Monthly Archives: <span>August 2014</span>

Liberty Mutual Opens Equipment Breakdown Office in San Francisco, Adds Staff

Liberty Mutual has added senior underwriting and technical engineering resource staff to its equipment breakdown operations, as well as opened a San Francisco office so it can be closer to its partners. The new staff includes: John Volle, senior manager …

Texas Plastics Plant Hit with $174K Fine for Safety and Health Violations

Plastic Systems LLC in El Paso, Texas, was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 21 safety and health violations, including six repeat, for failing to develop adequate lockout/tagout procedures to control the unexpected …

Coast Guard: 12 Injured in Iowa Water Taxi Accident

The U.S. Coast Guard says it’s investigating a water taxi accident in Iowa that injured 12 people, including two children who were sent to the hospital. Passengers told KWQC-TV and the Quad-City Times that a Channel Cat water taxi crashed …

Oklahoma Regulators: 12-Year-Old Claim Payment Returned to Consumer

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak announced that the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) recently helped facilitate the reissuance of an insurance check to a consumer for an auto accident that occurred more than 12 years ago. The consumer, currently residing …

Chicago-Based Linden Group Joins Digital Benefit Advisors

Linden Group Health Services has joined Digital Benefit Advisors (DBA), a division of Digital Insurance. Digital acquired the Chicago firm, which specializes in group benefits solutions for small to mid-sized companies, and will open a second DBA office in Chicago, …

Wheat Harvest Down, Kansas Farmers See Income Decline in 2014

One of the worst wheat harvests in decades followed by an abundant corn and soybean crop that’s driving down prices have Kansas farmers preparing for a sharp income decline after several good years. The agricultural sector contributed nearly one-third of …

Vermont Family in Bed Bug Case Sues Homeowners Insurer

A Vermont couple who reached a $450,000 settlement with the state after saying their home was made uninhabitable when it was sprayed for bed bugs with a banned pesticide is now suing their insurance company. Neil and Patricia Whitney of …

Fire-afflicted Washington Declared Disaster by President

Federal disaster aid has been made available to Washington to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the area affected by wildfires from July 9 to Aug. 5, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced. The Presidential action makes federal …

Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Cowles & Connell in N.Y.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Cowles & Connell based in Brewster, New York and Meriden, Connecticut. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 1892, Cowles & Connell is a managing general agent and wholesale …

Cornerstone National Insurance Names Wheeler as CEO

Columbia, Mo.-based Cornerstone Management Partners Inc. named William J. Wheeler as the company’s new chief executive officer. He succeeds Cornerstone founder, President and CEO James C. French. French will remain with Cornerstone Management Partners, and in addition to his role …