Tips & Guide

NC Governor Waives Weight Limits, Truck Driver Hourly Limits as Winter Storm Hits

With heavy snow and ice on the way, North Carolina’s governor on Tuesday issued an emergency declaration, waiving weight and…

Markets/Coverages: Cyber Portfolio Quoting for US Brokers From CFC; New DUAL Fine Art Coverage Capacity; Falcon Risk’s Pro Liability for Agents, Brokers

CFC Launches Cyber Portfolio Quoting for American Brokers CFC said it has launched a new service to automate quoting for…

Family of Man Killed in Copter-Plane Midair Collision Files $250 Million Claim

The family of a Connecticut man killed in the January 29 collision of an American Airlines plane with a military…

Howden Acquires Forbes Insurance and Hill Aviation in UK

Howden, the London-based global insurance intermediary group, announced the acquisition of aviation specialists Forbes Insurance Ltd., and the acquisition of…

Casualty Reinsurance Still Attractive: Arch Capital CEO

While writing primary casualty insurance is more appealing than writing casualty reinsurance, the chief executive of Arch Capital said casualty…

People Moves: Hamilton Global Specialty Promotes Thorp as Head of Space, Golder as Head of Treaty; QBE Europe Names Yebra as Senior U/W in Transactional Liability Team

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Hamilton Global Specialty and QBE European Operations. A summary of these…

AI ‘Hallucinations’ in Court Papers Spell Trouble for Lawyers

U.S. personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan sent an urgent email this month to its more than 1,000 lawyers:…

Markets/Coverages: Apollo Expands Into Drone Product Liability Cover

Apollo, the London-based insurance group, announced they have expanded their offering into drone product liability. Apollo is providing the capacity…

Bain Capital Backs Israeli AI Cybersecurity Startup Dream at $1.1 Billion Valuation

Dream, an artificial intelligence company that provides cybersecurity services to governments and critical infrastructure operators such as hospitals and utilities,…

Ex-PIMCO Executive to Run World’s First Catastrophe-Bond ETF

Catastrophe bonds, whose returns have consistently trounced those of high-yield debt markets in recent years, are about to become accessible…

Viewpoint: Are Carriers and MGA’s Leaving Revenue on the Table?

Insurance companies spend billions of dollars a year on advertising—and for good reason. With auto insurance mandated in nearly every…

How to Operate in Today’s ‘Bananas’ Casualty Insurance World

Leaders of the casualty insurance practices of a global insurance carrier and a North American specialty brokerage offered insights for…

Harvey Weinstein Alleges Brother, Others Duped Him Over $45M Loan

Jailed and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein alleges in a new lawsuit that his brother, Bob Weinstein, and other executives…

Insurance to Cover Part of Tenn. City’s $28M Settlement Over Botched Rape Case

(AP) — Leaders in Johnson City, Tennessee, have agreed Thursday to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit that said…

Is a Binder Binding? Yes, Says Alabama Supreme Court in Win for Arbitration Clauses

Is a binder binding, even if the property owner never received the insurance policy? Yes, it is, the Alabama Supreme…

Scientists Racing to Discover Depth of Ocean Damage From LA Wildfires

On a recent Sunday, Tracy Quinn drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to assess damage wrought upon the coastline by…

In $17M Suit, Cannabis Grower Claims Nearby Farm’s Pesticides Contaminated Its Crops

A Massachusetts cannabis grower is suing a neighboring berry and vegetable farm for allegedly rendering its entire cannabis harvest unusable…

People Moves: Media Guarantors Names Sutherland SVP, Business Development

Media Guarantors appointed Angus Sutherland as senior vice president of business development and client relationships. Sutherland has more than 20…

Husband Sues Travel Firm Over Wife’s Death in Hippo Attack on Safari

A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa…

Trucordia Acquires Insurance Business of Boater’s Insurance in California

Trucordia acquired the insurance business of Boater’s Insurance Agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. Boater’s Insurance Agency specializes in…

People Moves: HUB International’s Murphy to Lead N.A. Casualty Practice

HUB International Limited (HUB), headquartered in Chicago, appointed Carol Murphy as North American casualty practice leader. Murphy leads development of…

Delaware Bill Would Limit Investor Lawsuits as Companies Consider Exiting State

Delaware lawmakers on Monday proposed changes to the U.S. state’s widely used corporate law that would limit shareholder lawsuits after…

People Moves: Encova Insurance Appoints Two Commercial Lines Leaders

Encova Insurance, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, appointed Dawn Colavecchi as commercial lines regional vice president, and Todd Becker as vice…

