Latest Auto Headlines

All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Amtrak Train Strikes Pickup Truck in North Dakota; 2 Teens Killed

Apr 6 2023 // SPRINGBROOK, N.D. (AP) – An Amtrak passenger train has struck a pickup truck in North Dakota, killing two teenage boys and injuring a third, authorities say. The North Dakota Highway Patrol said the crash happened...

Is a Scooter a Vehicle? Appeals Court Says ‘Yes’ and State Farm Must Pay UM Claim

Apr 4 2023 // State Farm must pay an uninsured motorist claim for injuries caused by an electric motor scooter even though the scooter didn’t match the definition of “motor vehicle” in Florida statutes, a panel of the...

Texas Auto, Homeowners Premiums Grew Double Digits in 2022, Report Shows

Apr 4 2023 // The Texas market for auto and homeowners insurance grew double digits in 2022, according to an annual report put out by the Texas Department of Insurance. Texas insurers reported direct premium written for private...

Car Services Groups Warn of Unfair Competition as EU Data Plan Stalls

Apr 4 2023 // Car services groups on Friday warned a stalled EU proposal to ensure fair access to valuable vehicle data could pave the way for unfair competition from U.S. and Chinese tech companies. The vehicle data tussle between...

City of Buffalo Sues Kia and Hyundai Over Auto Thefts

Apr 3 2023 // The city of Buffalo has filed suit against Kia and Hyundai seeking to hold the carmakers responsible for the rash of auto thefts caused by their alleged failure to include industry-standard anti-theft technology. Buffalo...

Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Auto Insurance Claim

Apr 3 2023 // A Kirkland, Washington man pled guilty to committing insurance fraud after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit. Jerame Thurik pled guilty to false claims or proof...

Texas Luxury Auto Dealership Fined $15K for Firing Employee Who Raised COVID Concerns

Mar 29 2023 // When an employee of a luxury auto dealership in Austin learned a co-worker had tested positive for COVID-19 in December 2020, they alerted the company’s management and requested they notify other employees...

St. Louis Sues Hyundai, Kia Over Car Thefts

Mar 28 2023 // The city of St. Louis, Missouri, said on Monday it was joining a number of major U.S. cities that are suing Korean automakers Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and Kia Corp 000270.KS for failing to install anti-theft technology in...

Geico Faces Class Action for Allegedly Underpaying Auto Claims

Mar 28 2023 // Geico General Insurance Co. must face a class action suit alleging that it has been underpaying benefits to its insureds injured in automobile accidents. U.S. District Court Judge Dora L. Irizarry in federal court in...

Georgia Lawmakers Flip the Script on Use-and-File for Auto Rate Increases

Mar 27 2023 // Georgia lawmakers have approved a bill that, if signed into law, would end the longstanding “use-and-file” mechanism on auto insurance rate filings in the state. The state Senate last week voted 49-2 in favor...

California Tow Truck Driver Arraigned on 54 Counts of Insurance Fraud, Assault

Mar 24 2023 // Eliu Canales, 43, was arraigned this week on 54 felony counts of insurance fraud, assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving after a joint investigation by the California Department of Insurance and San Joaquin...

Motorcycle Rally Organizers Lose Bid for Coverage for Auto Accident

Mar 24 2023 // A three-judge panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a district court ruling that Berkshire Hathaway’s Covington Specialty Insurance Co. had no duty to indemnify its insureds against personal...

Another Louisiana Resident Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Auto Accidents

Mar 23 2023 // Marvel Francois, a 54-year old of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with...

Dispute Over Van Gogh Art In Detroit Settled

Mar 22 2023 // DETROIT (AP) – A deal has been reached over control of an 1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh, lawyers said, weeks after the custody fight created public buzz and much tension near the end of a rare U.S. exhibition in...

Reliance Acquires Assets of Truck Team Insurance in Utah

Mar 20 2023 // Reliance Partners acquired the assets of Truck Team Insurance in Salt Lake City, Utah. Truck Team Insurance Owner Brent Tate will also join Reliance Partners’ team as vice president of sales. He has more than 20...

Scratched EV Battery? Your Insurer May Be Forced to Junk the Whole Car

Mar 20 2023 // For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles – leading to higher premiums and...

Florida Girl Killed When Straight-Line Winds Blow Tree Onto Car

Mar 13 2023 // A 16-year-old girl in the Florida Panhandle was killed when a tree fell on the vehicle she was in during a fierce storm that saw wind speeds reach 80 mph (129 km), authorities said. The girl was killed and the...

Jury: UPS Must Pay $75 Million to Missouri Family Hit by Truck

Mar 10 2023 // LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) – A jury found UPS Inc. must pay a Missouri family $75 million, after a company driver with a known history of drug abuse collided with a pregnant woman’s car, causing her baby to be born with...

Driver Killed, Homes Burned in Fiery Tanker Truck Crash in Maryland

Mar 6 2023 // A tanker truck hauling a flammable liquid crashed on a Maryland highway Saturday and caught fire, killing the driver and damaging several homes and vehicles, authorities said. The truck crashed around noon on U.S. 15 in...

Ford Taps Vehicle Data to Attract Customers in Commercial Van Market

Mar 6 2023 // Ford Motor Co.’s push to use reams of data generated by its vans and trucks – from engines to oil filters or brake pads – to attract more customers in the European and U.S. commercial vehicle market plays...