Latest Virginia Headlines

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

Two W. Va. Towns Rated ‘Safest’

Jul 9 2005 // Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group has rated Wheeling, W. Va. the third safest place to live in the U.S., while Parkersburg/Marietta,W. Va. was ninth on the list of 20 small towns. The rankings were part of a study...

SOX Debate Must Go On Despite Insurers’ Protests, Va.’s Gross Insists

Jul 7 2005 // The debate over insurance company financial reporting should center on the value of what is reported and the effort to change the rules must go on despite opposition by some, according to the state insurance commissioner...

Va. Chief Insists SOX Debate Must Go On Despite Insurers’ Protests

Jul 4 2005 // The debate over insurance company financial reporting should center on the value of what is being reported by insurers and the effort to change the reporting rules must go on despite opposition by some, according to the...

Va. Agents Warned to Adhere to State’s Fee Disclosure Law

Jul 4 2005 // Virginia insurance agents might not have to worry about a new far-reaching compensation disclosure law as do agents in some other states, but they should pay attention to laws already on the books, the state’s chief...

Failed Reciprocal of America Executives Sentenced for Role in Fraud

Jun 30 2005 // Two former executives of a failed malpractice insurer were sentenced in federal court this week as part of an ongoing fraud investigation that has helped expose troubling practices in the industry. Kenneth R. Patterson,...

10 Companies, Nine Agents Fined Nearly $1 Million in W.V. in 2004

Jun 29 2005 // West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline, has announced that the Insurance Commission fined 10 companies and nine agents nearly $1 million dollars last year for violations relating to the insurance code of the...

AUTO, HOMEOWNER RATE DECREASES OK’D

Jun 20 2005 // Three insurance companies have been granted rate decreases by the West Virginia Insurance Comm-ission, including: Erie Insurance Co., 3.1 percent decrease in private passenger auto insurance, goes into effect Aug. 1; State...

News Briefs

Jun 20 2005 // ALABAMA DOI Lists Insurance Providers A list of insurance companies, agencies and agents writing property insurance in coastal areas of Alabama, including Mobile and Baldwin counties became available June 13, thanks to the...

Va. Municipalities Tally Costs, Benefits Involving Red Light Cameras

Jun 16 2005 // Red-light cameras have been criticized as moneymakers masquerading as safety devices. But several Virginia jurisdictions predict their budgets will be better off when Virginia ends the pilot program this...

3.8% Auto Residual Market Rate Increase in Effect in Virginia

Jun 15 2005 // An average 3.8 percent increase in rates for private passenger auto policies insured through the Virginia Automobile Insurance Plan is now in effect. The industry had requested an average 5.5 percent rate increase. The...

News Briefs

Jun 6 2005 // FLORIDA Fla. CFO: “Prepare Now for Hurricanes” After an un-precedented hurricane season last year and experts predicting the formation of more than 13 named Atlantic storms this season, Florida’s Chief...

For Boat Owners and the Agents Who Write Them, Location and Experience Matter

Jun 6 2005 // There were more than 17.6 million recreational boats in use in the United States in 2004, and an estimated 69 million people involved in boating activities, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Since...

W. Va. Workers’ Comp Reforms a Mystery; Education Program Planned

Jun 2 2005 // West Virginia workers’ compensation reforms, including the privatization of the Workers’ Compensation Commission are a mystery to residents according to the results of a poll released today by RMS Strategies....

Five W. Va. Insurers Pledge to Cut Auto Premium Rates

May 30 2005 // Five of West Virginia’s largest carriers have pledged to lower premiums by more than $54 million, according to Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline. Within the past month State Farm, Nationwide, Erie, Allstate and...

W. Va. Approves Erie Insurance’s 3.1 Percent Rate Decrease

May 27 2005 // A request by the Erie Insurance Group for a 3.1 percent decrease in its private passenger automobile insurance rates has been approved by the West Virginia Insurance Commission. The new rates go into effect August 1. The...

D.C. Task Force Seeks Med-Mal Ideas to Keep Doctors from Fleeing

May 27 2005 // Hoping to stem the tide of doctors fleeing the nation’s capital for the suburbs, home of cheaper malpractice insurance, the city government is stepping in. The District of Columbia Council is expected to consider...

W. Va. OKs Decreases in Westfield Insurance’s Auto, Homeowner Rates

May 25 2005 // A request by the Westfield Insurance Company for a 7.7 percent decrease in private passenger automobile rates, and a 6 percent decrease in homeowners rates, has been approved by the West Virginia Insurance Commission. The...

W. Va. Approves 10 Percent Decrease in State Farm Auto Policy Rates

May 23 2005 // A State Farm Insurance request for a 10 percent decrease for private passenger automobile insurance customers has been approved by the West Virginia Insurance Commission. The request was submitted last month Gov. Joe...

STATE FARM TO WRITE HOMEOWNERS, BUSINESS POLICIES

May 23 2005 // As of May 1, State Farm Insur-ance began accepting applications from West Virginia homeowners and businesses for new insurance policies. The company is the largest property and casualty insurer in West Virginia and in the...

News Briefs

May 23 2005 // GEORGIA Licensing System Changes The Georgia Insurance Comm-ission held “Ind-ustry Day Meet-ings” across the state in May to discuss recent changes to the licensing system. In an effort to be responsive to...