Currents

Commissioner Long calls for strengthening N.C. building codes

Tougher building code standards aimed at reducing future hurricane damage in North Carolina have been sent to a state committee studying disaster management. Insurance Commissioner Jim Long petitioned the Joint Study Committee on Energy Preparedness and Dis-aster Management Re-covery Sub-committee …

Fitch: Deterioration in profits for U.S. P/C sector

The U.S. property/casualty insurance industry will report deterioration in profitability in 2005 because insured catastrophe losses reached record levels in 2005, Fitch Ratings said. The decrease in profitability is largely due to the destruction from Hurricane Katrina, the most devastating …

‘Kids and Cars’ campaigns to reduce backover accidents

A coalition of parents and safety groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, are counting on common sense and technology, plus a boost from bipartisan teams of congressional politicians, to drastically curb the number of kids injured in non-crash auto …

Idaho law would increase attorney’s awards

Idaho is considering a law that would increase the monetary threshold for an automatic award of attorney’s fees from $25,000 to $50,000, with the exception of personal injury claims. Senate Bill 1357 is currently in the House Committee on Judiciary …

Agents: Federal proposal will be Trojan horse for optional federal charter

The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents recently reaffirmed its opposition to any proposals that call for a so-called “optional” federal charter for insurers. “Those who want to dismantle state regulation of insurance and replace it with a federal government …

DFS suggests Fla. homeowners reforms

The Florida Department of Financial Services in Tallahassee has announced a new round of homeowner-friendly insurance reforms to better protect and prepare Floridians for a catastrophic event, and to help them shop for property insurance. The new reforms, initiated by …

Wausau Signature Agency unveils new Employee Benefit Division

Wisconsin-based Wausau Signature Agency has unveiled its new Employee Benefits Division with comprehensive sales, marketing and service capabilities to fully complement its traditionally-strong property and casualty products and services. Rod Flanders has been named as the WSA vice president-Employee Benefits. …

Miss. suspends 180-day deadline on Katrina repairs

Commissioner of Insurance George Dale suspended the 180-day repair deadline provision in personal and commercial property replacement insurance policies as to Hurricane Katrina claims in Bulletin #2006-3 issued on Friday, Feb. 24. In the same bulletin the commissioner suspended the …

AIG settles with Michigan for more than $5.2 million

Attorney General Mike Cox reported that American International Group Inc. and its subsidiaries (AIG) have paid more than $5.2 million to the state of Michigan, representing the underpayment, with interest, of workers’ compensation premium taxes and related fees and assessments …

Multi-state class actions could infringe on state regulators

Allstate Insurance Co., the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America have joined forces requesting a review of a Court of Appeals decision involving a multi-state class action appeal currently before the Washington …

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