 2024 that Okolo has been indicted …
Kentucky Allows Unlicensed Adjusters in Three Counties After Storms Batter State
Unlicensed adjusters can work in three Kentucky counties once they register on temporary basis, the state’s insurance commissioner decreed after wind events caused serious damage in the northern part of the state. “The commissioner is allowing temporary registration for unlicensed, …
Alabama Lawmakers Approve Ban on Machine-Gun Conversion Devices
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday approved a ban on Glock switches and other conversion devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns, after a deadly year that included multiple mass shootings. A bipartisan coalition pushed the Alabama …
Transportation Firm Faces Fines, Remediation Costs for Connecticut Oil Tanker Spill
Soundview Transportation faces a series of penalties and payments totaling $350,000 over a November 2022 oil tanker accident in Norfolk, Connnecticut, announced state Attorney General William Tong. In addition to the penalties, Soundview has take responsibility for the ongoing remediation …
Hyundai, Kia’s Anti-Theft Measures Fuel Steep Dip in US Vehicle Thefts
Vehicle thefts in the United States recorded their biggest yearly drop in four decades as automakers, mainly Hyundai and Kia, bolstered anti-theft measures, while easing supply chain constraints made stealing vehicles for parts less lucrative. Hyundai and Kia cars topped …
Share Offering for Brazil’s Caixa Seguridade Totals $216 Million
A secondary share offering for Brazilian insurance firm Caixa Seguridade was priced at 14.75 reais per share, the company said in a securities filing on Thursday, with the deal totaling about 1.22 billion reais ($216 million). The offering was made …
Allianz, Jio Financial Said to Reach Initial Deal for India Joint Venture
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Financial Services Ltd., has reached a preliminary agreement with Allianz SE to form an insurance business in India, according to people familiar with the matter. The move comes as the German insurer agreed earlier this week …
London’s IUA Names Jones as Chief Executive, Succeeding Matcham
The International Underwriting Association (IUA), the group representing London companies that provide international and wholesale re/insurance, has named Chris Jones as chief executive, succeeding Dave Matcham. Jones will formally take up his responsibilities on May 1, 2025 in response to …
Med-Mal Insurer ProAssurance to Go Private After $1.3B Purchase by The Doctors Co.
The Doctors Company said it has entered an agreement to acquire ProAssurance Corp. for $1.3 billion, taking the company private. Birmingham, Alabama-headquartered ProAssurance is a specialty insurer with expertise in medical liability, products liability for medical technology and life sciences, …
Judge Declines to Force FEMA to Release Funds to Upgrade US Emergency Alert System
A federal judge on Monday declined to force the Trump administration to immediately reimburse dozens of public broadcasting stations for upgrades to the nation’s emergency alert system. The nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency last …
Automakers, Tech Industry Urge Trump to Speed Self-Driving Car Deployment
Major automakers and tech groups on Tuesday called on the Trump administration to take steps to speed deployment of self-driving cars, citing a number of regulatory hurdles. The Alliance For Automotive Innovation, a group representing nearly all major automakers, in …
JD Power: Customers Not Happy With Carrier Property Claims Service
Higher premiums and longer wait times make property owners less satisfied with their insurers. These not-very-surprising results from J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study align with today’s climate of increasingly longer claim cycle times and higher costs for …
Homeowners Have Post-Loss Duties Too, Florida Appeals Court Says in HCI Win
Florida insurers, often on the receiving end of insureds’ complaints – in the courts and in the news media – may take heart from a new ruling by a Florida appeals court, which draws a bold line under insureds’ responsibilities …
People Moves: Alabama DOI Names Boswell Accounting Director
The Alabama Department of Insurance has named Nicole Boswell accounting director. Boswell, with the department since 2008, previously was accounting manager of financial operations and assistant financial officer for the department. She has overseen the department’s budget, accounts payable, cash …
$25M for California Worker Safety, Including Support for LA Fire Recovery Workers
The California Department of Industrial Relations made available $25 million in funding for the California Workplace Outreach Project to support 89 community-based organizations across the state. This initiative is intended to promote workplace safety and educate workers about their rights. …
Survivor Advocates Criticize New York Top Court’s Dismissal of Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
A lawsuit against New York alleging sexual abuse decades ago was tossed out by the state’s top court Tuesday because it lacked specific information, drawing criticism from advocates concerned about setting unrealistically high standards for survivors to recall traumatic events. …
Another Raw Pet Food Recall Is Tied to Illness And Death in Cats
A California pet food maker has recalled its raw chicken products after they were linked to bird flu infections in two cats and suspected in a third in New York City. The recall is the latest in recent months tied …
Update: Spain Braces for More Downpours After Floods Kill Three People
Spain is bracing for another round of torrential rains after flooding forced home evacuations, washed away cars and killed at least three people this week in the southern region of Andalusia. Authorities in Spain and Portugal issued amber alerts for …
Finland Ranks World’s Happiest Again With US at Worst-Ever Level
Finland’s unbroken streak as the world’s happiest country continued for an eighth year while the US fell to 24th place, its lowest-ever level in the global ranking. Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the Netherlands rounded out the top five in the …
People Moves: Marsh Promotes Barnes as Global Head of Energy & Power, Herring as Team’s Chair
People Moves: Marsh Promotes Barnes as Global Head of Energy & Power, Herring as Team’s Chair Marsh, the insurance brokerage business of Marsh McLennan, announced the appointment of Amy Barnes as global head of Energy & Power, effective immediately. Based …