Alabama News

Business Moves

Arthur J. Gallagher, Joseph James & Associates Illinois-based insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., has acquired Joseph James & Associates of Dublin, Ohio. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 1989, Joseph …

Florida Jury Awards $2.4 Million in First Chinese Drywall Trial

A Florida couple who fled their dream home because of foul-smelling, ruinous Chinese drywall was awarded $2.4 million in damages in America’s first jury trial over the defective wallboard that could have legal ramifications for thousands of similar cases. The …

West Faces High Wildfire Potential

Arizona Wildfire Incurs $1.8 Million in Claims An Arizona wildfire that has burned 15,075 acres and incurred $6.9 million in claims to date might be the first example of the fire risks the Western United States are facing in 2010. …

U.S. Launches Pre-Existing Condition Health Insurance Plan

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the launch of a Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to uninsured Americans who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health …

BancorpSouth Insurance Exec Re-Elected to Louisiana Guaranty Board

BancorpSouth Insurance Services president Markham McKnight has been re-elected as treasurer of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association (LIGA) board. McKnight brings 28 years of experience to his position. In addition to his role as president of BancorpSouth Insurance Services, McKnight …

CNA Opens Los Angeles Office

CNA Financial Corp. has opened a new branch office in Los Angeles to extend the company’s geographic footprint and enable closer proximity to its agents, brokers and customers. “Our new Los Angeles branch is a tangible symbol of our strategy …

Alabama Residents Sue Firms Over Coal Ash Dumping in Tennessee

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 64 Perry County, Ala. residents against the companies operating a landfill receiving coal ash from a spill in Tennessee. The lawsuit filed in Perry County Circuit Court is against the owners and …

Oxendine Still Georgia GOP Favorite Despite Insurance Donations Probe

A state probe into insurance industry contributions funneled to Republican John Oxendine is turning into a drawn-out saga, which opponents are trying to use to cast an ethical cloud over his campaign for governor. With less than a month left …

A Look at the More Than 240 Lawsuits Against BP in U.S.

BP Plc faces at least 243 U.S. lawsuits so far arising from its role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, in what is considered by some the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history. The vast majority of the lawsuits …

Cyclist’s Death Spurs Push for Alabama Road Safety

Before she was killed cycling in Tennessee last month, Sharon Bayler lobbied Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle to adopt a “Complete Streets” policy. Now some of Bayler’s friends are carrying on her campaign to make local roads safer for bicyclists, pedestrians …