Washington News

Gulf Hurricane Insurance Bill Unlikely to Pass, Again

In Pascagoula, Miss., on the Gulf Coast, agent Laverne Nelson has to get windstorm coverage for her personal property from the state wind pool. That is because in April her property insurer, MetLife, dropped her wind coverage. Before that, she …

Court: Government Contractor Not Immune to New Orleans Levee Suit

A government contractor isn’t immune from claims that it performed shoddy work that resulted in the failure of a New Orleans levee system during Hurricane Katrina, a federal appeals court has ruled. This week’s ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit …

Aging Gas Pipe at Risk of Explosion Nationwide

The tragic gas pipeline explosion in a San Francisco suburb has shed light on a problem usually kept underground: Communities have expanded over pipes built decades earlier when no one lived there. Utilities have been under pressure for years to …

Collins Elected President of Insurance Marketing Communications Assoc.

The Insurance Marketing and Communications Association (IMCA) elected Linda J. Collins as president of the association for a two-year term. Collins is currently vice president, Corporate Communications at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., where she is responsible for strategic communications, …

U.S. Judge Sets December Date for Health Care Suit Hearing

A Florida judge said Tuesday he would hear arguments Dec. 16 on a lawsuit by 20 U.S. states seeking to block President Barack Obama’s overhaul of the U.S. health care system. U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson, who is weighing a …

Halliburton, Transocean Reject BP’s Claims; Court Battles Loom

BP Plc and its Gulf of Mexico oil well partners traded blame Wednesday after an internal BP investigation tried to downplay the company’s role in the world’s biggest offshore spill. The 193-page BP report offered a preview of how the …

Flood Report for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Calls for Better Protection System

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a draft report that calls for a better, if limited, flood-protection system in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Cedar River swamped the city in 2008, covering 10 square miles. The city’s existing system …

People

Ohio-based Westfield Insurance Group selected James R. Clay as its next group leader and CEO. Clay currently serves as insurance leader and president. He has served the company for more than 30 years in numerous capacities. Clay will replace Robert …

People

Stephen A. Korducki, a senior insurance and reinsurance executive, has been elected president and CEO of Sunshine State Insurance Co. Inc. (SSIC), a homeowners insurance writer in Florida. Korducki succeeds John E. Rogan who is retiring after leading the company …

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. Contractors Preferred Program Market Detail: Tangram Consulting and Underwriting Services Contractors Preferred Program is a …