Monthly Archives: <span>June 2021</span>

Central Oregon Farmers Struggling in Drought

Cate Havstad-Casad, co-owner of Havstad-Casad Family Farms in Jefferson County, Oregon, didn’t hold back while speaking on a recent Zoom call with state representatives about the drought conditions affecting farmers in Jefferson County. During a meeting of the House Water …

$3.25M in Medical Malpractice Death of Washington Prisoner

The Washington Department of Corrections has agreed to pay $3.25 million to the family of a man who died at Monroe Correctional Complex after not receiving adequate medical care. A lawsuit filed by Julia Kleutsch said her husband, John Kleutsch, …

S.C. High Court Nixes Felony ‘Step-Down’ Provisions in Auto Policies

A South Carolina Supreme Court opinion published in June nullifies auto insurance policy provisions that “step down” the maximum payout in instances where the insured was committing a felony or attempting to flee a law enforcement officer. The 3-2 decision …

Interview with Florida Commissioner Altmaier: Private Flood Market and NFIP’s 2.0

Florida has 90,000 private flood insurance policies in force now — a 300% increase since passing legislation to encourage private insurers to offer the coverage in 2014, according to Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier. Noting there are five million properties …

Tropical Storm Claudette Pounds Gulf Coast with Rain, Floods

Jun 19 2021 — Thunderstorms and high winds on the east side of Tropical Storm Claudette battered the Florida panhandle and much of Alabama on Saturday, as the weather system moved toward the North Carolina coast. The National Hurricane Center …

Grim California Wildfire Outlook Has Insurers Forking Over Big Bucks for Modeling

Severe drought and searing temperatures are not the only proof that Californians should be worried about wildfires this year. A glaring piece of evidence that there’s ample cause for concern is this: those who will be on the hook for …

Ship Carrying Chemicals Sinks Near Sri Lanka Capital, Prompting Pollution Fears

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – A container ship carrying chemicals sank off Sri Lanka’s capital on Thursday nearly a month after catching fire, raising concerns about a possible environmental disaster. The ship’s operator said the wreck of the Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl …

8 Tips to Increase Your Agency’s Surety Bond Business

This post is part of a series sponsored by Old Republic Surety. There’s a significant surety revenue stream hiding within the average independent agency’s book of commercial business. Need clues? Here are eight to get you started! Are you an …

Scale Underwriting Introduces Social Media Influencer Liability

Scale Underwriting, a Founder Shield company that provides tailored insurance products for high-growth companies, has launched Scale Social, a media liability insurance policy for social media influencers and their agencies. Scale Social provides US-based influencers and agencies, particularly those with …

South Dakota Records Second Earthquake This Month

Another earthquake has been recorded in South Dakota, the fifth since December. According to the United States Geological Survey, a 2.6 magnitude quake was recorded about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday with the epicenter about 60 miles east of Rapid City. It’s …