INSURANCE NEWS
Plymouth Rock Adds Bass, Brooks to Independent Agency Leadership
Bass Named Chief Operating Officer, Brooks Named Chief Claims Officer at Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock Assurance Corp., headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, hired two additions to its Independent Agency Group leadership team. Brooke Bass joins as chief operating officer (COO), and …
Markets/Coverages: Marsh Launches BrokerSafe for Freight Broker Auto Coverage
Broker Marsh, a business of Marsh McLennan, the launch of BrokerSafe, an exclusive insurance facility for U.S. freight broker clients seeking access to more stable and affordable freight broker auto liability coverage. Freight brokers play a vital role in the …
Containment Continues to Grow on California Megafire, But Hundreds of Structures Threatened
Containment continues to increase on the biggest fire in California this year, which has been at “megafire” status for nearly a week. The Gifford Fire, which is burning in two California counties, is now 41% contained. It has burned more …
Fire Breaks Out Onboard Maersk Container Vessel off Liberia
A fire broke out onboard a Maersk container vessel off the coast of Liberia on Wednesday and the crew was still battling to put out the flames a day later, the Danish shipping group said on Thursday. “The crew of …
Trump Administration to Unveil Tougher Solar and Wind Subsidy Rules
The Trump administration is expected as soon as Aug. 18 to take another step toward curbing the growth of renewable energy in the United States by making it harder for companies to claim federal tax subsidies for wind and solar …
Aon’s NFP Acquires New York’s Pilot Benefits Group
Insurance broker NFP, an Aon company, announced it has acquired Pilot Benefits Group, LLC, an employee benefits broker in Melville, New York. Josh Senders and Ben Senders, principals at Pilot, will join NFP as senior vice presidents and report to …
Family Killed When Tree Falls on Car in Flooding in East Tennessee
Heavy rain led to flooding around Chattanooga, Tennesse, where a family of three was killed when a tree fell on their car early Wednesday morning. News reports indicated that saturated ground caused the large tree to fall in East Ridge, …
Deadly Fires Rage in Greece and Spain as Heat Blasts Cyprus
Firefighters worked overnight to contain deadly blazes in Greece and Spain that have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists. A wildfire is still burning in an inaccessible part of the Aegean island of Chios, where coastguard vessels …
How Responders Rescued Steel Plant Workers; Search for Cause of Blast Underway
Moments after an explosion erupted at a U.S. Steel plant outside Pittsburgh, company firefighters, local responders and employees raced in to rescue people from the smoldering wreckage. They were able to free one injured worker who was whisked to a …
Another Downgrade for State Farm General: S&P Lowers Rating to A-
Earlier this month, Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings announced another downgrade for State Farm General Insurance Co., lowering the California company’s financial strength rating to A- in spite of a show of financial support from its parent. In May, S&P …
Norway Spy Chief Blames Russian Hackers for Dam Sabotage in April
Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the head of the Nordic country’s counter-intelligence agency said on Wednesday, the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyberattack to its neighbor. While in command of …
Australia Pension Fund Mercer Sued Over Customer Disclosures
Australia’s financial regulator is suing A$70 billion ($46 billion) pension fund Mercer Super, accusing it of failing to report multiple investigations into serious member services issues. In a Federal Court filing, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission alleged between October …