INSURANCE NEWS
California’s Largest Wildfire Now 60% Contained
California’s largest wildfire so far this year has so far burned more than 60,000 acres, but it is now 60% contained. The McKinney Fire broke out on July 29 in an unpopulated area in Klamath National Forest. The fire has …
New York Court Nixes Injury Claim by Worker Who Fell Off Bucket
A laborer who fell and was injured after he stood on an inverted bucket to reach a cable has nobody to blame but himself under New York law. The worker, Angel Morales, did not need to use a bucket, ladder …
FDA Says Possible Carcinogen Found in Some Merck Diabetes Drugs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday certain samples of sitagliptin, a compound in Merck’s diabetes drugs Januvia and Janumet, were contaminated with a possible carcinogen. The agency said it would temporarily allow Merck to distribute drugs with …
ESG’s ‘Social License’ Will Endure Even If the Letters Don’t
It’s been a bumpy stretch for adherents of investment strategies based on environmental, social and governance data. Much has been written about how Vladimir Putin’s February invasion of Ukraine raised geopolitical questions about why ESG-focused funds were even invested in …
Admiral Sees Cost of Motor Claims Running High in Britain and U.S.
The cost of paying auto claims is running particularly high in Britain and the United States, insurer Admiral’s chief said on Wednesday, after the company posted a 48% fall in pretax profit due to a “more turbulent cycle.” Motor insurers …
Pennsylvania Releases List of Workers’ Compensation Scofflaws
Pennsylvania officials have identified three dozen employers that are not carrying workers’ compensation insurance as required by state law. Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) released lists of employers that have violated one or more of the labor laws, …
Nebraska Recycling Company Fined $338,000 for OSHA Violations
A 20-year-old worker’s attempt at clearing a jam in an industrial cardboard baler at a Grand Island, Nebraska waste disposal company turned tragic when the worker fell into the baler, became caught and suffered severe amputation injuries. OSHA alleges the …
Ohio Bill Defines Work-From-Home Workers’ Comp Rule
An Ohio law set to go into effect next month amends workers’ compensation benefit requirements for employees who sustain an injury while working from home. House Bill 447 states than a work-from-home employee’s injury is compensable under Ohio’s workers’ compensation …
Litigation Funders Are Fueling a Rise in UK Class Actions
Financiers are helping to fuel a rise in U.S.-style class-action lawsuits in the UK courts, lured by the promise of big payouts. The British litigation finance industry — which pays legal fees upfront and shares in any eventual payout — …
Biden Approves Disaster Declaration for St. Louis Flooding
President Joe Biden approved Governor Mike Parson’s request August 8 for a major disaster declaration for Missouri in response to the severe flooding that impacted the St. Louis region from July 25 to July 28. The disaster declaration makes the …
5th Circuit: Employer Fired for Sleepwalking Loses ADA Case
An employee fired for unsolicitedly sleepwalking into a colleague’s hotel room during an out-of-town conference has no disability discrimination claim, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month. Jennifer Harkey, a sales specialist for …
Louisiana Policyholders Recover $129 Million
Commissioner Jim Donelon announced the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) recovered funds of $129 million in addition to the original amounts offered by insurance companies in Fiscal Year 2021-2022. The additional money is the result of consumers filing complaints with …