Illinois News

The Busiest Agency Buyers in 2008

Brown & Brown December: Stewart & Tunno Insurance Agency Inc., Portland, Ore. November: Small Business Unit of Conner Strong, Cherry Hill, N.J.; Agency Associates Inc., Zionsville; Health Insurance Exchange, Seattle, Wash. October: Al Phillips Insurance Agency, Nashville, Tenn. August: Advanced …

My New Markets

The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com. Baby Products MarketScout: www.marketscout.com gives agents access to a products liability market for baby products. …

Euclid Insurance Acquires Illinois American Insurance Agency

Euclid Insurance Services, Inc., has acquired Park Ridge, Ill.-based The American Insurance Agency, Inc., a retail insurance agency offering commercial property/casualty, employee benefits and personal lines insurance services to clients throughout the Midwest. The American Insurance Agency specializes in providing …

Best Affirms First Hawaii ‘A’ Ratings

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of First of Hawaii Group and its members. The outlook for all ratings is stable. (See below for a detailed …

‘Judicial Hellhole’ Report Pushes Need for Balanced Civil Justice System

The American Tort Reform Foundation’s (ATRF) annual Judicial Hellholes report, released on Dec. 16, sheds a spotlight on some of the worst judicial environments in the country and highlights the importance of fighting for a balanced civil justice system in …

State Farm Loses Second Bid for 47% Rate Hike in Florida

An administrative law judge in Florida on Friday rejected a 47.1 percent average rate increase sought by State Farm Florida, the state’s largest privately owned property insurer. The Florida-only affiliate of Illinois-based State Farm Insurance Co. failed to show its …

FBI Launches Investigation of Bankrupt Brooke Corp.

Federal authorities have launched an investigation into the finances of bankrupt Brooke Corp. The court-appointed special master for the Overland Park-based banking and insurance services provider, Albert Riederer, told The Kansas City Star for a story published on Dec. 12 …

Government Appeals $8.6 Million Judgment in Illinois Malpractice Case

The U.S. government wants a federal judge in Illinois to trim his $8.6 million judgement over a former Scott Air Force Base doctor’s failure to properly treat a woman’s case of flesh-eating bacteria. Federal Magistrate Judge Philip Frazier in East …

Best Affirms Zurich Ratings; Revises Outlook to Stable

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of Zurich Insurance Company (ZIC), the main operating company of Zurich Financial Services (ZFS) and its subsidiaries. Best also …

Natonal Committee Urges Levee Checks Due to Midwest Flooding

America needs a complete inventory of all levees and a national safety standard for the last line of defense against floods, members of the National Committee on Levee Safety said on Dec. 10. The committee formed as the result of …