Maryland News

Former Md. Insurance Chief Picked to Head Public Utilities Panel

Gov. Martin O’Malley nominated former Maryland Insurance Commissioner Steven Larsen to head the Public Service Commission on Friday, tapping a man with a reputation for standing up for consumers’ interests but with no direct experience in regulating utilities. O’Malley described …

Crawley Joins Burns & Wilcox in Baltimore

National wholesaler Burns & Wilcox announced the addition of Lisa Crawley, who joins the company’s Baltimore office as office manager. The announcement was made by Richard Trippe of the Burns & Wilcox Baltimore office. Crawley specializes in errors & omissions, …

Insurers Dispute Fla. Criticisms of Education and Job Rating Criteria

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies disputed claims made by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation that auto insurance companies use education and occupation underwriting criteria to charge higher premiums to their minority and low-income customers. “Insurance companies do …

Maryland Mulls Ways to Keep Insurers from Abandoning Coastal Properties

Alarmed that homeowners on Maryland’s coasts may one day be cut off from home insurance, state lawmakers are mulling new rules prohibiting insurers from pulling out of areas they deem risky. But insurers met with lawmakers Tuesday to say there’s …

Industry Defends Job, Education as Rating Factors in Fla. Inquiry

Insurers are defending the factors they use in pricing auto insurance, including the occupation and education levels of insureds, arguing that the criteria have been actuarially tested for their ability to predict losses. When they are allowed to use what …

People and Places

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners named its 2007 committee chairs and vice chairs. The new assignments are for one year: International Insurance Relations Committee: chair, Diane Koken, commissioner, Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and vice chair, Dorelisse Juarbe Jiminez, commissioner, Puerto …

Court reverses $20 million jury award to ex-State Farm agents

The Missouri Court of Appeals recently threw out a $20 million jury award to five former State Farm Insurance agents who claimed they were improperly terminated for criticizing the company’s treatment of policyholders. A three-judge panel of the court’s Western …

People and Places

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners named its 2007 committee chairs and vice chairs. The new committee assignments are for one year: Life Insurance and Annuities Committee: chair, Julie McPeak, executive director, Kentucky Office of Insurance, and vice chair, Tim …

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Levees of Concern

CT: East Hartford CT: Torrington, East Branch CT: Torrington, West Branch CT: Waterbury-Watertown, Upper Naugatuck Dike DC: National Park Service, Washington, DC DC: Potomac Park Levee, Washington, DC DC: US Naval Air Station, Washington, DC KY: Maysville KY: Loyall / …

People

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners named its 2007 committee chairs and vice chairs. The new assignments are for one year: International Insurance Relations Committee: chair, Diane Koken, commissioner, Pennsylvania Insurance Department, and vice chair, Dorelisse Juarbe Jiminez, commissioner, Puerto …