Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Serving the Changing Needs of Small Business Post-Pandemic
Mar 8 2021 // Among the many changes wrought by the pandemic are those transforming the small business workforce. People have lost their jobs or businesses, with many starting new ventures, working from home or adopting new technologies...
Judge Permits Suit Alleging Geico Overcharged Drivers During Pandemic
Mar 7 2021 // The auto insurer Geico Corp., a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., must face a proposed class action claiming it overcharged policyholders as the coronavirus pandemic led to less driving and fewer...
Some Insurers Strengthening Virus Exclusion Language in Policies After COVID Cases
Mar 5 2021 // U.S. insurers are strengthening language in policies that cover business losses to protect them from future claims related to the coronavirus pandemic or other widespread illnesses that disrupt operations, industry sources...
Insurer Aviva Seeks New London Headquarters to Cut Post-Pandemic Office Footprint
Mar 5 2021 // Aviva Plc is searching for a new City of London headquarters as the UK insurer prepares to slash its office footprint. The firm started looking for new offices in the financial district early last year, but shelved its...
Cal/OSHA Cites Multiple Employers for COVID-19 Violations
Mar 5 2021 // Cal/OSHA has cited multiple employers for not protecting workers from COVID-19 following inspections in various industries throughout the state. Violations were identified in industries including construction, garment,...
French Families Join Class Action After Thousands of COVID Deaths in Nursing Homes
Mar 4 2021 // PARIS – A Paris court [held] a hearing Wednesday in a class-action effort to hold French health authorities and companies accountable after thousands with the virus died in nursing homes, and families were locked out and...
Insurers Don’t Have Capacity to Handle Systemic Pandemic Risk: Generali CEO
Mar 4 2021 // MILAN – Europe’s insurance industry doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the systemic risk of a pandemic and more protection needs to be put in place through private-public partnerships, the head of Italian...
Kansas Lawmakers Look to Extend COVID-19 Liability Shield for Businesses
Mar 4 2021 // Kansas lawmakers moved on March 2 to extend protections for businesses from lawsuits over COVID-19. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would give businesses an extra year of protection, until March 31,...
Kentucky Senate Backs COVID Liability Shield for Businesses
Mar 3 2021 // Legislation that would provide broad protections to shield Kentucky businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits won approval from the state Senate after a long debate Monday evening. Senate President Robert Stivers...
Hiscox Cites Loss on COVID, BI Dispute ‘Brand Damage’; Will Alter Liability, Cyber Books
Mar 3 2021 // British insurer Hiscox reported a big loss for 2020 after a jump in claims from businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and also faces “brand damage” from a legal dispute over policy wordings for...
European Union Weighs Emergency Approvals for COVID Vaccines
Mar 2 2021 // The European Commission said on Tuesday that it was considering emergency approvals for COVID-19 vaccines as a faster alternative to more rigorous conditional marketing authorisations which have been used so far. The move...
South Carolina Senate Passes COVID Liability Protection Bill
Mar 1 2021 // A bill that would prevent lawsuits against businesses and other groups by people who contract COVID-19 as long as federal and state health guidelines were being followed passed the South Carolina Senate on Thursday. The...
Managing COVID-19 Employment Practice-Related Exposure
Mar 1 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group. As the pandemic continues, we’re seeing new COVID-19-related regulations, restrictions and advisories issued and adjusted by federal, state, and...
Biden Extends Unemployment Insurance for Workers Fearing COVID Risk
Feb 26 2021 // The Biden Administration is expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits for workers who feel they are forced to choose between working in an unsafe environment and refusing work to avoid the risk of coronavirus...
Insurance Employment Impresses With Insurers Adding 20K Jobs During Pandemic
Feb 26 2021 // Levels of employment for the insurance industry are “holding up much stronger than the overall economy,” the leader of an insurance search firm said recently, reporting that insurers have added almost 20,000...
Auto Insurers Slam Nevada Pandemic Lawsuits
Feb 25 2021 // The American Property Casualty Insurance Association is responding strongly to new litigation the group says is an attempt to capitalize on the ongoing pandemic by targeting the auto insurance marketplace. Class action...
Munich Re’s 2020 Profit Drops 55% on COVID-19-Related Reinsurance Claims of $4.1B
Feb 25 2021 // Munich Re reported a profit of €1.21 billion (US1.47 billion) for 2020, a 55% decline from the €2.71 billion (US$3.29 billion) reported for the previous year. The reinsurer’s Q4 2020 profit dropped to €212...
Nevada Lawsuits Filed Against Auto Insurers over Rates in Pandemic
Feb 25 2021 // Class action lawsuits were filed in Nevada against 10 major auto insurance companies this week, contending that the companies charged excessive insurance premiums during the pandemic by failing to account for a drop in...
AXA Reports 18% Drop in Net Income During 2020 with COVID Claims of $1.8 Billion
Feb 25 2021 // AXA reported net income of €3.16 billion (US$3.8 billion) during 2020, an 18% drop from €3.86 billion (US$4.7 billion) in full-year 2019. The combined ratio for AXA’s P/C business increased 3.2 points to 99.5%,...
Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sued Over Coronavirus Policy
Feb 25 2021 // A Kentucky parent has filed a lawsuit against the Kentucky High School Athletic Association over a policy on when student athletes can return to competition after testing positive for COVID-19. Jon Kelly Johnson, a dentist...
