Monthly Archives: <span>January 2010</span>

Johnson Joins WRM America as Midwest Regional Marketing Officer

WRM America, a New York-based specialty insurance and alternative risk management company, reports that Jeffrey S. Johnson has joined WRM America Indemnity Company (WRMAI) as regional marketing officer for the Midwest region. Johnson will be responsible for the planning and …

McKinney Insurance Group, Higginbotham & Associates Merge

McKinney Insurance Group, an independent property/casualty insurance brokerage, has merged with Higginbotham & Associates, a national private insurance and financial services firm headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with statewide offices and affiliates. McKinney Insurance Group, whose business is commercial and …

Louisiana Medical Mutual Declares 10% Dividend to All Policyholders

For the third consecutive year, the Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company will be returning a dividend to all LAMMICO policyholders in Louisiana and Arkansas. Nearly 6,000 policyholders will receive a 10 percent dividend of a policyholder’s written premium. The total …

Auto Insurance Key to Michigan State Senator’s Gubernatorial Bid

State Sen. Hansen Clarke has jumped into the Michigan governor’s race now that Lt. Gov. John Cherry has decided not to run. Auto insurance reform will likely figure prominently in Clarke’s bid for the governor’s office. The Detroit Democrat said …

Montana Court Upholds Notice Rule in Lawsuits Against Bars

A sharply divided Montana Supreme Court has upheld a state law that requires someone planning to sue a bar over liability in a drunken driving crash to notify the bar within 180 days of the crash. The Supreme Court issued …

New Day Underwriting Appoints Carretta to Assistant VP

Bordentown, N.J.-based New Day Underwriting Managers LLC, an environmental and construction-related professional liability resource for insurance agents and brokers, announced it is building its underweriting team by appointing Carole Carretta of Lafayette, Calif., to assistant vice president. Carretta, who will …

Chinese Drywall Lawsuit Filed in Louisiana but Most Claims Are in Florida

On Jan. 6, the WCI Chinese Drywall Trust, an entity formed in bankruptcy proceedings of residential homebuilder WCI Communities Inc., announced it had filed suit against 14 insurance companies seeking indemnification for losses arising from claims related to allegedly defective …

Foremost Offers New Auto Product in Maryland

Foremost Insurance Group is offering a new auto insurance program in Maryland that includes increased limit and deductible options. The new program, called DistinctChoice Auto, includes multi-policy discounts (Farmers, Foremost and Zurich Small Business policies qualify) and optional dynamite deductible …

Job Bias Charges Jumped in 2009

Workplace discrimination charges rose in 2009, reaching the second highest level ever recorded, according to federal officials. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that 93,277 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the federal agency nationwide during fiscal year 2009 …

Insurers to Curb Agency Compensation in 2010, Consultant Study Finds

Total property/casualty insurance agency compensation is expected to decrease slightly in 2010, largely due to contingent commission changes, according to a new compensation study. Four out of 10 insurance companies plan to modify their agent compensation plans in 2010 by …