» Number of Wildfires Down in Louisiana Over 10-Year Period
20/08/19 00:57 from Insurance Journal
The number of wildfires in Louisiana has dropped significantly over the past decade, agriculture and forestry officials say. According to records, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) firefighters battled and suppressed 1,638 wildfires in 2008. In 2018, LDAF firefighters …
» 2019 Planting Season Is Ohio’s Worst Weather Weather-Wise, USDA Says
20/08/19 00:41 from Insurance Journal
U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers show Ohio farmers have been hit with the state’s worst weather-prevented planting season on record. The Columbus Dispatch reports the data released this week shows Ohio had the highest rate nationally of acreage on which …
» West Bend Mutual Insurance Promotes Dunn, Ertmer, Jacques, Schwalen and Tighe
20/08/19 00:28 from Insurance Journal
West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. in West Bend, Wisconsin, has promoted five company executives. Heather Dunn is now senior vice president, as well as chief financial officer, a position she’s held since 2017. Dunn joined West Bend in 2008 as …
» Michigan Manufacturing Facility Fined $32.5K After Worker’s Death
20/08/19 00:22 from Insurance Journal
A suburban Detroit manufacturing facility has been fined after the death of an employee who fell into vat of sulfuric acid. The Detroit News reports the $32,500 fine was issued by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which completed …
» Lawsuit Accuses E-Cigarettes Makers of Targeting Kids, Deceiving Consumers
20/08/19 00:00 from Insurance Journal
E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. and Philip Morris USA Inc. were sued for illegally marketing nicotine-delivery devices to minors and deceiving consumers about the risks of vaping. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 19-year-old, Christian Foss, who says …
» Putin Vows Russian Nuclear Accident That Killed 5 Scientists Poses No Further Risk
20/08/19 00:00 from Insurance Journal
President Vladimir Putin said there’s no risk from the explosion at a Russian military facility that caused a radiation spike and killed at least five people. “There’s no threat there and no increase in the background” radiation following the blast, …
» Citing Wealth Gap, Business Roundtable CEOs Say Social Responsibility Matters
20/08/19 00:00 from Insurance Journal
Corporate America is responsible for providing economic benefits to all, not just its investors, the Business Roundtable group said on Monday. The group’s “statement of corporate purpose” was signed by the heads of more than 180 U.S. companies, including the …
» Blank Rome Adds Calkins, Rylaarsdam and Edri in California
20/08/19 00:00 from Insurance Journal
Blank Rome LLP has added Mary Craig Calkins, a partner, Daniel H. Rylaarsdam, of counsel, and Sarah L. Edri as an associate along with additional professional staff to the firm’s insurance recovery group. Calkins, Rylaarsdam and Edri are based in …
» IICF Awards $50K Grant to California Fire Foundation for Victims
19/08/19 15:45 from Insurance Journal
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s Western Division presented a $50,000 grant to the California Fire Foundation’s Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency program on Aug. 16. The grant is to support Californians in need in the immediate aftermath of natural …
» Abry Partners Agrees to Acquire Portfolio in California from Capital Z
19/08/19 12:13 from Insurance Journal
Abry Partners has agreed to acquire Lake Forest, Calif.-based Portfolio Holding Inc. from Capital Z Partners LP. The deal is subject to normal and customary closing conditions. Terms were not disclosed. All of Portfolio’s current management team will remain in …
» Best Agencies to Work For Award Nominations Open. Submit Today!
19/08/19 11:22 from Insurance Journal
Do you love your agency? Is your agency a Best Place to Work? Then don’t wait – nominate your agency today as a “Best Agency to Work For” in 2019. You must be a current employee of the agency you …
» PG&E Shares Dive on Risk of up to $18B in Wildfire Lawsuit Costs
19/08/19 11:12 from Insurance Journal
PG&E Corp. shares plunged Monday after a judge ruled that a jury can determine whether it should pay as much as $18 billion in damages to wildfire victims. The California utility giant fell as much 28%, to $10.22, at 9:35 …
» Underwriters Get Picky and Other Trends in Construction Insurance
19/08/19 10:50 from Insurance Journal
Construction insurance specialists say their insurance market is strong with plenty of capacity and underwriters competing for the best accounts. According to specialists interviewed by Insurance Journal for their assessment of the market, the boom in the construction business has …
» AI-Underwritten Insurance Premiums to Go From $1.3B to $20B Globally by 2024: Juniper
19/08/19 09:53 from Insurance Journal
The value of global insurance premiums underwritten by artificial intelligence will exceed $20 billion by 2024, up from an estimated $1.3 billion in 2019, according to new data from Juniper Research. This growth will be driven by streamlined underwriting processes, …
» Arch Insurance to Buy Coastal Commercial Property MGU Ventus Risk Management
19/08/19 09:28 from Insurance Journal
Arch Insurance North America has agreed to acquire Ventus Risk Management, a technology and analytics-driven managing general underwriter that specializes in providing coastal commercial property insurance solutions to small and mid-sized enterprises. Ventis, founded in 2016, has 30 employees and …
» Court Says PG&E Has Sole Right to Submit Bankruptcy Plan
19/08/19 09:24 from Insurance Journal
A federal judge has allowed PG&E Corp. to retain the sole rights to propose a plan to exit bankruptcy, as he rejected efforts by investors to put forward competing plans, according to court documents. Judge Dennis Montali of the U.S. …
» Vaping Firms Sue Seeking to Further Delay FDA Review of e-Cigarettes
19/08/19 08:42 from Insurance Journal
A vaping industry group sued the U.S. government last week to delay an upcoming review of thousands of e-cigarettes on the market. The legal challenge by the Vapor Technology Association is the latest hurdle in the Food and Drug Administration’s …
» Montana health insurance marketplace: history and news of the state’s exchange
19/08/19 08:38 from healthinsurance.org
Montana's exchange has three insurers offering plans. For 2019, the average rate increase was about 5.7 percent. But Montana has received federal approval for a reinsurance program, and as a result, insurers have proposed an average rate decrease of more than 10% for 2020.
» Alabama High School Closed After Students Sickened
19/08/19 08:28 from Insurance Journal
Eight students from a south Alabama high school are suffering elevated levels of carbon monoxide, and officials are trying to determine why. News outlets report that New Brockton High School canceled classes Friday after the students became ill on Thursday. …
» At Least 17 Injured in Kentucky Crash Between Truck and Greyhound Bus
19/08/19 08:24 from Insurance Journal
A fire department in Kentucky says a collision between a commercial truck and a Greyhound bus has left at least 17 people injured. WKYT-TV reports Greyhound bus 1104 traveling from Atlanta to Cincinnati when it crashed Thursday afternoon around 4:30 …