earnings News

New Jersey Jury Awards Doctor $7M in Personal Injury Case

A New Jersey jury has awarded $7.2 million to a doctor who sued the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey after she fell and broke her elbow at a North Jersey rail station. Lawyers for Soma Mandal of …

S&P Warns P/C Insurers on Reserving Practices

Property/casualty (P/C) insurers have turned to releasing significant amounts of reserves in the past couple of years, even as the underlying business conditions have deteriorated, but may have to slow this practice, according to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. “We …

BP Claims Payments Don’t Cover Fishing Season That Got Away

Carol Terrebonne, a wholesale retailer who buys shrimp off the boats in southern Louisiana, laughs when asked about the $5,000 hardship payout she has received from energy giant BP to cushion the economic impact of the Gulf oil spill. “It …

S&P Lowers State Auto Group’s Ratings to ‘A-‘; Outlook Stable

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on the operating insurance companies of State Auto Group to ‘A-‘ from ‘A’. S&P also lowered its counterparty credit rating on State Auto Financial Corp. to …

Best Affirms RLI Group’s ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of RLI Group and its members. Best also affirmed the ICR of “a-” and debt rating of “a-” on $100 …

Ratings Recap: Frankenmuth, Oregon Dental, Sooner, Commercial Casualty

A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from’ A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of Frankenmuth Insurance and its member companies, and has revised its outlook on the rating to stable …

Ratings Roundup: Infinity, West Bend Mutual

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of Infinity Property & Casualty Group and its operating members. Best also affirmed the ICR of “bbb” and debt rating …

Ratings Recap: Hatherley, Attorneys Liability

A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating to “a” from “a-” of Bermuda-based Hatherley Insurance Ltd., both with stable outlooks. The ratings reflect Hatherley’s “strong risk-adjusted capitalization, excellent …

Ratings: United Educators, North Country, Stonebridge, Farmers Union, Park, So. United Fire

A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) of United Educators Insurance, a Vermont-based Reciprocal Risk Retention Group (UE), with stable outlooks. The ratings reflect …

S&P Affirms Hannover Re’s ‘AA-‘ Ratings; Outlook Revised to ‘Stable’

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on German reinsurer Hannover Rueckversicherung AG (Hannover Re) and on various operating entities to stable from negative. S&P also affirmed the ‘AA-‘ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on …