New York City’s ports, the busiest on the East Coast, ground to halt after longshoremen walked off the job Friday in an unspecified labor dispute.
Source: Property Casualty 360
Tompkins Insurance Acquires Shepard, Maxwell & Hale in New York
Tompkins Financial Corporation, a financial services company headquartered in Ithaca, New York, announced that its insurance agency subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance Agencies Inc., has acquired Shepard, Maxwell & Hale Insurance in upstate New York. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. …
Source: Insurance Journal
People on the move in the P&C insurance industry: Jan. 29, 2016
News from Willis Towers, Applied Client, XL Catlin and more.
Source: Property Casualty 360
Maryland Officials Confident of Snowstorm Disaster Aid
Last weekend’s brutal snowstorm pummeled Maryland from the Atlantic coast to the West Virginia border, costing government agencies much more than the minimum requirement for a federal disaster declaration, the state’s emergency management chief said. The state aims to submit …
Source: Insurance Journal
How Marijuana’s Rapid Growth Is Affecting The Insurance Industry
One of the more controversial social and political issues affecting the country is the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana. A Gallup Poll released in October 2015 shows 58 percent of American adults think that marijuana should be legal¸ up from 51 percent a year ago. The U.S. market for legal cannabis grew 74 percent in 2014 to $2.7 billion¸ up from $1.5 billion in 2013. Public perception of the medicinal and recreational use of the drug has changed over the last decade as 23 states and the District of Columbia have now approved the lawful use of marijuana for certain medical purposes¸ either by statute or ballot measure.
Source: The Claims Page – USA
Probe Widens In Massive California Workers’ Comp Fraud Ring
An investigation into what is being billed as one of the largest workers’ compensation insurance fraud schemes uncovered in the county’s history has swept up additional medical professionals throughout Southern California. Chiropractors¸ a radiologist¸ a pain management physician¸ a medical equipment provider and others are accused in 13 new indictments of playing varying roles in a bribery scheme that bought and sold patients like commodities¸ the District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Source: The Claims Page – USA
Oklahoma Bill Would Require Use of Hazard Lights in School Zones
Legislation filed by a lawmaker in Oklahoma would increase school safety by requiring the use of hazard lights in school zones. According to the Transportation Research Board, more than 100 children are killed and nearly 25,000 injured every year while …
Source: Insurance Journal
Dozens of Dangerous Texas Chemical Plants Operate near Public Centers: Report
Dozens of Texas plants similar to a fertilizer facility that exploded in the town of West in 2013, one of Texas’ worst industrial accidents, are still operating near schools, hospitals and residential neighborhoods, federal regulators say. A report released by …
Source: Insurance Journal
Close more insurance deals by doing this
Most sellers blame pricing, products or clueless decision makers. But what if you were brutally honest with yourself?
Source: Property Casualty 360
Home is where the (smart) hub is
How should insurers capitalize on the smart home trend?
Source: Property Casualty 360
‘Smart’ Appliances, Ventilation Systems Are New Hacker Targets: Cyber Experts
Hijacking “smart” toasters and refrigerators and hacking corporate ventilation systems are among the new threats envisioned by cyber security experts as an increasing array of items are connected to the internet. The Internet of Things, a movement that seeks to …
Source: Insurance Journal
Deadline Announced for Missouri Insurance Education Foundation Scholarships
Missouri insurance regulators say the application deadline for Missouri Insurance Education Foundation (MIEF) scholarships is March 31. High school seniors and college students, who are Missouri residents may apply for the scholarships, according to the Missouri Department of Insurance. Four $1,500 scholarships …
Source: Insurance Journal
Self-driving cars would need a driver in California
California regulators say self-driving automobiles aren’t smart enough yet to zip around town without a driver ready to take the wheel.
Source: Property Casualty 360
GM deceived buyers of used cars subject to recalls, FTC says
General Motors Co. and two car dealers settled U.S. claims that they touted rigorous inspection of used cars, yet were selling vehicles that had been subject to safety recalls and hadn’t been repaired.
Source: Property Casualty 360
13 Indictments Handed Down in Massive Workers’ Comp Fraud Scam
An investigation into what’s being called one of the largest cases of workers’ compensation health care insurance fraud in California Department of Insurance history led to 13 indictments announced today against seven Southern California-based medical professionals. This is the second …
Source: Insurance Journal
Dutch college town brings out driverless buses as EU mulls rules
Driverless microbuses started serving the college town of Wageningen, Netherlands, in the first open-ended test in Europe of automated public transport on city streets.
Source: Property Casualty 360
Post-Blizzard, N.J. Gov. Apologizes to Official for ‘Crazy’ Comment
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that he personally apologized after calling a New Jersey shore official a “crazy mayor” and forcefully rebutted critics who suggested the state hasn’t done enough to help residents dealing with the aftermath of …
Source: Insurance Journal
Ace Westchester’s Rubel: Future Trends and the Insurance Industry
What will the insurance industry be like in 15 years? The future will arrive whether the industry is ready or not. And while even so-called experts are no better than the average person in predicting it, what’s most important about …
Source: Insurance Journal
Virtual Insurance Agent Insurify with License Plate Quote Feature Raises $2 Million
Consumers will soon be able to simplify the buying of auto insurance by snapping a photo of their license plate and texting it to the new site, Insurify.com, which will then generate price quotes. The license plate photo triggers the …
Source: Insurance Journal
Dealing with the rising costs of car crashes
Insurers offer solutions to address factors — such as El Niño and legalized marijuana — that are driving claims.
Source: Property Casualty 360