Government News

Willis Research Network to Assess Impact of ‘Extreme Events’

Willis Group Holdings announced that its research network partner (WRN – www.willisresearchnetwork.com), a collaboration between academia, industry and government, “is marshalling the expertise of its international membership base to assess the physical, strategic, operational, and financial risks posed by extreme …

California Processes 15.5% Fewer Surplus Line Premiums

State To Increase Surplus Line Requirements The Surplus Line Association of California has processed $1.9 billion in premium for the first six months of 2010, a decrease of 15.5 percent compared to the same period in 2009. The total number …

What to Watch in the World of D&O

Every year it’s worth noting the list of the current hot topics in the world of directors’ and officers’ liability. As should be obvious from this year’s list, there is a lot going on now, with further changes ahead. Here …

University Study of P/C Insurers Finds Bad CEOs Can Wreck Companies

When companies go out of business, their leaders often blame something other than their own performance for the failure. Lehman Bros.’s CEO Richard Fuld said his compensation package had nothing to do with his firm’s death in 2008. Ken Lay …

The Future for Independent Insurance Agencies

Proactively Manage Your Future and Be Ready for Change I believe the future of independent insurance agencies is at a tipping point. A number of forces are pushing agencies toward the precipice of major change. A few of those forces …

Pennsylvania Ponders Increased Auto Liability Limits

A new bill introduced to the Pennsylvania senate would double the minimum liability amounts of auto insurance policies in the state. Current laws set minimum liability limits for bodily injury at $15,000 per person and $30,000 for a group of …

Court: Government Contractor Not Immune to New Orleans Levee Suit

A government contractor isn’t immune from claims that it performed shoddy work that resulted in the failure of a New Orleans levee system during Hurricane Katrina, a federal appeals court has ruled. This week’s ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit …

Agents to Calif. State Fund: Please Pay Commissions

Insurance agents and brokers want the California State Compensation Insurance Fund to change its broker of service policy and instead recognize broker of record (BOR) letters. While the policy not to recognize BOR letters is not new, the Alliance of …

U.S. Group Health Premiums Rose 3% in 2009; Individual Up 15%

U.S. health insurers took in 7 percent more revenue from premiums from individual, group and other policies in 2009 than in the previous year, even as the number of those people with coverage fell, according to a report released on …

Judge Urges BP Oil Disaster Litigants to Settle, Avoid Trial

The U.S. judge overseeing the hundreds lawsuits filed by shrimpers, restaurateurs and others against BP Plc and its partners as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill urged the parties on Thursday to consider an agreement to avoid …