A newspaper investigation finds that few fire departments in fast-growing central Ohio are meeting the national standard for response time to fires. The Columbus Dispatch reports that of 84 departments in the central Ohio region, 49 make it to building fires within six minutes less than half the time. The National Fire Protection Association wants departments to get to a… Read More »Many Ohio Fire Departments Lag in Response Time
Despite assurance from state regulators that the insurance subsidiaries of American International Group (AIG) are financially sound, insurance producers are moving accounts from AIG. A survey by Insurance Journal of 1,000 insurance producers including 782 who say they have accounts with AIG found that 343 producers have had clients ask them to move their account out of AIG. That’s 43.8… Read More »Insurance Producers Start to Move Business from AIG to Competitors
Insurers are not allowed to bring equitable subrogation actions premised on professional negligence against attorneys, the Colorado Court of Appeals has ruled. According to State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., as subrogee of Running Bear Homeowners Association v. Robert G. Weiss and Weiss and Van Scoyk LLP, attorney Robert Weiss ddrafted a association covenant for Running Bear Homeowners Association. The HOA… Read More »Insurer Can’t Bring Subrogation Claim Against Attorney
Trucking companies should work harder to enforce that their drivers get rest, and the government should move toward mandating the use of alarm systems to alert exhausted truckers, a federal board recommended. While drivers are ultimately responsible for getting enough rest, trucking companies and the government should also make the nation’s roads safer by studying fledgling technology that would keep… Read More »Wisconsin Sleep-Related Truck Crash Prompts Federal Call for Research
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur with a centrist political style, took an initial step toward seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2010. Poizner filed papers with the secretary of state’s office to form an exploratory committee as he considers entering the race to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fellow Republican who is termed out… Read More »Calif. Insurance Commissioner Considers 2010 Bid
Hawaii’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ (DCCA) Insurance Division announced that the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has filed a request for a decrease of 11.6 percent in the workers’ compensation loss costs. The filing would affect premiums beginning Jan. 1, 2009. The reduction is based on a continuing decrease in the number of claims filed in 2006… Read More »Hawaii Files for 11.6% Workers’ Comp Decrease
A Texas consumer group took issue with the state-chartered windstorm insurance association over its refusal to pay coastal residents for storm surge damage in Hurricane Ike. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association says it only intends to pay Gulf Coast policyholders for wind damage, not water surge damage. Association general manager Jim Oliver said on a conference call with industry representatives:… Read More »Storm Surge Not Covered in Texas Windstorm Association Policies
You don’t have to own waterfront property to need flood insurance Flood insurance…when you know the facts, it’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity. LOW COST FLOOD INSURANCE FOR YOUR BUSINESS Did you know that you can buy low cost flood insurance for your business or commercial buildingeven if you live in an area that is a low to moderate… Read More »FLOOD INSURANCE
Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has proposed a 3 percent increase in 2009 workers’ compensation rates. Average premiums would go up by just under 2 cents per hour worked. Because Washington premiums are based on hours worked, L&I must adjust rates for wage inflation. Other states assess premiums as a percentage of payroll and, as a result, wage… Read More »Washington Proposes 3% Increase in Workers’ Comp Rates
Responding to the federal government’s bail-out of AIG, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner issued the following statement, noting the two dozen companies under the AIG corporate umbrella that are licensed to sell insurance in California. “I have made monitoring the AIG issue the No. 1 priority of my department. The Federal action offers maximum protection for AIG insurance customers in… Read More »California Commissioner Issues Statement on AIG
