Articles by Kenneth J. St. Onge

Court Turns Maryland Condo Insurance Upside Down

A dispute over $6,400 in damage to a Maryland townhouse led to an unexpected court decision that has reversed 26 years of standard industry practice, and left insurers, agents, lawmakers and condominium associations unclear as to who pays when individual …

Court: Spaniards Can Sue in N.J. for Overseas Asbestos Exposure

A group of Spanish workers injured by asbestos-containing insulation while working on Navy ships docked in Spain can sue the manufacturer of the insulation in New Jersey — where the products were produced — a panel of judges has ruled. …

Massachusetts Agents’ Key Software Vendor Weathers Major Upheaval

No tool is more indispensable to an insurance agency than a computer; after all, it’s where the rates come from. So imagine what went through the heads of thousands of Massachusetts independent insurance agents after they learned the state’s top …

Construction Safety Reaches Crisis in New York City

A rash of accidents has killed 13 people in the last five months at construction sites across New York City, leaving builders and safety officials on edge as they look for ways to improve safety conditions for workers and bystanders. …

New York Agents Seek to Curb State-backed Workers’ Comp Insurer

A trade group for New York insurance agents wants to rewrite the laws governing the New York State Insurance Fund — a nonprofit state agency that is the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer — to put it on a level …

Auto Reform Causes Major Upheaval for Mass. Agents’ Key Vendor

Suddenly all the rules changed for Boston Software and 90% of the state’s agents who depend on its product No tool is more indispensable to an insurance agency than a computer; after all, it’s where the rates come from. So …

Injury Hotspots From Coast to Coast

Workplaces are getting safer each year; but that doesn’t mean the cost of workers’ comp coverage will decline Ongoing efforts to curb workplace injuries have made substantial progress in most parts of the country. That’s good news for employees, of …

New York Agents Want to Rein in State Workers’ Comp Insurer

A trade group for New York insurance agents wants to rewrite the laws governing the New York State Insurance Fund – a nonprofit state agency which is New York’s largest workers’ compensation insurer – to put it on a level …

N.J. Approves Jobs, Education as Driver Rating Criteria

New Jersey insurers using education and employment to rate drivers for risk are justified in doing so and the practice does not amount to racism or classism, according to a new, 581-page report released by Garden State insurance regulators. The …

N.Y. Car Repair Shops Can Rebate Deductibles

Allowing car repair facilities to pay all or part of a deductible to an insured does not constitute a rebate prohibited under New York law, lawyers for the state’s insurance department have decided. The reasoning? Repair shops have no relationships …