INSURANCE NEWS
Claims Service, Tech, Communication Top Independent Agent Concerns
Claims, communication, and technology are the top three concerns for independent agents when placing new business with a carrier, according to insurtech Vertafore. The findings were the result of a survey of nearly 1,300 insurance professionals including account managers, agency …
Trump’s Threat to EV Trucking Rules Undermines Big-Rig Bets
Two years ago, Rudy Diaz made a gutsy bet. The 45-year-old owner of Hight Logistics, a trucking company that hauls containers from the bustling ports around Los Angeles, began adding some of the country’s first electric heavy-duty trucks to his …
Meta Must Face Lawsuit Claiming it Prefers Cheaper Foreign Workers
A federal judge on Tuesday said Meta Platforms must face a lawsuit claiming that the Facebook and Instagram parent prefers to hire foreign workers because it can pay them less than American workers. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in San …
Big Threat? Payroll Companies Taking Insurance Biz Away from Agencies, Agents Warn
Insurance agents in Florida and beyond are finding that some of their toughest competition now seems to be coming from firms that aren’t really insurance agencies at all – at least not in the historical sense of the word. “They’re …
California Labor Commissioner Fines Homecare Company $2.3M for Worker Misclassification
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office cited a homecare provider $2.3 million for misclassifying caregivers in a test of a new law the went into effect in January. The LCO issued the fines to Amity In-Home Care Services Inc. for misclassifying …
Bill to Study Insurance Rating Factors in Washington Moving Through State Legislature
A bill that would create a study on the impact of insurance rating factors in Washington, including credit history, is moving through state Legislature. Senate Bill 5589 has passed out of committee in the Washington State Senate. The bill was …
Home of CEO of SAIF in Oregon Shot at, No Injures Reported
Various media outlets have reported shots were fired into the home of the head of Oregon worker’s compensation insurer SAIF Corp. The outlets are reporting that the early-morning Feb. 21 shooting occurred at the Lake Oswego home of the SAIF …
Apple to Keep DEI Efforts, Though Some Adjustments Possible
Apple Inc. investors rejected an outside shareholder proposal to end the iPhone maker’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, though Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said that the company may make some adjustments to the program. The company conducted the vote …
Greenpeace Pushes Back Against Lawsuit Threatening Free Speech Rights in North Dakota Trial
A Texas pipeline company’s lawsuit accusing Greenpeace of defamation, disruptions and attacks during protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline goes to trial in North Dakota on Monday, in a case the environmental advocacy organization says threatens free speech rights and …
Texan Insurance Introduces Artemis as New Parent Brand
Texan Insurance, a provider of personalized insurance solutions in Texas, announced the launch of Artemis Insurance as its new parent brand. The move aims to expand the company’s high-touch, high-tech insurance model nationwide while maintaining its commitment to personalized service …
Study Finds High Rates of Cancer Near Hazardous San Jacinto River Waste Pits
Texans living in a 250-square-mile area of Harris County that includes a hazardous Superfund site had abnormally high rates of certain types of cancer, according to a new assessment from the state’s health department. The study, which was published earlier …
AM Best Revises Outlook to Negative for Michigan’s Hastings
AM Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of Hastings Insurance Company based …