Articles by Britton Wells and Stephanie K. Jones

Get your motor runnin’ — not stolen

California received the dubious honor of most motorcycle thefts in the nation in 2005, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The Golden State recorded 9,110 thefts in 2005, compared with 9,213 in 2004. The state was followed by Florida, …

Claims myth fuels fear of building skateboarding parks

Cities across North America often shy away from building skate parks, citing fear of liability as the main reason for pause. However, the Skate Park Association of the United States of America (SPAUSA) shows statistically higher percentages of injuries occur …

Companies step up to take Texas Select policyholders

Some 150,000 Texas homeowners will be affected by the liquidation of Vesta Fire Insurance Co. and its Texas subsidiaries by the Texas Department of Insurance, but the situation seems to be not as dire as previously thought. The company was …

Excess flood insurance — when the federal plan isn’t sufficient

The lessons learned from Katrina and Rita and predictions of a future with bigger and stronger storms highlight more than ever the importance of flood insurance, even in locations where it was previously thought unnecessary. The National Flood Insurance Program …

Vesta liquidation by Texas felt from Florida to Mass.

Some 70,000 Florida, 150,000 Texas, 5,200 Massachusetts and 11,000 New Jersey policyholders are among those affected by the liquidation of Vesta Fire Insurance Co. and its subsidiaries. Texas regulators placed the company into liquidation in July and its affiliates are …

California insurers sue department to stop auto insurance regulations

Three insurance trade groups filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to stop enforcement of California Department of Insurance auto rating regulations they said will harm millions of policyholders. On behalf of the Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC), …

Hawaii obtains reinsurance to take control of Vesta subsidiary

Some 150,000 Texas homeowners will be affected by the liquidation of Vesta Fire Insurance Co. and its Texas subsidiaries by the Texas Department of Insurance, but the situation seems to be not as dire as previously thought. The company was …

Fighting future losses in the midst of fire season

With 68,775 blazes already this year, the 2006 wildfire season is well on its way to becoming the worst in 10 years, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Its data shows 5.03 million acres have burned, eclipsing the …

The excess flood market steps up where NFIP drops off

The historical lessons learned from Katrina and Rita and looming predictions of a future with bigger and stronger storms highlight more than ever before the importance of flood insurance, even in locations where it was previously thought unnecessary. The National …

Reforms pushing California workers’ comp rates, losses down

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has completed its report summarizing insurer loss and premium experience through March 31, 2006, which suggested legislative reforms are working. “This report provides a high level view of the workers’ compensation market …