Latest Contractors Headlines

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

NC Insurance Department Ready to Assist with Dorian Claims, Warns of Fraud

Sep 6 2019 // As Hurricane Dorian finally begins to move away from the North Carolina coast, North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says the North Carolina Department of Insurance is ready to assist with any insurance related...

Fake Claims, Price Gouging, Bogus Contractors in Times of Disaster

Sep 2 2019 // As the scale and frequency of major disasters escalate, millions of dollars in federal, state and insurance payments intended for recovery efforts are being stolen by fraudsters taking advantage of chaos and the pipeline...

Miami Contractor Arrested Over $737K in Workers’ Comp Fraud

Sep 2 2019 // A Florida contractor was arrested this month for an alleged workers’ compensation fraud scheme totaling nearly $737,000, according to a statement from Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis. Norma Lopez...

Fake Claims, Price Gouging, Bogus Contractors: How Fraudsters Steal Disaster Aid

Aug 23 2019 // As the scale and frequency of major disasters escalate, millions of dollars in federal, state and insurance payments intended for recovery efforts are being stolen by fraudsters taking advantage of chaos and the pipeline...

Miami Contractor Arrested Over $737K in Workers’ Comp Fraud

Aug 23 2019 // A Florida contractor was arrested this month for an alleged workers’ compensation fraud scheme totaling nearly $737,000, according to a statement from Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis. Norma Lopez...

Georgia-Based Colonial Pipeline Sues Contractor Over Alabama Spill

Aug 21 2019 // Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline Co. has sued an Alabama contractor over a spill that threatened gasoline supplies along the East Coast three years ago. The pipeline operator contends faulty work by the Birmingham-based...

Underwriters Get Picky and Other Trends in Construction Insurance

Aug 19 2019 // Construction insurance specialists say their insurance market is strong with plenty of capacity and underwriters competing for the best accounts. According to specialists interviewed by Insurance Journal for their...

Outside Inspectors Find Tree Hazards That PG&E Contractors Overlooked

Aug 16 2019 // PG&E Corp.’s court-appointed compliance monitor concluded the utility isn’t trimming trees that pose wildfire threats in high-risk areas of California and didn’t train its contractors properly. The...

OSHA Fines Contractors in Death of Delaware Port Worker

Aug 15 2019 // Federal safety regulators have cited two contractors following the death of a worker at Delaware’s port of Wilmington earlier this year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says Enerfab Process...

Apple Faces Privacy Lawsuit Over Listening to Siri Users’ Recordings

Aug 8 2019 // Apple Inc. was sued over claims that the privacy of Siri users was violated when human reviewers listened to customer recordings. The lawsuit was filed as a class action Wednesday, just days after Apple said it would pause...

New Texas Law Aims to Crack Down on Roof Repair Scams

Aug 8 2019 // A new law in Texas that goes into effect on Sept. 1 makes it clear that it’s illegal for a contractor or roofer to waive an insurance deductible, according to the state insurance department. “This new law will...

Starr Insurance Companies Extends Defense Base Act Coverage to Small Contractors

Aug 2 2019 // Starr Wright Insurance Agency, Inc. (Starr Wright USA), a division of Starr Insurance Companies, has a launched a distribution channel for Starr Insurance Companies’ Defense Base Act insurance coverage, specifically...

Union Not Siding with Rideshare Operators on California Labor Law

Jul 26 2019 // Uber and Lyft suffered a setback in their months-long fight against rules that could force them to reclassify California drivers as employees. The ridesharing companies, along with other businesses that depend on...

Missouri Contractor Faces $212K in Penalties Over Trench Hazards

Jul 24 2019 // Federal workplace safety officials have cited a Missouri contractor for exposing employees to trench engulfment hazards and imposed more than $212,000 in penalties. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety...

New Jersey Framing Contractor Cited for Exposing Employees to Fall Hazards

Jul 2 2019 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Navy Contractors Inc. for exposing employees to fall hazards at a work site in Lakewood, N.J. The company faces $84,183 in...

Ironshore Environmental Adds Contractors Pollution Liability Product to Online Portal

Jun 25 2019 // Ironshore Environmental has streamlined its Contractors Environmental Legal Liability (CELL) policy to be underwritten by broker partners through its online Quote & Bind Portal. The Ironshore CELL product responds to...

Subrogation Waiver in Construction Contract Upheld by Wisconsin Court

Jun 21 2019 // A subrogation waiver in a construction contract blocks an insurer’s claim against a contractor whose alleged shoddy construction caused the collapse of a barn that cost more than $600,000 to replace, the Wisconsin...

10 Arrests Made in Florida Unlicensed Contractor, Workers’ Comp Fraud Sting

Jun 19 2019 // Ten individuals have been arrested in a three-day unlicensed contracting and workers’ compensation fraud sting in Pinellas County, Fla., according to a statement from Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis. The joint operation...

Underwriters Get Picky: 5 Trends to Watch in Construction Insurance

Jun 17 2019 // Construction insurance specialists say their insurance market is strong with plenty of capacity and underwriters competing for the best accounts. According to specialists interviewed by Insurance Journal for their...

Uber, Lyft Appeal for Deal on Driver Status as Independent Contractors

Jun 14 2019 // Faced with legislation in California that endangers their business model, Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. are urging a compromise that would keep their drivers from being considered employees. “We can make...