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

Hundreds Of Oahu Properties At Flood Risk, Feds Say

New maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have reclassified hundreds of Oahu properties and placed them in a high-risk flood zone. Mortgage lenders will likely require property owners to buy flood insurance if they find themselves in the zone. …

Cleanup from Napa Quake shouldn’t deter tourists, Businesses Say

Napa, Calif. business owners mopped up high-end vintages that spilled from barrels and bottles and swept away broken glass in the rush to get the tourist hotspot back in shape for the summer’s final holiday weekend after an earthquake that …

Illinois Rideshare Bills Vetoed; Insurance Groups Urge Override

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has vetoed legislation that would have imposed statewide regulations on commercial ridesharing companies, also known as transportation network companies (TNCs). Quinn said he vetoed House Bill 4075, also known as the “Uber bill,” because it would …

South Carolina’s Companion P&C to Be Acquired by Enstar Group

Enstar Group Limited in Bermuda said Tuesday it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Companion Property and Casualty Insurance Company from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. The total consideration for the transaction will be $218 …

Small Commercial Lines: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Small commercial lines is suddenly the Cinderella of the insurance industry. Previously the unwanted step child turned beauty queen being courted, pursued, and being offered dowries for marriage. Dowries and marriage are the correct metaphors because companies are clearly willing …

Calls For Warning System Hastened by California Quake

The earthquake that jolted California’s wine capital may have caused at least $1 billion in property damage, but it also added impetus to the state’s effort to develop an early warning system that might offer a few precious seconds for …

U.S. Home Construction Jumps 15.7% in July

U.S. home construction rebounded in July, rising to the fastest pace in eight months and offering hope that housing has regained momentum after two months of declines. Construction increased 15.7 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of …

‘Deep Throat’ Producers Lose ‘Lovelace’ Copyright Case

The owners of the rights to the famed pornographic film “Deep Throat” have lost a lawsuit accusing the producers of the 2013 biopicture “Lovelace” of copyright infringement. U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa in the federal court in Manhattan, in a …

Kentucky Workers’ Comp Loss Costs to Decrease Overall for 9th Straight Year

In Kentucky, workers’ compensation loss costs used by insurers in figuring rates to charge employers will show an overall decrease for the ninth straight year. Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Sharon P. Clark announced today that the state’s Department of Insurance has …

U.S. Loses Bid to Dismiss $25B Lawsuit Over AIG Bailout

A federal judge has rejected the United States’ bid to dismiss a more than $25 billion lawsuit filed by Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, the former chief executive of American International Group Inc., over the insurer’s government bailout, clearing the way for …