Many Nebraskans Still Under Threat of High Nitrate in Drinking Water

In 2023, nearly 29,000 households scattered across rural Nebraska received postcards instructing them how to get their drinking water tested,…

People Moves: OGA Promotes and Makes New Leadership Hires

One General Agency (OGA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, promoted and hired several new team members to leadership positions. OGA promoted…

Tractor-Trailer Accident Kills Driver on on Interstate 20 in Dallas

A fatal accident involving multiple vehicles and a tractor-trailer shut down traffic for a time on a stretch of Interstate…

Crypto Industry Seeks to Cement Political Influence, Mainstream Acceptance

When the Trump administration’s crypto czar, David Sacks, recently held a news conference to announce a new congressional working group…

Virginia Governor Seeks Major Disaster Declaration for Winter Storm Floods

Citing damages and outages caused by dangerous winter storms and flash flooding in parts of Buchanan County and elsewhere over…

Affordable Legal Insurance Now Available in the Personal Lines Marketplace through LawGuard®

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, February 18, 2025 — LawGuard has introduced a new and innovative individual legal expense insurance product…

Trump’s Hiring Freeze Throws Wildfire Fighters Into Disarray

Federal firefighters have found their jobs on the chopping block as a result of US President Donald Trump’s executive orders,…

Norwich Diocese Reaches $31 Million Fund Agreement With Abuse Survivors

The bankrupt Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut and advocates for survivors of clergy sex abuse have reached an agreement…

At Least 8 Killed in Kentucky With Heavy Flooding, Winds in Region

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — At least nine people have died in the most recent round of harsh weather to pummel…

J&J Begins Crucial Battle Over $10 Billion Baby Powder Settlement

Johnson & Johnson faces a critical test on Tuesday over its $10 billion proposal to end litigation alleging that its…

Delta Plane Flips Upside Down in Toronto Landing, 15 Hurt

A Delta Air Lines Inc. regional jet flipped out of control after landing in windy, freezing conditions in Toronto, skidding…

Markets/Coverages: IQUW Launches Ports & Terminals Product

IQUW, the London-based specialty insurer and reinsurer, has launched its new ports and terminals product, reinforcing its position as a…

Texas Braces for Freezing Weather With Wildfire and Flood Risks

Several varieties of extreme weather are forecast for Texas this week as state officials monitor rising wildfire risks in West…

Michigan Insurer In Talks to Settle Lawsuits Over Fired Workers and COVID-19 Vaccine

A major Michigan insurance company is in talks to possibly settle more than 100 lawsuits by employees who were fired…

13 People Arrested in Croatia for Illegally Disposing Hazardous Waste, Europol Says

Thirteen people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste have been arrested in Croatia, the European Union’s law…

SEC Eases Path for Companies to Nix Shareholder Proposals

The Securities and Exchange Commission released new guidelines making it easier for corporations to block votes on shareholder proposals at…

RiverStone Int’l Signs Reinsurance-to-Close Deal With Asta for 2022 Year of Account

RiverStone International, the legacy acquisition company, announced it has signed a reinsurance-to-close contract with Asta Managing Agency, under which the…

Viewpoint: Insurers Risk Losing Out if They Ignore Embedded Insurance Opportunities

Embedded insurance is no longer just an emerging trend; it’s becoming a central strategy for retailers and non-insurance brands looking…

Uber Targets Personal Injury Lawyers in Multimillion Dollar Ad Campaign

Uber Technologies Inc. is pouring millions of dollars into a national ad campaign to push for reforms in insurance policies…

Amazon Workers in North Carolina Vote Against Joining Union

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina rejected a proposal to unionize, becoming the latest group of the company’s…

Some in Helene-Hit North Carolina Embrace Trump’s Talk of Abolishing FEMA

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — Emily Russell remembers feeling hopeful after she managed to get an appointment with the Federal Emergency…

Georgia Governor Wins Support for Tort Reform from 3 Skeptical Senators

ATLANTA (AP) — Three Republican holdouts in the Georgia Senate got on board with Gov. Brian Kemp’s top-priority legislation to…

Your Underwriter Says You Need a CPA-Prepared Statement. What Now? Part II

This post is part of a series sponsored by Old Republic Surety. Construction accounting is complex. Getting guidance on the…

2025 Insurance Carrier Appointment Renewals for Individual Producers

This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. New Year, new resolutions, like growing your distribution channel while…

AI-Assisted BPO: Transforming Submission Automation and RQB for Insurers

This post is part of a series sponsored by Selectsys. In today’s fast-paced insurance landscape, AI-assisted BPO is redefining operational…

Aviva’s India Arm Hit With $7.5 Million Fine for Fake Invoice Scheme, Order Shows

