Massachusetts News

Mass. Officials Pinpoint Cause of Fire That Injured 6

Fire investigators say a weekend blaze at a Malden apartment building that sent six people to the hospital was caused by an electrical problem. The fire forced dozens from their homes early Saturday morning and caused an estimated $6 million …

Safety Agrees to Change Motorcycle Premium Calculations in Massachusetts

Boston-based insurer Safety Insurance Group Inc. said it has reached an agreement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to change the way in which it calculated motorcycle insurance premiums for certain types of coverage dating back to January 1, 2002. …

The Hanover Insurance: Focused on Niches, Says More Acquisitions Likely

The Hanover Insurance Group Inc.’s CEO Frederick H. Eppinger expects the western United States to be a key growth driver for the super-regional insurer in the next several years. Having just entered into a renewal rights agreement with OneBeacon Insurance …

Recent Tragedy Forcing Mississippi to Face Its Poor Fire Prevention Record

The nine fire deaths in Starkville on Dec. 28, including six children ages 6 and under, at the Academy Crossing apartment complex is the worst fatal fire to strike Mississippi in modern history and could cause the state to rise …

Massachusetts Court: No Workers’ Comp for Custodian’s 1999 Injury

A church custodian who was injured in a ladder fall, but waited nearly five years to file a workers’ comp claim is barred from collecting benefits, a Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled. The employee in this case, James Sullivan, was …

Declarations

No Warren Buffett “The heart and soul of what insurance companies should be is underwriting companies. I mean, I tell people there’s only one Warren Buffett, and I’m not him.” —Fred Eppinger, CEO of Worcester, Mass.-based The Hanover Insurance Group, …

New Jersey Court Reverses $260K Award to Family of Student

Fairleigh Dickinson University does not have to pay a $260,000 award to the family of a student who died after drinking heavily and falling from a dorm window four years ago, an appeals court has ruled. Keith Orzech, a 21-year-old …

Insurance Agents Fined for Not Having Written Security Plans

Recent headlines underscore the importance of agents having written security plans to protect the privacy of their clients’ personal information. Not only could a breach of clients’ personal information devastate an agency’s reputation; it is likely to result in the …

Report: Deregulation Made Massachusetts Auto Insurance Market Worse

The deregulation of the Massachusetts auto insurance market has driven up prices, boosted insurer profits, reduced consumer protections and generally created confusion in the marketplace, according to a new report by the state’s attorney general. The report comes roughly two …

Declarations

No Warren Buffett “The heart and soul of what insurance companies should be is underwriting companies. I mean, I tell people there’s only one Warren Buffett, and I’m not him.” —Fred Eppinger, CEO of Worcester, Mass.-based The Hanover Insurance Group, …