West Virginia News

West Virginia Seeks Lower Boating Blood Alcohol Level

West Virginia boaters who like a few drinks while out on the lakes or rivers will have to take it easy if a proposed rule change goes through. The state Division of Natural Resources wants to lower the legal blood …

Feds Hire More than 300 New Coal Mine Safety Inspectors

The federal agency responsible for mine safety has hired more than 300 inspectors over the past two years to scour underground coal operations for unsafe working conditions. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is beefing up its inspections after a …

West Va.’s Open Workers’ Comp Market Attracts 24 New Carriers

All of West Virginia employers, other than governmental entities, on July 1 gained the advantage of being able to shop their workers’ compensation coverage among carriers in a competitive market. Insurance Commissioner Jane L. Cline said all indications are that …

Business Moves

South Carolina Medical Association The South Carolina Medical Association has launched its new subsidiary, the South Carolina Physician Assurance Co. The new insurance company will provide medical malpractice coverage to qualifying physicians who are members of the SCMA. Physician Assurance …

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. International Energy Package Market Detail: MarketScout provides a market for clients needing coverage for foreign …

West Virginia Court Revives 2001 Flood Lawsuits Against Loggers

The West Virginia Supreme Court has revived a pair of lawsuits seeking damages from timber, mining and land companies for devastating 2001 floods. The court reinstated a 2006 jury verdict that improper logging practices allowed by two timberland owners helped …

U.S. Government Ignores Own Advice on ID Theft Prevention

When it comes to the risks of identity theft, the U.S. government isn’t taking its own advice. The nation’s Medicare agency and the Pentagon compel at least 52 million Americans to carry their Social Security numbers in their wallets, contrary …

Labor Talks Resume at West Virginia’s Posh Greenbrier Resort

Contract negotiations have resumed between The Greenbrier and its unions with a meeting resort spokeswoman Lynn Swann called productive. Representatives of the posh White Sulphur Springs resort and the Council of Labor Unions discussed terms for about four hours Monday. …

Court Strips West Va. Bank Executive of Punitive Damages Award

A West Virginia man who says his association with the failed First National Bank of Keystone cost him his banking career should be stripped of a $2.4 million damage award, a federal appeals court has ruled. The 4th U.S. Circuit …

Mine Owners, Unions Compromise on Long-Sought Pennsylvania Safety Bill

Legislation to improve safety in Pennsylvania’s approximately 200 bituminous coal mines was poised to become law after a marathon negotiation yielded a compromise bill endorsed Monday by both the coal companies and mine workers union. The state Senate unanimously approved …