INSURANCE NEWS
Fed Official Tells Congress Many to Blame for Silicon Valley Bank Failure
The scope of blame for Silicon Valley Bank’s failure stretches across bank executives, Federal Reserve supervisors and other regulators, the banking system’s top cop on Wednesday told U.S. lawmakers demanding answers for the lender’s swift collapse. “I think that any …
Ex-Tesla Worker Testifies That Race Bias Made Him ‘Feel Less Than a Man’
A Black former elevator operator at Tesla Inc’s TSLA.O flagship California assembly plant became emotional testifying at a trial on Wednesday about the psychological toll exacted on him by a torrent of racial slurs, threats and other workplace incidents. The …
AI Leaders Urge Labs to Halt Training Models More Powerful Than ChatGPT-4
Artificial intelligence experts and industry leaders, including Elon Musk, University of California Berkeley computer science professor Stuart Russell and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak, are calling on developers to hit the pause button on training powerful AI models. More than …
Toxic Connection Not Proven, Appeals Court Finds in Florida Cancer Suit vs. Raytheon
In closely watched and widely publicized toxic-tort litigation that has percolated through the courts for more than a decade, federal appeals judges this week underscored the strict standard that expert witnesses are held to when plaintiffs argue that pollution causes …
Judge Rules BNSF Intentionally Violated Agreement with Washington Tribe
A judge ruled that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation. The ruling in the civil case comes after …
People Moves: NavSav Appoints Uminski to New COO Role; Bolander Joins Lockton as SVP of Regional Operations
NavSav Insurance Appoints Uminski to New COO Role NavSav Insurance has appointed John Uminski as its new role of chief operating officer. Umanski comes to the Beaumont, Texas-based company following more than 25 years at Allstate. Uminski’s began his career …
Texas Luxury Auto Dealership Fined $15K for Firing Employee Who Raised COVID Concerns
When an employee of a luxury auto dealership in Austin learned a co-worker had tested positive for COVID-19 in December 2020, they alerted the company’s management and requested they notify other employees immediately of their exposure risk. After the dealership …
Minnesota Suit Against Juul Goes to Trial
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to lead off opening statements expected for Tuesday in his state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs – marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e- cigarette …
Family of Kansas Toddler Killed by Police During Standoff Sues
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) – The family of a toddler who was fatally shot by a police officer during a standoff last year between her father and law enforcement has filed a federal lawsuit over her death. Kansas authorities have …
Federal Appeals Court Says Corps Doesn’t Have to Review ‘Polluting Spillway’
The Bonnet Carré Spillway diverts Mississippi River flood flows away from New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain, which connects to the Mississippi Channel and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The spillway has been opened only 15 times since construction was completed …
New Hampshire Court Nixes Medical Monitoring Part of PFOA Class Action
In a case involving a class action brought by New Hampshire citizens against a Merrimack plastics plant over its release of toxic chemicals into the air and groundwater, the state’s high court has found that medical monitoring is neither a …
Taking Care of Business: Opportunities Within Soft Workers’ Comp Market
Workers’ compensation is getting the job done. Premiums are decreasing, claims are stable, and retention is high. But even good news can present its own set of challenges, Burns & Wilcox indicated in its webinar, Navigating a Soft Workers’ Compensation …