Monthly Archives: <span>December 2015</span>

Willis to Join S&P’s 500 Index on Jan. 4

Willis Group Holdings Plc, the insurance broker that’s planning a merger with consulting firm Towers Watson & Co., will join the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and replace Fossil Group Inc. Willis climbed 4.8 percent to $49.30 at 9:45 a.m., …

Australia Wildfire Insurance Losses Double to A$53 Million ($38 Million)

Losses from wildfires that destroyed more than 100 homes along a popular tourist stretch in southeastern Australia more than doubled in two days to A$53 million ($38 million) and are expected to climb further, the Insurance Council of Australia said. …

Apple Seeks $180M More in Patent Damages from Samsung

Just over a week after Samsung paid Apple more than $548 million for infringing the patents and designs of the iPhone, Apple asked a U.S. court to force its biggest smartphone rival to cough up even more. In court papers …

Harpers Ferry Rebuild Underway in West Virginia Despite Expense

It’s been nearly five months since a fire broke out in Harpers Ferry that devastated its historic commercial district and caused millions of dollars in damages. Residents and nearby fire departments swarmed the town’s streets in the early hours of …

OxyContin Makers to Settle Lawsuit with Kentucky for $24 Million

The maker of OxyContin will pay Kentucky $24 million over the next eight years as part of the settlement of a long-running lawsuit that accused the company of misleading the public about the addictiveness of the powerful prescription drug. The …

Tennessee Adds 100th Captive Insurance Company

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) announced the licensing of Tennessee’s 100th captive insurance company on Dec. 22. In 2011, Gov. Bill Haslam signed the revised State of Tennessee’s Captive Statute which made the state’s existing captive insurance …

Cab Drivers Fight Back as Uber Looks to Expand to Upstate New York

New York State lawmakers returning to Albany for the usual debates over taxes and spending will also take on an issue even more basic to many New Yorkers — the options for getting home from the train station, the airport …

Newtown Victims’ Families to Split $1.5M From Homeowner’s Insurance

The families of more than a dozen victims of the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, will split $1.5 million under recently finalized settlements of lawsuits against the gunman’s mother’s estate. A lawyer for several victims’ families says the settlements …

Christmastime Storm Ravages Southeast States

The death toll in the Southeast climbed to 18 on Saturday after days of tumultuous weather – unusual warmth, tornadoes and torrential downpours – wreaked havoc during the Christmas holiday. Two deaths attributable to weather were reported Saturday in Mississippi: …

Mass. Workers’ Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau Proposes Rate Hike

The Workers’ Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIBMA) has submitted a rate filing to the Division of Insurance on behalf of its members. The Dec. 23 filing recommends a 6.4 percent increase in average rates for industrial classes …