Indian authorities have ordered British insurer Aviva’s local unit to pay $7.5 million in back taxes and penalties after an…

California Insurance Commissioner Rejects State Farm’s 22% Rate Request

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara did not approve an emergency, interim 22% rate request from State Farm, instead calling a…

California Wildfire Mitigation And Recovery Bill Package Introduced

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and a group of state lawmakers are pushing a 10-bill legislative package designed to improve…

Texas County Approves Election for New City Starbase Near SpaceX Site

A Texas county on Wednesday approved holding an election sought by SpaceX that would let residents living around billionaire Elon…

Texas Power Grid Says State’s Energy Demand May Exceed Supply in 2026

Texas’ main grid operator on Thursday forecast that the state’s growing demand for power could surpass its available energy supply…

Peopele Moves: iink Names Fleszar as CEO

iink, a provider of technology to streamline the property damage insurance claims process and support faster payments to contractors, property…

Settlement Reached in North Dakota Lawsuit Against White Nationalist Hate Group

Two North Dakota nonprofits have settled their lawsuit against a white nationalist hate group that alleged it intimidated immigrant business…

Renewal Rates Up YOY for All Commercial Lines Except Workers Comp: Ivans

Premium renewal rates increased year over year for all major commercial lines, except workers’ compensation, according to the January 2025…

Los Angeles Sees Mudslides With Heavy Rains

Heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides in Los Angeles late Thursday and early Friday, as authorities ordered evacuations and warned…

North Carolina Lawmakers Amend Hurricane Helene Recovery Measure

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House members advanced Wednesday a Republican package to boost state recovery funding after Hurricane…

PG&E Needs California’s Help to Calm Investors Post-Fire, CEO Says

PG&E Corp. wants California to promptly shore up the state’s $21 billion insurance fund for utilities that is at risk…

Rare Bipartisan Push for Ban on Machine Gun Conversion in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A bipartisan coalition of mayors, lawmakers and law enforcement in Alabama endorsed a public safety package…

Bird Flu Signs Found in Three Veterinarians Suggest Wider US Spread

Signs of recent bird flu infection were found in three US veterinarians, two of whom had no known prior exposure,…

Virginia Attorney General’s Office Hit by Cyber Attack

Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating a “sophisticated cyberattack” that struck the Richmond offices…

New York’s Top Court Weighs Child Victim Act Lawsuit Standards

Lawyers sparred before New York’s top court Wednesday over how specific a man alleging sexual abuse decades ago needs to…

Powerful Tropical Cyclone Zelia Hits Australia’s Iron Ore Hub

Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall on Australia’s west coast on Friday, the weather bureau said, lashing the world’s largest iron…

Sompo Holdings Restructures Business Into 2 Global Segments

Sompo Holdings Inc., the Tokyo-based insurance holding company, announced it is restructuring its business into two global segments: Sompo Property…

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo Planning to Comply With Trump’s DEI Policy

Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., both government contractors, are preparing to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning diversity,…

Specialty Re/Insurer Convex to Enter Lloyd’s With Syndicate 1984

Convex Group Ltd., the international specialty insurer and reinsurer, announced it has received in-principle approval to launch Lloyd’s Syndicate 1984,…

Markets/Coverages: Mosaic Launches Combined General, Environmental Liability Cover

Mosaic Insurance has launched a combined environmental product that merges primary commercial general liability with a suite of added pollution…

Which Companies Are Pulling Back on Diversity Initiatives?

A growing number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much…

Mexico’s Sheinbaum Threatens to Sue Google Over ‘Gulf of America’ Maps Change

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened a civil lawsuit against Google for renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America…

Trump Hostility to US Offshore Wind Reverberates Through Supply Chain

Companies that committed to investments in U.S. offshore wind infrastructure and supply chains are scrapping their plans as the projects…

Florida-Based The Liberty Company Keeps Growing, Now With $100M Credit Offering

Gainesville, Florida-based The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, calling itself one of the fastest-growing privately held brokerages in the country, is…

Alliant Names Foley VP in Benefits, Based in Tennessee

Alliant Insurance Services, one of the largest U.S. insurance brokers and distributors, has named Connor Foley vice president in its…

Viewpoint: The Recipe for Building a Successful MGA

The managing general agency model is attracting a number of ambitious underwriters keen to step away from established insurers to…

Baltimore Sues Glock Over Handguns Easily Converted to Automatic Weapons

Baltimore is suing gunmaker Glock over design features that allow its handguns to be easily modified to become fully automatic…

Connecticut’s Captive Insurance Industry Keeps Growing

Connecticut continues to grow its captive insurance industry, adding nine new captive insurers in 2024 for a 17% increase over…

