Monthly Archives: <span>April 2017</span>

U.S. Regulators Say Students at Risk in Baltimore School Buses

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is urgently recommending an independent audit of the Baltimore schools’ transportation department, saying students remain at risk after a crash that killed six people. The agency made recommendations Tuesday to state and city school …

Sen. Schumer Pushes for Malt Barley Crop Insurance in New York

Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make crop insurance for malt barley available to more New York farmers to help the craft brewing industry in the state. Schumer was at the 1886 Malt House …

Atlantic Drain Cited for 18 Violations in Massachusetts Trench Collapse

Robert Higgins and Kelvin Mattocks died on Oct. 21, 2016, in Boston, Mass., when the approximately 12-foot deep trench in which they were working collapsed, breaking an adjacent fire hydrant supply line and filling the trench with water in a …

Insured Losses for Europe’s Storm Zeus Estimated at US$200M: PERILS

The initial estimate of insured property market losses for extratropical cyclone Zeus, which mainly hit France on March 6-7, is €192 million (US$200 million), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data. Low pressure system …

Malaysia Eyes Tougher Enforcement of Cap on Foreign Ownership: Sources

Malaysia is weighing tougher enforcement of a cap on foreign ownership of insurers as it seeks to boost local participation in the industry, people with knowledge of the matter said. The central bank is considering more strictly applying an existing …

Brit Appoints ArgoGlobal’s Lim as CEO of Brit Singapore

Brit Ltd. announced that it has appointed David Lim as CEO, Brit Global Specialty Singapore, with effect from May 15, 2017. Following the appointment, Lim, together with Charles Barrett, chief underwriting officer, Asia Pacific, will be responsible for identifying growth …

Zurich Buys Australia’s Largest Travel Insurer, Cover-More, for US$551M

Zurich Insurance Group has successfully acquired Cover-More Group Ltd., a leading travel insurance and assistance solutions provider based in Sydney with a strong market position in Australia, India and the U.S. This transaction is an important milestone for Zurich as …

Brennan Named Account Manager at Cavignac & Associates in California

San Diego, Ca.-based Cavignac & Associates has named Julie Brennan as senior account manager within the agency’s construction practice. Brennan will serve as the main point-of-contact at the agency for both surety and commercial insurance clients. She is charged with …

Insurers to Pay an Estimated $1.3B for Cyclone Debbie: Swiss Re

Cyclone Debbie cost Swiss Re an estimated $350 million and the insurance industry roughly $1.3 billion, the world’s second-biggest reinsurer said on Thursday, an unusually high loss that could see reinsurance prices rise in Australia. Cyclone Debbie, a Category 4 …

Political Risk a Growing Concern, Say Brokers, Insurers

Evan Freely has been insuring global risks for years — through the 2008 market meltdown, the 2002 crisis in Argentina, and the 1993 downturn in Venezuela. Yet turmoil now seems to be coming at a more rapid pace than he’s …