Monthly Archives: <span>January 2016</span>

Moody’s, S&P, A.M. Best Release Ratings for AIG After Strategic Plan Outlined

American International Group Inc., which activist investor Carl Icahn is pressuring to divest assets, had the outlook on its credit rating changed to negative from stable by Standard & Poor’s after the insurer announced plans to sell a stake in …

Kellar Named Workers’ Comp Director at Louisiana Workforce Commission

Sheral Kellar has been appointed director of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration at the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Kellar, a licensed attorney with more than 25 years of experience in labor, employment and workers’ compensation law and most recently the …

California State Fund to Roll out New Medical Provider Network

State Compensation Insurance Fund will soon transition to a new outcomes-based medical provider network following a California Division of Workers’ Compensation approval of the new MPN called the State Fund MPN by Harbor Health. State Fund said it is transitioning …

Ace Westchester’s Rubel: Future Trends and the Insurance Industry

What will the insurance industry be like in 15 years? The future will arrive whether the industry is ready or not. And while even so-called experts are no better than the average person in predicting it, what’s most important about …

Virtual Insurance Agent Insurify with License Plate Quote Feature Raises $2 Million

Consumers will soon be able to simplify the buying of auto insurance by snapping a photo of their license plate and texting it to a phone number provided by the new site, Insurify.com, which will then generate price quotes. The …

Record Western Wildfires a Contrast in Otherwise Quiet Year for U.S. Natural Disasters

It was a relatively quiet year for natural disasters – except for those living in the Western U.S. Property data provider CoreLogic today released its annual Natural Hazard Risk Summary and Analysis. The report shows “a continued trend of fewer …

Frozen Seafood Distributor Faces $115K for Safety Violations in Texas

Named a “severe violator” by federal safety officials, a frozen seafood distributor operating a plant in Brownsville, Texas, has been hit with $155,000 in fines over workplace safety hazards. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for 11 …

Lawsuit Seeks Replacement of Lead Pipes in Flint, Michigan

Environmental and civil rights groups are asking a federal judge to order the prompt replacement of all lead pipes in Flint’s water system to ensure residents of the Michigan city have a safe drinking supply. A lawsuit seeks an order …

Texas Governor Seeks Federal Disaster Help after Tornadoes

Gov. Greg Abbott has requested a federal disaster declaration for some Texas counties after deadly late-December blizzards and tornadoes. Abbott on Jan. 26 announced the request for individual assistance for people in Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Franklin, Rockwall and Van Zandt …

Bill Would Clarify South Dakota’s Workers’ Comp Law

A bill introduced in the South Dakota House would clarify state law on when part-time employees injured on the job should also receive workers’ compensation benefits for their other part-time positions. The proposed legislation stems from a 2015 state Supreme …