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

Jury Awards $23M to Unarmed Man Shot by Florida Cop

A federal jury awarded $23.1 million on Wednesday to a 22-year-old black man who was unarmed when he was shot and paralyzed by a sheriff’s deputy, but Florida lawmakers will have to approve any award above $200,000. The six-woman, two-man …

Florida Declares Emergency After at Least 9 Reported Cases of Zika Virus

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a health emergency in four counties Wednesday after at least nine cases of the mosquito-borne Zika illness were detected in Florida. Health officials believe all of the cases are from people who contracted the disease …

California Commissioner Explains Call for Insurer Divestment from Coal

One can say California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has a beef with coal. Jones made a bold move on Jan. 25 when he asked all insurance companies doing business in California to voluntarily divest from their investments in thermal coal …

El Niño Could Signal Easing of California Drought, Says Official

In the strongest indication yet that the California drought could be easing, officials said strict water conservation orders could be dramatically scaled back or even ended if El Niño storms keep pummeling the state into the spring. The assessment came …

Time Warner Cable Settles Lawsuits by California City for $5M

Time Warner Cable has agreed to pay $5 million to settle lawsuits that claimed it owed Los Angeles millions in city fees. Last week’s settlement was announced this week. The city filed two lawsuits that claimed Time Warner holds a …

President Signs Disaster Declaration for Washington’s December Storms

President Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration for damage done by December wind and rain storms, making federal assistance available in 10 Washington counties. Gov. Jay Inslee thanked Obama this week for signing the declaration, the second in a …

Hartwig to Leave I.I.I. for University of South Carolina Faculty Post

Dr. Robert Hartwig, an economist and the president of the industry’s Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) since 2007, is leaving this summer to join the faculty of the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, the organization announced. “My …

Beazley’s ROE of 19% Will Be ‘Difficult’ to Sustain in Current Market: CEO Horton

Beazley Plc Chief Executive Officer Andrew Horton said the company’s return on equity of 19 percent in 2015 isn’t sustainable against a backdrop of increased competition and falling insurance rates. “Margins are bound to come under pressure,” the CEO said …

Farmers to Expand Operations in Arizona

Farmers Insurance plans to significantly expand its operations in Phoenix, Ariz., which the carrier said could eventually raise its employee base from roughly 500 full-time employees to more than 1,500 employees. Staffing for the new jobs would occur in phases …

Michigan Adjusts Insured Claim Caps for P/C Guaranty Association

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services has adjusted the insured’s net worth limit and covered claim cap for determining the status of a claim against the state’s Property and Casualty Guaranty Association. Director Patrick McFarland has set the …