Posts by Hometown Insurance
Marsh: Cyber Extortion Reached Record High in US and Canada in 2023
Multiple companies in the U.S. and Canada experienced a record number of cyber extortion events in 2023 and unprecedented demands, a new report from Marsh shows. The report, Ransomware: A persistent challenge in cyber insurance claims, also showed an increasing …
Read More Snowflake to Close Probe Into Cyberattack Targeting Clients
Snowflake Inc. plans to close its own investigation this week into a hacking campaign that ensnared as many as 165 of its customers. The cloud data and analytics company hasn’t detected any unauthorized access into customer accounts since early last …
Read More Analysis: Underwriting Loss Estimates Highlight Continued Challenges for US P/C Industry
The U.S. property/casualty market sustained an estimated $21.1 billion in underwriting losses in 2023, highlighting the challenges the industry faces as a result of natural catastrophes and inflation. According to joint analysis by global data analytics and technology provider Verisk …
Read More California Labor Commissioner Reaches $658K Settlement with Residential Care Facility
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office reached a $658,948 settlement with a Los Angeles residential care facility. The settlement was to compensate 34 workers who were reportedly not paid for all hours worked. The LCO began investigating reports in 2023 that …
Read More Poor Maintenance, Pilot Error Cited in Fatal New Hampshire Plane Crash
Improper maintenance and the pilot’s failure to abort takeoff likely caused a small plane to crash into a building in New Hampshire in 2022, killing both people on board and sparking a fire, the National Transportation Safety Board said in …
Read More Calling All Top Agencies & Agency Partnerships: Enter to Be Recognized Now
It’s that time again! We hope you will consider entering your agency for Insurance Journal’s 2024 Top 100 independent agencies listing and Top Agency Partnerships listing. There are four ways to qualify: Top 100 Independent P/C Agencies Top Commercial Lines …
Read More Former Iowa Insurance Agent Sentenced 19 Years for Defrauding the Elderly
A former Iowa insurance agent and annuity salesman was sentenced to 19 years in prison for defrauding elderly individuals out of their retirement savings. A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced Zach Flaherty, age 47, of Clive, to 222 months for …
Read More Study Finds Higher Levels of Dangerous Chemical Than Expected in SE Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Researchers using high-tech air monitoring equipment rolled through an industrialized stretch of southeast Louisiana in mobile labs and found levels of a carcinogen in concentrations as much as 20 times higher than previously estimated, according to …
Read More Texas Ranchers Face Growing Risk as Abandoned Oil Wells Gush Gassy Water
In recent years, Schuyler Wight has noticed a growing number of abandoned oil wells coming back to life, gurgling fluids on the surface of his West Texas ranch. Last week he found the biggest one yet. Gassy water was gushing …
Read More Four Tops Singer Sues Detroit-Area Hospital for Racial Discrimination
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — The lead singer of the Four Tops said a Detroit-area hospital restrained him and ordered a psychological exam after refusing to believe that he was part of the Motown music group. Alexander Morris, who is Black, …
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