Denmark to Intensify Scrutiny of Russia Shadow-Fleet Tankers
Denmark will ramp up inspections of ships transporting Russian oil through its narrow straits, in an effort to protect the environment and maritime safety from older vessels in Moscow’s shadow fleet. The Danish Maritime Authority will start conducting so-called Port …
Slower Growth but Surplus Lines Premiums Still Up 12% in 2024
The excess and surplus lines market continued to grow in 2024, with premium reaching more than $81 billion, according to annual reports from 15 state stamping offices released by the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA). 2024 premiums reflected a …
13 US P/C Companies Impaired in 2023: AM Best
Thirteen U.S. property/casualty companies became impaired in 2023, 10 of which were placed into insolvent liquidation, according to an AM Best report. The insurance company impairments identified in the U.S. property/casualty industry in 2023 follow six reported impairments in 2022. …
North Carolina Insurance Chief Reports Arrests in Deer, Storm Claims
A Charlotte man has been arrested on a felony charge of insurance fraud for allegedly falsely claiming to an insurer that his car was hit by a deer, according to North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. Causey’s Department of Insurance’s …
NC Rate Bureau Wants 23% Hike in Auto Insurance Rates
The North Carolina Rate Bureau, basing its filing on input from insurers in the state, has requested a 22.6% average increase in auto insurance rates, starting Oct. 1. The state insurance commissioner will have input and, if previous rate changes …
Washington Insurance Agent Charged With Stealing $424K in Premiums
A King County, Washington, judge issued a bench warrant a former Seattle insurance agent charged with stealing more than $400,000 in premiums from his clients. Edward Hadley was charged with nine counts of first-degree theft following investigations by the Washington …
Designs for New Baltimore Bridge Unveiled Almost a Year After Deadly Collapse
Almost a year after the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland officials on Tuesday unveiled their designs for its replacement, which will be taller and better protected against ship strikes. Construction of the state’s first cable-stayed bridge …
Startup Accused of Gouging LA Fire Victims on Rent
A venture capital-backed startup illegally jacked up rents for furnished apartments in Los Angeles — more than 50% in one example — after last month’s wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, the city attorney’s office alleged in a lawsuit. Blueground …
People Moves: Coleman Assumes Role as WCIRB President and CEO
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) named Andrea Coleman as president and CEO. Coleman joined the WCIRB in May 2022 as executive vice president and chief operating officer, providing oversight across several operational areas, including finance, human …
Uber Avoids Liability for Driver’s Assault on Passenger
Uber Technologies “is not an insurer” and so when one of its drivers assaults a rider, the ride-hailing company is “not automatically liable,” a federal judge in Philadelphia wrote in dismissing claims against Uber brought by a passenger who was …
Allstate Q4 Income Up 30% Despite High Hurricane-Related Losses
Allstate Corp. fourth quarter net income applicable to common shareholders increased 30% to about $1.9 billion, and the insurer finished 2024 with net income of $4.6 billion compared to a loss of $316 million the prior year. Results for the …
Hub Acquires Missouri-Based Lindenwood Agency
Hub announced that it has acquired the assets of Lindenwood Agency, Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Located in St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood Agency is one of the largest independent insurance agencies in St. Charles and has been …
Emails Reveal Extent of Saints’ Intervention for Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis
As New Orleans church leaders braced for the fallout from publishing a list of predatory Catholic priests, they turned to an unlikely ally: the front office of the city’s NFL franchise. What followed was a monthslong, crisis-communications blitz orchestrated by …
Trump Plans to Attend Super Bowl, Further Tightening Security
Federal law enforcement agencies are rolling out one of the most extensive Super Bowl security operations in recent history, following the deadly New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans. Adding to precautions, the Secret Service is also now making …
Lawsuit Blames Deaths on Ohio Train Derailment
A lawsuit alleging for the first time that people died because of the disastrous 2023 East Palestine train derailment was announced on Monday’s second anniversary of the toxic crash near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border amid a flurry of new litigation. On …
Global Commercial Insurance Rates Drop in Q4 for 2nd Consecutive Quarter: Marsh
Global commercial insurance rates fell 2% in the fourth quarter of 2024 following a 1% decline in Q3 2024 – marking the second consecutive quarterly decrease following seven years of rising rates, according to the Global Insurance Market Index published …
USAA Becomes 3rd Insurer to Report $1B-Plus in Claims So Far for LA Wildfires
USAA has paid out more than $1 billion for the Los Angeles wildfires, making it the third insurer to report $1 billion or more in payouts for the destructive blazes that burned thousands of properties. The company, which is among …
People Moves: DOXA Expands Executive Leadership Team; JM Wilson Promotes Boles to Senior Personal Lines Underwriter
DOXA Expands Executive Leadership Team DOXA, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, hired five new executive leadership team members. Matt Bishop joined the team as head of operating entities and business verticals. He has nearly 20 years of insurance leadership experience, …
Aon, Floodbase, Swiss Re Team on Parametric Storm Surge Solution for US Hurricane
Aon plc said it has launched a new parametric insurance solution designed to address and mitigate commercial losses from hurricane-related storm surge along the coast of the U.S. Developed with parametric flood insurance provider Floodbase and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, …
Markel Reorgs Professional Liability Products
Special insurer Markel said it is realigning its U.S. professional liability products into four pillars: management liability, errors & omissions (E&O), cyber, and financial institutions. “After careful consideration and evaluation, we believe this streamlined underwriting approach will lead to improved …