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

Michigan Warns Consumers on Scam Using Fake Allstate Insurance Checks

Michigan insurance officials and Allstate Insurance Co. are warning consumers of an international mail fraud scheme using counterfeit checks with Allstate’s name on them. The Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) said one if its employees received a …

Lees Named General Counsel for New York Insurance Department

Martha A. Lees has been named deputy superintendent and general counsel of the New York State Insurance Department. She advises the superintendent on legal matters and oversees the preparation of legal opinions, the promulgation of regulations and the management of …

Rig in Gulf of Mexico Hit by Fire; 12 Workers Missing, 7 Critically Injured

Up to a dozen crew members were missing and at least seven were critically injured after an explosion and fire late on April 20 hit a Transocean drilling rig that was working off the Louisiana coast, the U.S. Coast Guard …

Mass. Court: Lease Agreement to Buy Insurance Trumps State Law

A lease agreement to buy insurance for a landlord trumps state law that prohibits property owners from requiring tenants to indemnify landlords for their own negligence, Massachusetts highest court ruled. The decision centers on an appeal brought by Cummings Properties, …

Florida CEOs Urge ‘Cost Driver’ Reforms as Legislature Nears End

The Florida-Based Property Insurers CEO Group, representing 21 carriers, held a media conference today to discuss legislation to address the problems in the state’s property insurance market. The group downplayed the controversial issue of rate hikes while supporting reforms in …

Feds Sue Metal Companies for New York Mercury Cleanup

The federal government has sued to recover $7 million in mercury cleanup costs from eight companies that used a New York refinery between 1970 and 1991. The companies were part of an earlier $2.4 million settlement. But the government says …

Insurance Hall of Fame in Michigan to Induct 3 Executives

The Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame will honor three leaders in the insurance industry at the seventeenth annual induction ceremony of the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame on August 18 on the campus of Olivet College. New inductees for 2010 …

Florida Legislature Passes Parental Waiver for Theme Parks, Motorsports

The Florida Legislature has passed a bill reinstating parental waivers of liability against theme parks, go-cart tracks and similar businesses. The House voted 114-0 Tuesday to pass the measure (SB 2440) that the Senate previously approved 38-0. It now goes …

Florida’s SUNZ Insurance Expands Workers’ Compensation to 5 States

SUNZ Insurance Co., a St. Petersburg, Florida-based insurer, has added five states to its coverage area for writing workers’ compensation policies. Known primarily for its presence in Florida, SUNZ said it is now also able to write workers’ compensation policies …

Flights Pick Up in Europe As Ash Risk Is Lowered

European airports started to return to life on Tuesday after five days cut off from the rest of the world by a volcanic ash cloud, but some countries were more cautious after reports a new cloud might be on its …