Maryland News

Incoming W.Va. House Speaker Vows to ‘Lead from Middle’

The next speaker of West Virginia’s House of Delegates will be receptive to measures pressing large employers like Wal-Mart for better health care benefits and overhauling the grievance process for public workers, his supporters said Sunday. But the nomination of …

Declarations

Contingent commission ban “Many industries — not just the insurance industry — rely on performance-based compensation, which is legal, honest and brings many benefits to the insurance marketplace, as it does to our entire American economy. Eliminating all contingent compensation …

People and Places

The van Aartrijk Group LLC, a Washington, D.C.-area marketing and communications firm, is augmenting its branding and public affairs capabilities with the promotion of one executive and addition of another, according to Peter van Aartrijk, chief executive officer. Maureen P. …

New Fire Science Throws Arson Convictions Across the Nation into Doubt

The clues were everywhere. A young woman lay dead in a burned cabin at a church camp in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, while her father survived. Most of the lessons taught to budding fire investigators stood out at the scene. The …

Zurich agrees to terms to close multi-state bid-rigging probe

In separate but related move, N.Y., Conn., Ill. tell four insurers contingent commissions no longer an option Ten states, led by Texas and its Attorney General Greg Abbott, have come to terms with Zurich American, closing their probe into the …

New Markets

Monoline Auto Classes, Small Commercial Businesses Nuts & Bolts: Zurich’s small business agents now have more than 500 monoline auto classes to sell. The company has opened an additional 257 existing America Premier classes for monoline auto and added 238 …

New Markets

Coastal Property — Texas Nuts & Bolts: Western Security Surplus has increased capacity to write coastal property coverage in Texas, including wind and hail, Tier 1 and 2 counties. The property coverage is offered via a non-admitted “A” rated market …

New Markets

Trucking Operations Nuts & Bolts: Kansas-based Interstate Insurance Management and Swiss Re’s Commercial Insurance announce the immediate expansion of their insurance program for the trucking industry into Virginia and Indiana. The program, which has been in operation since 1970, provides …

New Markets

Monoline Auto Classes, Small Commercial Nuts & Bolts: Zurich’s small business agents now have more than 500 monoline auto classes to sell. The company has opened an additional 257 existing America Premier classes for monoline auto and added 238 new …

Zurich agrees to terms to close multi-state bid-rigging probe

News Currents Ten states, led by Texas and its Attorney General Greg Abbott, have come to terms with Zurich American, closing their probe into the insurer’s involvement in alleged bid-rigging and unfair compensation practices in the commercial insurance market. The …