Washington News

Washington Agents Advised to Update Listing on OIC Web Site

Washington agents and brokers are being advised to update the licensing business address with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. In October, the OIC will launch a new search feature on its Web site to help consumers look for an …

Karlen Named President, COO of Michigan-Based FinCor Holdings

John R. Karlen has been appointed president and chief operating officer of FinCor Holdings Inc. (FinCor), a Lansing, Mich.-based subsidiary of Medical Professional Mutual Insurance Co. In this role, Karlen will lead all of the FinCor subsidiaries including MHA Insurance …

Business Moves

Arthur J. Gallagher, Joseph James & Associates Illinois-based insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., has acquired Joseph James & Associates of Dublin, Ohio. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 1989, Joseph …

Non-Resident Blogger Can Be Sued in Florida Over Defamation

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that a non-resident blogger can be sued in the state for posting allegedly defamatory comments about a Florida company on her out-of-state Web site. In a unanimous opinion, the court said that if a …

Coastal Trends

As the hurricane season gains momentum, a new U.S. Census Bureau report, Coastline Population Trends in the United States: 1960 to 2008, helps put into perspective the number of Americans living along the coast who could be affected by storms …

West Faces High Wildfire Potential

Arizona Wildfire Incurs $1.8 Million in Claims An Arizona wildfire that has burned 15,075 acres and incurred $6.9 million in claims to date might be the first example of the fire risks the Western United States are facing in 2010. …

Business Moves

Alteris, Insurent Alteris Inc., a provider for the managing general agency community, has partnered with Insurent Agency Corp. to offer an insurance program focused exclusively on guaranteeing residential leases. Established in 2008, the Insurent Lease Guaranty Program offers financial guarantees …

Bad Weather Hinders BP Oil Cleanup; Oil Invades More Wetlands

Tropical storm Alex slowed oil spill clean-up and containment work in the Gulf of Mexico and drove more petroleum into fragile Gulf wetlands and beaches Thursday, with any permanent fix to BP Plc’s ruptured deep-sea well still several weeks away. …

Michigan Man, Fired for Legal Pot Smoking, Sues Wal-Mart

A Michigan man has sued Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for firing him after he tested positive for medical marijuana he was using legally to treat pain from an inoperable brain tumor and sinus cancer. Joseph Casias, 30, said he was fired …

Premiums for New High Risk Pool to Average $400-$600 Per Month

President Barack Obama’s new health coverage for uninsured people with health problems won’t be cheap — monthly premiums as high as $900, administration officials said. Prices will vary by state and type of coverage from a low of $140 a …