People Moves: Moore Joins Woodruff Sawyer as VP, Producer

Julia Moore joined Woodruff Sawyer as a vice president, producer. Moore, who is based in Sacramento, focuses on identifying business…

Insurers Escape Coverage for Parents Accused of Hiding Son’s Murder Weapon

A Pennsylvania husband and wife are not covered by their homeowners or personal umbrella insurance policies for claims they inflicted…

Andover Companies Among Investors in Reinsurance Startup Mereo

The Andover Companies, a long-standing mutual insurance group in the Northeast, is among the investors in Mereo Insurance, a Bermuda-based…

Insurers Have Now Paid out $6.9B for LA Wildfires, Report Shows

Insurance companies have so far paid out more than $6.9 billion for losses from the biggest two of the Los…

Southern California Edison Gear Ignited More Fires in 2024 Than Previous Year

Southern California Edison’s equipment ignited nearly 60% more fires in 2024 than in the previous year, mainly tiny ones that…

Oklahoma Selected as Host for 2029 NAIC Spring National Meeting

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has selected Oklahoma City as the host location for their 2029 Spring National Meeting,…

Fire Erupts Near El Paso Airport, Injuring Five

A fire broke out at a transportation center next to the international airport in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, injuring…

Statewide Computer Outage Disrupts Nebraska Government Operations

A systemwide outage of Nebraska goverment computers shut down everything from the work of the Legislature to driver’s licensing offices…

People Moves: BMS Taps Howden Re’s Biddell as Managing Director and Head of London P/C; MGA DUAL UK Makes 3 Senior Appointments in Underwriting and Distribution

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the broker BMS and the managing general agent DUAL UK. A…

Over 800 File Complaints of Sexual Abuse in Illinois Youth Facilities

Marcus Walker said the sexual abuse he experienced two decades ago as a teenager at an Illinois youth detention facility…

Judge Rules Boston Waited Too Long to Sue Drug Intermediaries Over Opioid Crisis

A federal judge has dismissed the city of Boston’s lawsuit seeking to hold pharmacy benefit managers liable for the opioid…

Financial Firms Hated US Consumer Watchdog, but Rapid Unraveling Creates Limbo

At a JPMorgan townhall meeting on Wednesday, CEO Jamie Dimon was asked whether the Trump administration’s decision to abruptly stop…

Mercury Expects to Lose $1.6B to $2B From LA Wildfires

Although Mercury Insurance Group expects gross losses from the 2025 California wildfires in the $1.6 billion-$2.0 billion range, potential subrogation…

AIG’s Zaffino Talks More on Insurer-Reinsurer Split as $200B Cat Year May Loom

American International Group CEO Peter Zaffino used the insurer’s fourth quarter earnings call to again talk about reinsurance attachments points,…

NC Industrial Commission Grants Benefits to Widow of Officer Killed in Mass Shooting

The family of a Raleigh police officer will receive workers’ compensation survivor benefits, even though the man was not officially…

Insurance Services of New England Adds 8 Connecticut Agencies

Regional independent agency network Insurance Services of New England (ISNE) reported it has expanded into Connecticut with eight additional agencies.…

Ford’s CEO to Warn Lawmakers of ‘Devastating’ Tariff Impact

Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley will travel to Washington on Wednesday to warn members of Congress that…

EU to Propose New 2040 Climate Target for Emissions by End-March

The European Commission will propose a new climate target this quarter, to slash Europe’s emissions by 2040, it said on…

Australia’s Iron Ore Hub Faces Strongest Cyclone Since 2007

Australia’s iron ore hub is bracing for the strongest cyclone to hit the region since at least 2007, threatening port…

New Rules Eyed for Battery Rechargers on Planes After Korean Jet Fire

Air travelers in South Korea may be asked to seal up the ports on their handheld battery rechargers or put…

DeepSeek May Face Further Regulatory Actions, EU Privacy Watchdog Says

DeepSeek may face more actions from national regulators in the future, Europe’s privacy watchdog said on Tuesday [Feb. 11], underscoring…

FEMA to Borrow $2B to Pay Flood Claims After Hurricanes Helene and Milton

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it needs to borrow $2 billion from the U.S. Treasury to cover claims from…

India Is Building a Sanctions-Proof Supply Chain for Russian Oil

Oil refiners in India — eager to keep importing cheap crude from Russia — are working with merchants, shippers and…

These Roads Aren’t Built for Wilder Weather Driven by Climate Change

California’s Highway One, stretching more than 650 miles along the Pacific Coast, is one of America’s most popular roadways because…