Latest Illinois Headlines
All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mercury Insurance Cutting Auto Insurance Rates in Illinois
Mar 4 2014 // Mercury Insurance Co. announced that its auto insurance rates for Illinois drivers are being reduced an average of 13.9 percent. The reduction immediately applies to new customers and policy renewals beginning April 7, and...
193 Illinois Fire Departments to Share $4M in Grants
Mar 3 2014 // Nearly 200 Illinois fire departments will share $4 million in state grant money to help them purchase first-responder equipment. Gov. Pat Quinn and state Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis announced the grants for 193...
Illinois Pharmacist Sentenced to 7 Years for Identity Theft, Insurance Fraud
Feb 27 2014 // An Illinois pharmacist has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for stealing customers’ identities to make fake prescriptions and collect money from insurance companies. Federal prosecutors say 76-year-old...
MarketScout Adds 3 to Fine Arts Underwriting Team in Illinois
Feb 26 2014 // Dallas-based electronic insurance exchange and specialty MGA, MarketScout, has expanded its national fine art and collectibles program with three new hires: Donna Hester, underwriter; Susan Soloman, underwriter; and Cheryl...
Supreme Court Allows Class Action in Closely-Watched Moldy Washer Cases
Feb 25 2014 // The U.S. Supreme Court let consumers press ahead with class action lawsuits claiming that washing machines made by Whirlpool Corp. developed a smelly buildup of mold. The justices today turned away appeals from Whirlpool...
ID Theft Complaints Up 18% in Illinois, AG Says
Feb 24 2014 // Illinois’ attorney general says the number of identity theft complaints received by her office rose 18 percent last year. Lisa Madigan says her office received about 3,000 complaints in 2013, up from about 2,500 the...
ID Theft Complaints Up in Illinois, AG Says
Feb 13 2014 // The Illinois Attorney General’s office says the number of identity theft complaints received by her office climbed 18 percent last year. Lisa Madigan says her office received about 3,000 complaints in 2013, up from...
Illinois Reaching Out to Young Uninsured via The Onion
Feb 12 2014 // Trying to sell young adults on the idea of health insurance before an upcoming deadline, Illinois officials announced they are launching an ad campaign with the satirical online newspaper The Onion. Banner ads on The Onion...
Illinois Man Gets 6-Months in Jail for Insurance Fraud
Jan 29 2014 // A northern Illinois man has been sentenced to 6 months in jail for insurance fraud and forgery. Kane County prosecutors say 53-year-old Juventino Guzman of Elgin falsely claimed he’d slipped, fallen and was injured...
Illinois Legislation Aims to Curb Pay for Non-Work Accidents
Jan 27 2014 // A bill filed in Illinois aims to clarify who is responsible for injuries sustained in a traffic accident on the way to work. Sen. Kyle McCarter, a Lebanon Republican, introduced Senate Bill 2622, which exempts an employer...
Illinois Teen Injured in Bike Wreck Awarded $910K
Jan 23 2014 // A southwestern Illinois high school student and his parents will get $910,000 under a jury award related to injuries the teenager sustained in a bicycle accident. The (Alton) Telegraph reports that Edwardsville High School...
Keystone Insurers Group Names Five New ‘Pioneer’ Partners in Illinois
Jan 22 2014 // Keystone Insurers Group named five new franchise partners in Illinois, completing its list of “Pioneer Partners” — the first 10 agencies in the state to join the property/casualty insurance network....
Former Basketball Star Bringing Insurance Jobs to Illinois
Jan 16 2014 // Earvin “Magic” Johnson will be a controlling shareholder of an insurance company that’s opening new offices in Illinois and creating about 200 jobs. Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced...
Credit Card Breach Update: Neiman Marcus Investigated; Target Sued by Bank
Jan 15 2014 // Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. is being investigated by states including Connecticut and Illinois over the theft of customer credit-card data by hackers, and a bank sued Target Corp. for its data breach during the holiday...
California Tops ‘Judicial Hellhole’ List
Jan 13 2014 // California isn’t just a warm place to live, which is often the case even in winter, but it turns out the state is considered a “judicial hellhole.” The American Tort Reform Foundation issued its annual...
Construction’s Growing Role in Renewable Energy
Jan 13 2014 // California isn’t just a warm place to live, which is often the case even in winter, but it turns out the state is considered a “judicial hellhole.” The American Tort Reform Foundation issued its annual...
Hike in Auto Insurance Rates Expected in Illinois
Jan 9 2014 // Illinois drivers should get ready to pay more for insurance. Northbrook-based Allstate says in a regulatory filing that rates for customers will climb between 2.5 and 3.5 percent later this month. Esurance rates are rising...
Legislation Filed in Illinois Would Nix Workers’ Comp for Non-Work Accidents
Jan 8 2014 // Illinois lawmakers will consider legislation this spring that aims to clarify who is responsible for injuries sustained in a traffic accident on the way to work. Lee Enterprises Newspapers in Illinois reported that Sen....
Daves Appointed Managing Partner at Willis of Illinois
Jan 8 2014 // Paty Daves has been appointed managing partner at Willis of Illinois, retail insurance broker, Willis North America (WNA), announced. In this role, Daves will oversee business operations in Willis’ Chicago,...
U.S. Crops Escaping Cold Snap with Little Damage
Jan 8 2014 // U.S. crops are escaping record- setting cold weather with little damage, while the arctic blast drove cattle prices to a record as animals struggle to gain weight. The coldest spots in Florida citrus groves were near...
