INSURANCE NEWS
People: Florida-based Risk Services Names Haskell Captive Accounting Director
Florida-headquartered Risk Services, a captive insurance manager and risk retention group service provider, has named Jennifer Haskell director of captive accounting. Haskell, who spent 15 years with the Alabama Department of Insurance regulating captive insurers, was most recently a senior …
Could Appeal Decision in Florida Roof Case Lead to More Expert Witness Challenges?
Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. will have to go back to court to show how an insured’s roof expert was in error when he used questionable data and failed to inspect the claimed damage before a south Florida home …
California’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $16 Per Hour in 2024
California’s minimum wage will increase to $16 per hour for all employers on Jan. 1, 2024. In 2023, the minimum wage was $15.50 for all employees regardless of employer size. Some cities and counties in California have a local minimum …
FTC Sues Amazon.com for Breaking Antitrust Law and Harming Consumers
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com on Tuesday, charging the online retailer with harming consumers through higher prices in the latest U.S. government legal action aimed at breaking Big Tech’s dominance of the internet. …
Kansas Woman Sentenced for Insurance Fraud
A Kansas woman has been sentenced to 18 months of probation for insurance fraud, the Kansas Insurance Department (KID) announced. Carolyn Engelhardt, age 30, pleaded guilty in the District Court of Norton County on July 25, 2023 to one felony …
People Moves: Bates Joins Western National as SVP, Marketing and Sales
Bates Joins Western National Insurance Group as SVP, Marketing and Sales Western National, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., hired Tamara Bates as senior vice president of marketing and agency sales. Bates joins Western National with over 30 years of property-and-casualty experience. …
Texas Car Dealer Sued for Firing Employee With Cancer Diagnosis
A company that provides administrative and operations services for a group of related automobile dealerships across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida, violated federal law when it fired a longtime senior manager in its Texarkana, Texas, location to avoid its share …
Salt Water From Gulf of Mexico Threatens Louisiana Drinking Water
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Salt water from the Gulf of Mexico is creeping up the drought-stricken Mississippi River and threatening drinking water supplies in some Louisiana communities, including New Orleans, prompting the state`s governor to warn Friday he may …
Federal Judge Rejects Law Firm’s Claim for Hurricane Damage Lawsuit Fees, Citing Illegal Client Acquisition
A federal judge rejected a request by McClenny Moseley & Associates to claim an interest in legal fees and expenses from a hurricane damage lawsuit, saying the law firm obtained its clients illegally by using a “modern day case runner.” …
Oakbridge, Built on Southeast Acquisitions, Has Been Acquired by Private Equity Firm
Oakbridge Insurance Agency, known for its rapid growth and acquisition of agencies across the Southeast in recent years, has itself been purchased by a private equity firm. Audax Private Equity, which calls itself a capital partner for middle-market companies, said …
Tampa Police Investigating if Former NFL Player Received Unprescribed Drugs in Hospital
Tampa police are investigating after family members of former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams said someone may have slipped him unprescribed opioid medication while he was in the hospital after a construction accident. A Tampa Bay Times report also gives …
JPMorgan Settles Epstein Lawsuit With US Virgin Islands for $75 Million
JPMorgan Chase reached settlements with the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and former executive Jes Staley to resolve lawsuits over sex trafficking by the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, largely resolving a scandal that has weighed on the largest U.S. bank for …