State and Regional News

Loss of Insurance Job Cited in California School Shooting Case

The man suspected of opening fire at a Carlsbad elementary school, wounding two girls, had a minor brush with the law in 2002 in Illinois when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor telephone harassment, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Bonnie Ramirez …

Mississippi Casino’s Barge Not Liable for Marina’s Damage During Katrina

The owners of a Biloxi marina damaged by a casino-owned barge that came loose during Hurricane Katrina are considering an appeal of a Mississippi court ruling that the casino is not liable for the destruction. Last week, the state Court …

Earthquake Rattles Parts of Oklahoma

An earthquake has rattled parts of central Oklahoma and was felt as far away as southern Kansas. There are no reports of damage or injury. Geophysicist Don Blakeman with the National Earthquake Information Center said the earthquake struck at 9:06 …

Indiana Young Agent Receives Prestigious National Award

The National Young Agents Committee (YAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) presented the second annual Young Agents State Liaison of the Year award to Steve Duff, Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, …

North Carolina Opens Criminal Probe of Insurance Agent Who Killed Himself

State Insurance Department officials say they have begun a criminal investigation into the businesses of a Fayetteville man who killed himself in August. The Fayetteville Observer reported that a spokeswoman says the state Insurance Department has begun the investigation of …

Tennessee High Court Blocks Hospital Lien on Insurer’s Benefit Payment

Hospitals are not entitled to place liens on insurance benefits paid by insurers to third party service providers, the Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled. The case involved a man, Kevin L. Holt, who was injured in a car crash in …

Massey Cited for Serious Violations at West Virginia Mine

A surprise inspection has turned up serious safety violations that could have caused an explosion at another Massey Energy Co. coal mine in West Virginia, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration announced last week. Inspectors caught Massey illegally cutting …

Fire Surcharge Omitted From California Budget

Insurers are thanking their lucky stars, that for the third year in a row, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to impose a 4.8 percent statewide surcharge on all residential and commercial property insurance premiums for fire suppression efforts did not …

Supreme Court Finds Vaccine Liability Law Confusing

U.S. Supreme Court justices admitted Tuesday that they were confused by a 1986 law that seeks to make sure that vaccine makers do not exit the business for fear of lawsuits, while ensuring that children hurt by vaccines are compensated. …

Enforcement Issues Complicate Mississippi’s Efforts on Texting Drivers

Undoubtedly bills will be filed to strengthen Mississippi’s texting-while-driving ban during the 2011 legislative session, and questions about enforcement are sure to be raised. A law enacted in 2009 banned beginning teenage drivers from sending text messages from behind the …