Latest Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best Withdraws West Virginia National Auto, Downgrades Ratings
Jan 8 2018 // A.M. Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bb-” from “bb” of West Virginia National Auto Insurance Co. (Morgantown, WV)....
Former Blood-Testing Company CEO Sues Law Firm in Virginia Court
Jan 5 2018 // The co-founder of a defunct blood-testing company is suing her former law firm for malpractice and asking for at least $150 million in damages. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Tonya H. Mallory, the co-founder and...
West Virginia’s Drug Overdose Rate Highest in Nation, Again
Jan 4 2018 // West Virginia still leads the nation in the rate of drug overdose deaths. The Register-Herald reports the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in...
Insurers Off The Hook for West Virginia Hole-in-One Tournament Payouts
Dec 29 2017 // A federal appeals court says Gov. Jim Justice’s charity is stuck with almost $200,000 in payouts made to fans at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic tournament after two golfers aced the 18th hole at his resort in southern...
A.M. Best Withdraws West Virginia National Auto, Downgrades Ratings
Dec 28 2017 // A.M. Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bb-” from “bb” of West Virginia National Auto Insurance Co. (Morgantown, WV)....
West Virginia Nursing Home Owes $124K in Back Pay to 500 Workers
Dec 27 2017 // A West Virginia nursing home and rehabilitation company has agreed to pay nearly $124,000 in back wages and damages to about 500 workers to resolve allegations that it violated overtime rules. The U.S. Department of Labor...
North Dakota Insurance Department, VA Helping Veterans with Exam Fees
Dec 22 2017 // North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread says veterans who have taken or plan to take any of the nine North Dakota insurance producer exams after June 1, 2017, qualify to be reimbursed for their exam fee through a...
New Lawsuit Over West Virginia Warehouse Fire Targets Chemical Manufacturer
Dec 5 2017 // A new lawsuit over the industrial fire that burned for a week in West Virginia targets the chemical manufacturer who sold products stored in the building. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the case filed last week says...
West Virginia Planning Response to Fight Statewide Opioid Epidemic
Dec 4 2017 // As West Virginia sees record numbers of drug overdose deaths, state officials say they’ll submit plans for responding further to the opioid epidemic to Gov. Jim Justice by mid-January. “There is a critical need...
Family of 4 Indicted for $550K Insurance Fraud Scheme in West Virginia
Dec 4 2017 // A man, his ex-wife and two sons are accused of burning down two West Virginia homes and pocketing over $550,000 in insurance claims. Windel Lester, his ex-wife Georgetta Lester, and his sons Gregory A. Lester and James...
Miner Dies on Blackhawk Mining Property in West Virginia
Dec 1 2017 // West Virginia mining officials say that a 28-year-old equipment operator for a coal mining company has died. The Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training says the incident occurred about 3 p.m. Tuesday on...
Virginia’s Towne Insurance Hires Rogerson to Manage Select Business Unit
Nov 30 2017 // Towne Insurance, an independent insurance agency headquartered in Hampton Roads in Virginia, has hired Christopher Rogerson as vice president and manager of its Select Business Unit. He will be responsible for further...
Ex-Coal Boss Blankenship Announces U.S. Senate Run From West Virginia
Nov 30 2017 // Donald Blankenship, the former Massey Energy chief executive who went to prison in the wake of a 2010 mine explosion that killed 29, plans to run for the U.S. Senate from West Virginia. Blankenship is filing election...
$4M West Virginia Diesel Spill Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval
Nov 28 2017 // A judge has given preliminary approval to a $4 million class action settlement over a January 2015 tanker truck diesel fuel spill in southern West Virginia that briefly shut down tap water supplies for about 12,000...
Lawsuits Filed Over West Virginia Warehouse Fire
Nov 28 2017 // Three lawsuits seeking damages following the industrial warehouse fire that burned for a week in Parkersburg have been moved from state to federal court. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the defendants sought the...
Virginia’s Elephant Insurance Names Schiavon as CEO
Nov 27 2017 // Elephant Insurance, the Henrico-based, direct-to consumer insurance specialist, has announced Alberto Schiavon as its new CEO. Founded in 2009, Elephant is a direct-to-consumer insurance company offering auto, home,...
Family of 4 Indicted for $550K Insurance Fraud Scheme in West Virginia
Nov 22 2017 // A man, his ex-wife and two sons are accused of burning down two West Virginia homes and pocketing over $550,000 in insurance claims. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports 66-year-old Windel Lester, his ex-wife, 41-year-old...
Rolling Stone Slams Defamation Claim in University of Virginia Rape Story
Nov 20 2017 // Rolling Stone is defending itself against a defamation lawsuit over a discredited article about a University of Virginia gang rape by arguing that members of a school fraternity knew about discrepancies in the...
Insurance Entrepreneurs Launch Core Assurance Partners in Virginia
Nov 9 2017 // Core Assurance Partners, a newly formed insurance and risk management firm based in Hampton Roads, Va., is expanding its core competencies across industries and building on specialized expertise in the real estate,...
Officials: Warehouse Fire Could Cost West Virginia County $1.5M
Nov 9 2017 // County officials say the cost of the response to a warehouse fire in West Virginia is already more than $1 million. The Parkersburg News and Sentinel quotes Wood County Commission president Blair Couch in a Tuesday report...
