Monthly Archives: <span>December 2020</span>

Climate Change Poses Much Greater Existential Risk for the World Than COVID-19

Similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change ultimately will be managed by “bending the curve” of temperature rises and greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rowan Douglas, Head of Climate and Resilience Hub at Willis Towers Watson. But that’s where the …

COVID Vaccine Rollout Spurs Demand for Extra Insurance Coverage

LONDON – Speedy global delivery of COVID-19 vaccines by air and sea in ultra cold conditions will lead to a jump in cargo insurance rates and spur demand for new areas of coverage, leaving underwriters on high alert. Pharmaceutical companies …

4 Georgia Firms Form Southeast-Focused Oakbridge Insurance Agency

Four retail insurance brokers – Founders Insurance, Hutchinson Traylor Insurance, McGinty-Gordon & Associates, and Waites & Foshee – have signed definitive agreements to combine to form Oakbridge Insurance Agency LLC, a new insurance brokerage firm serving clients across Georgia and …

Insuring Cannabis Summit: Industry at Diversity Crossroads

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles based on panels and presentations during Insurance Journal’s 2020 Insuring Cannabis Summit on Nov. 19. Diversity needs to be more than a mere buzzword in the cannabis industry. That was …

Hospital Charges Rise Despite Fewer Visits to Emergency Rooms

Auto casualty claimants are avoiding hospital emergency rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic but are generating increased hospital charges anyway, according to a new report by Mitchell, a San Diego-based claims administrator. “Anecdotally, we have heard that some people have been …

Topa Insurance Group in California Names Eyre to Board

Calabasas, Calif.-based Topa Insurance Group has named William Eyre to the board of directors. Eyre has more than 40 years of experience in the reinsurance industry, both in executive positions and sales. Eyre is currently managing director at Pinnacle Risk …

National Labor Board Says Amazon Illegally Fired Protesting Employee

The U.S. National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday alleged Amazon.com Inc. illegally fired an employee this year who was raising alarm about workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon associate Gerald Bryson was helping lead a protest outside a company …

Openly, High-End Home Insurance MGA, Secures $40M for National Expansion

Openly, an insurtech managing general agency for high-end homeowners insurance, raised $40 million of venture capital from multiple investors. The investment will fuel a national expansion, hiring and further technological development. “The reception has been phenomenal,” Openly co-founder and CEO …

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Expands Accountants Policy Into Georgia

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies has added Georgia to the list of states where it company offers its Accountants Professional Liability policy. Georgia is now the sixth state that the insurer offers this product to go along with Arizona, Illinois, …

Origami Risk Tools Track COVID-19 Vaccinations, Outbreaks

Origami Risk, a risk, safety and insurance software as a service (SaaS) technology firm, has developed new online tools for healthcare providers, nursing homes and employers in all sectors to track employee COVID-19 vaccinations as well as to monitor and …