Southeast News

NC Body Shop Owner Charged With Using Used Parts, Billing for New

A North Carolina body shop owner has been charged with fraud in connection with the use of used auto parts, instead of new parts that the insurer had paid for. The state Insurance Commissioner’s office said in a bulletin that …

AJG Acquires Florida’s Specialty Risk Management Agency

The global insurance brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher has acquired Fort Myers-based Specialty Risk Management Services and its affiliate agency, Private Client Insurance Services, the broker announced Monday. Specialty Risk provides commercial property insurance services in Florida, including workers’ compensation, auto, …

NICB Praises Florida’s New Law on Predatory Tow Truck Practices

The National Insurance Crime Bureau is hailing a new Florida law that aims to deter predatory tow-truck practices and limit the fees that tow companies can charge. House Bill 179 was signed by the governor in March and it will …

Student from China Sentenced in Arson of Alabama Church in 2021

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A 30-year-old woman in the U.S. on a student visa has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for setting fire to First Baptist Church in Montgomery in 2021, federal prosecutors said Monday. Xiaoqin …

Kentucky Senate Votes to Expand Family Leave as Insurance Product

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A bipartisan bill aimed at expanding access to paid family leave won final passage Thursday as Kentucky’s legislature shifted into overdrive before a two-week break. The Senate voted 36-0 to send the family leave legislation to …

US Home Insurance Premiums May Hit a Record This Year, Report Warns

US home insurance rates are expected to reach a record high this year, with the biggest increases occurring in states prone to severe weather events, according to a new analysis. The average premium for homeowners insurance in the US is …

FEMA: SW Florida Stripped of Flood Insurance Discounts After ‘Improper Rebuilds’

After spiking premiums, nonrenewals and complaints about unpaid claims, more than 115,000 property owners in southwest Florida are now facing a new slap in the face after 2022’s Hurricane Ian: 25% higher flood insurance rates because local officials reportedly allowed …

Georgia Lawmakers Approve PTSD Disability Insurance Bill with Smaller Payout

The Georgia General Assembly has approved a less-expensive version of a bill that would provide a type of disability insurance for first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The state Senate last week voted unanimously in favor of House Bill …

J&J to Pay $75 Million to Settle Mississippi’s Baby Powder Suit

Johnson & Johnson will pay $75 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit filed by Mississippi over the company’s talc-based baby powder, according to people familiar with the matter, resolving litigation in which the state had sought as much as …

FBI: Murdaugh Lied About Where Stolen Money Went and Who Helped Him Steal

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh didn’t tell the truth when FBI agents repeatedly asked him where more than $6 million he stole ended up and whether another attorney not yet identified helped him steal from clients and his law firm, federal …

Southeast News Archives by Month