Latest Liability Headlines
All the headlines from our Liability Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Australian Companies Face New Liability for Nature-Based Risks
Nov 2 2023 // Australian companies and directors could face legal action if they fail to identify and account for nature-based risks, according to a new opinion backed by lawyers and environmental groups, released Thursday. Directors...
Delivery Worker’s PTSD Claim Against Five Guys and Maintenance Firm to Go to Jury
Oct 31 2023 // A food delivery worker who encountered two weapon-wielding maintenance workers surprised by his presence in a Five Guys hamburger eatery can bring negligence claims against the restaurant and the maintenance company over...
Florida Appeals Court Ruling Puts New Scrutiny on Wind Experts’ Credibility
Oct 31 2023 // Expert testimony is subject to a well-established standard set forth by the US Supreme Court 30 years ago in Daubert v. Merrel Dow Pharms., Inc. Under the Daubert standard, trial judges are gatekeepers of expert testimony,...
Appeals Court Upholds $12M Verdict in Fatal Keys Crash; Insurer Facing Bad-Faith Claim
Oct 27 2023 // A federal appeals court this week upheld a $12 million jury award against a gravel and waste-hauling company in a horrific highway accident that killed four Spanish women who were on vacation in the Florida Keys in...
Q3 Net Income Up 45.7% at W.R. Berkley as it Handles Unabated ‘Burn’ of Social Inflation
Oct 24 2023 // Third quarter net income at W.R. Berkley Corp. increased nearly 46% compared to the same period last year to about $334 million. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based insurer’s consolidated combined ratio for the quarter...
Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Escape Clause in Progressive Auto Liability Policy
Oct 23 2023 // Acuity and Progressive Specialty Insurance Co. disputed who should pay after a 16-year-old boy borrowed a friend’s car and crashed it into a utility pole in Streetsboro, Ohio. The driver was insured by Acuity through...
Med Sterilization Company Settles Georgia Exposure Lawsuits for $35 Million
Oct 23 2023 // ATLANTA (AP) — A medical sterilization company has agreed to settle nearly 80 lawsuits alleging people were exposed to a cancer-causing chemical, ethylene oxide, emitted from its plant outside of Atlanta. Details of...
People Moves: Lockton Taps Aon Veteran Guffanti as Head of Continental Europe; Markel Australia Appoints Rogers From AXA XL as Head of Queensland
Oct 19 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Lockton in London and Markel Australia. A summary of these new hires follows here. Lockton Taps Aon Veteran Guffanti as Head of Continental Europe Lockton,...
People Moves: Prime Names Schlueter SVP, Healthcare Professional Liability; Alliant Adds Hansen to Minneapolis Benefits Team
Oct 19 2023 // Prime Insurance Company Names Schlueter SVP, Healthcare Professional Liability Prime Insurance Company, headquartered in Chicago, Ill., named Bart Schlueter as senior vice president and head of healthcare professional...
J&J Weighs Third Bankruptcy Try to Settle Baby Powder Suits
Oct 19 2023 // Johnson & Johnson said it is weighing a third attempt to use bankruptcy for an $8.9 billion settlement of tens of thousands of lawsuits that allege tainted talc in the company’s baby powder caused cancer. Erik...
Asleep at Wheel: When a Medical Emergency Does Not Negate a Driver’s Negligence
Oct 19 2023 // A driver who suffers a sudden medical emergency and crashes into another vehicle may be held liable for the accident even if never diagnosed with the condition or never advised not to drive. If the driver knew or should...
Viewpoint: Logic & Language, Forms & Facts – Revisiting Terrorism Issues
Oct 17 2023 // “Yesterday was my son’s 12th birthday but he didn’t spend it unwrapping presents or gorging on ice cream and cake. Most of our evening was spent solemnly observing unspeakable horror and devastation as...
People Moves: WTW Risk & Broking Names Marsh’s Powell as Chief Claims Officer; QBE Europe Promotes Keller as Head of Liability
Oct 16 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at WTW and QBE Europe. A summary of these new hires follows here. WTW Risk & Broking Names Marsh’s Powell as Chief Claims Officer Rob Powell WTW,...
Is It Auto or CGL … or Both or Neither?
Oct 16 2023 // For many people, the outdoor grilling season is about over. Notice that I said “grilling” season and not “BBQing” season. Being a Southerner, we know that outdoor cooking is known as...
Summit: How Cannabis Brokers Can Get SMB Clients Better Insurance
Oct 13 2023 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tv Big multistate operators often get the bend-over-backward treatment from all service providers, but what are insurance brokers looking to get the same treatment for their small-to-midsize...
75% of Small Businesses Are Underinsured, Says Hiscox Survey
Oct 11 2023 // Small businesses may be growing their revenue, but the vast majority – 75% – are not adequately protecting themselves and their assets. Small businesses are an essential part of the US economy, with 56 million workers...
Markets/Coverages: Coalition Exec Risk Insurance Now on Surplus Paper; ISO Adds 160 New BOP Classifications; MGU Verita Launches
Oct 5 2023 // Coalition’s Executive Risks Insurance Now Available On Surplus Lines Paper Coalition announced its executive risks insurance products are now available on surplus lines paper, making comprehensive management...
As Trial Opens, FTX’s Bankman-Fried Battles Excess Insurer Over D&O Coverage
Oct 4 2023 // Just two days before his criminal trial started this week in federal court in New York, FTX Trading founder Sam Bankman-Fried filed suit in federal court in California against his excess insurance company seeking payment...
Commercial Auto Up Against Persistent Headwinds to Underwriting Profit
Oct 4 2023 // Underwriting losses in U.S. commercial auto have returned to pre-pandemic levels and rate increases have not been enough to keep up with severity trends. “The liability component has been more problematic than the...
People Moves: BHSI Promotes Meyer to Head of Product Liability, North America; Forte Named President of Berkley Public Entity
Oct 3 2023 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) announced it has promoted Angela Meyer to head of Product Liability in North America. She was previously head of Life Sciences in North America. Meyer joined BHSI in 2014 as...
