Monthly Archives: <span>December 2018</span>

Delaware Judge Says Fired Medical Marijuana User Can Pursue Lawsuit

A Delaware judge has ruled that a medical marijuana user fired from his factory job after failing a drug test can pursue a lawsuit against his former employer. Jeremiah Chance was fired in 2016 from his job as a yard …

Massachusetts Bill Would Bar Workers from Being Fired for Private Pot Use

A proposed law in Massachusetts would bar employers from firing workers for using marijuana legally on their own time. While recreational marijuana use is legal for adults in the state, workers can still be fired for using the drug, even …

Data Show Car Accidents Up in States That First Legalized Marijuana

Crashes are up by as much as six percent in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, compared with neighboring states that have not yet legalized marijuana for recreational use, according to research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and …

Part of Chinese-Drywall Lawsuit Revs Up in Virginia

A class-action lawsuit that claims Chinese-manufactured drywall made American homeowners sick is revving up in Virginia. The Virginian-Pilot reported that about 175 people are suing Chinese companies in a federal court in Norfolk. Lawyers for both sides are hashing out …

UK Watchdog’s Fines Against Insurers, Banks Drop by 75% in 2018

The total value of fines handed out by the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority fell by almost 75 percent in 2018, after a bumper year in which it had secured penalties against the likes of Deutsche Bank AG, Merrill Lynch International …

BMW to Be Fined $10M for Engine Fires in Korea

South Korea said Monday [Dec. 24] it will fine BMW 11.2 billion won ($9.9 million) and file a criminal complaint against the company with state prosecutors over an allegedly botched response to dozens of engine fires reported in the country. …

Obstacles to May’s Brexit Deal Can Be Overcome with EU Clarification: UK Minister

Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal can be passed by the British parliament if the European Union provides clarification that the Northern Irish “backstop” will be temporary, foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Friday. The backstop is an insurance policy …

Congressional Report Finds Olympic Leaders Valued Reputation Over Athletes’ Safety

A congressional review of the U.S. Olympic system’s handling of sex-abuse cases criticizes a culture that sought to protect reputation and image over athlete safety. A House subcommittee released the report last Thursday, outlining conclusions about the handling of sex-abuse …

5 Lessons to Take Away from the California Wildfires

The California wildfires of 2018 were devastating, burning hundreds of thousands of acres, costing numerous lives and destroying thousands of properties. The California Department of Insurance in early December put the official tally for insured losses from the year’s major …

McCarty Elected Chair of FAIR Board; Hartford Exec Larkin-Thorne to Co-Chair

The Florida Association for Insurance Reform (FAIR), a non-partisan insurance consumer advocacy association, has elected former Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty as the chair of its Board of Directors and Sonja Larkin-Thorne, retired insurance executive from The Hartford, as the …