National News

Jury Weighing Military Contractor’s Claim of Immunity for Abu Ghraib Abuse

A lawyer for the military contractor being sued by three survivors of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq told jurors Monday that the plaintiffs are suing the wrong people. “If you believe they were abused … tell them to …

Jury Awards $80M to 3 Former Zurich NA Employees for Wrongful Termination

Zurich North America was ordered by a California jury to pay three former employees a total of about $80.2 million to end a wrongful termination case earlier this month. Melinda Brantley, Nicholas Lardie, and Daniel Koos worked as claims examiners …

CEO Viewpoint: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI in Insurance

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked a lot of interest from insurers and reinsurers because of its potential to revolutionize innovation, cut costs and improve the customer experience. Generative AI (or “Gen AI”) is the term used for technology that …

UnitedHealth Says Hackers Possibly Stole Large Number of Americans’ Data

UnitedHealth Group said on Monday that hackers stole health and personal data of potentially a “substantial proportion” of Americans from its systems in February, as the largest U.S. health insurer scrambles to contain the damage. The intrusion at its Change …

Chubb Records 13.3% Uptick in Q1 Net Income on Underwriting

Chubb started 2024 off with first quarter net income up 13.3%, compared to the same time a year ago, to about $2.1 billion. The first three months of 2024 followed a year Chubb CEO Evan G. Greenberg called the “best …

What to Know About New Rights for Pregnant Workers

Pregnant employees have the right to a wide range of accommodations under new federal regulations for enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that supporters say could change workplace culture for millions of people. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency …

Risk Perception Drops After Hurricanes: Study

As time passes after hurricanes, new analysis by Stanford University researchers shows perception of personal risk, including the likelihood of injury and home damage, decline. The findings suggest that programs and policies that aid households to think beyond stocking up …

OPTIS: Insurance Agency M&A Down 18% in Q1 2024

The first quarter of 2024 was the slowest for insurance agency mergers and acquisitions since the middle of the pandemic, according to investment banking and financial firm OPTIS Partners. OPTIS Partners’ M&A database counted 155 announced insurance agency mergers and …

W.R. Berkley Reports 50.4% Increase in Q1 Net Income

First quarter net income at W.R. Berkley Corp. increased about 50% compared to the same period the prior year to about $442.5 million on pretax underwriting income growth of 31.8% to $309 million. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based commercial insurer started 2024 …

Sanofi to Pay $100 Million to Settle Zantac Cancer Lawsuits

Sanofi will pay more than $100 million to settle about 4,000 lawsuits accusing the French drugmaker of failing to warn users that its Zantac heartburn medicine could cause cancer, according to people familiar with the deal. The settlement was announced …

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