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California’s Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee approved two bills — one allowing insurance cmpanies to require spyware to be installed in vehicles, and the other clarifying the duties of an agent versus those of a broker. AB 2956 would provide that an insurance agent is a person who transacts insurance other than life, disability or health insurance on behalf of an admitted insurance company. The bill “would establish a rebuttable presumption, subject to exception, that a person is acting as an insurance broker if the application shows that the person is acting as an insurance broker and is licensed… Read More »Agent-Broker, Spyware Bills Approved in California

Do you drive one of these cars?1991 Honda Accord1995 Honda Civic1989 Toyota Camry1994 Dodge Caravan1994 Nissan Sentra1997 Ford F150 Series1990 Acura Integra1986 Toyota Pickup1993 Saturn SL 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup If so, you drive one of the top ten most stolen vehicles in the U.S, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The NICB estimates that a car is stolen every 25.5 seconds.People can do more to prevent theft, according to a recent release from the Insurance Information Institute. “All too often, consumer attitudes about preventing vehicle thefts are based on misconceptions, which can lead to expensive consequences for… Read More »What You Should Know About Car Theft

Employers do not have the right to read the contents of employees’ text messages that are obtained from a third-party provider, says a federal appellate court decision. A unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco also held in its decision Wednesday in Quon vs. Arch Wireless Operating Co. Inc. that the city of Ontario, Calif., had violated the constitutional privacy rights of a policeman and the recipients of his text messages when it obtained copies of the messages from Arch Wireless Operating, a unit of Westborough, Mass.-based Arch Wireless Inc. Arch provided two-way… Read More »Employers do not have the right to read the contents of employees’ text messages

There’s trouble in Toyland, but there are ways to find safe products By Herb Weisbaum ‘Tis the season for toy giving. This year, however, is like no other. The fear of buying tainted toys is creating enormous anxiety for parents. “It’s reasonable for parents to be concerned about what they’re bringing home for their kids,” says toy expert Stephanie Oppenheim. “This is not a normal toy season.” So far this year, a record 23 million toys have been recalled. And the numbers keep growing. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has indicated there may be more dangerous toys pulled off… Read More »How to Buy Toys Without a Lot of Worry

Tech savvy UK teens are using Google Earth’s aerial shots to create the latest summertime craze – pool crashing. The Register Hardware site confirmed several pool trespassing cases with local UK police.Google Earth is used to locate suitable pools and then Facebook is used to organize the pool crash parties.Teens begin by surfing Google Earth’s satellite images to find houses with swimming pools. Once a target has been identified, teens then use Facebook to arrange an organized, but uninvited, pool-crash.A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police has already told the Daily Mail that owners of swimming pools should be on… Read More »Is Homeowner Liable For Accident in Pool?

A 56-year-old West Bend, Wis. man will serve five years in prison for drunk driving and causing the death of his 9-year-old son. John B. Ibeme will also serve seven years of extended supervision and two years of probation following his sentence Monday in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court.Judge Robert Wirtz says prison time was necessary to address theseriousness of the crime. He pointed out Ibeme’s blood alcohol level was .144 _ nearly double the legal limit _ at the time of the crash.Authorities say in March 2007, Ibeme was driving and crossed the center line and hit a… Read More »Don’t Drink and Drive: Man Receives 5-year Sentence in DUI Crash that Killed Son

More than 6,000 retail investors who lost out in the collapse of Italian dairy company Parmalat plan to sue two auditors and two banks including Citigroup for tens of millions of euros in damages , a consumer group said. The lawsuit would be the latest in a series of legal cases in Italy and the United States around the Italian food group. Somma said the small investors together owned less than 5 percent of the company’s old shares.Often dubbed “Europe’s Enron” in reference to the failed U.S. energy trading company, Parmalat collapsed in 2003 under about 14 billion euros ($21.68… Read More »Interesting Case: Parmalat retail investors to sue banks, auditors

Three pieces of legislation will be heard in the Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance committee on Wednesday, June 17, 2008. Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s AB 2800 would allow insurance companies to require drivers to install spyware in their cars that tracks speed, acceleration, location, time of day, mileage and other data. Sponsors say the bill would encourage motorists to drive less by lowering insurance rates for lower mileage. However, the consuemr group Consumer Watchdog says AB 2800 would give discounts to drivers who put black box technology in their cars, not those with low mileage.“Insurers want to know where we drive,… Read More »Agent-Broker Bill. The battle continues…

A San Diego man has been sentenced for insurance fraud. On May 21, 2008, Ramon Romo was sentenced to 180 days in San Diego Superior Court and ordered to pay more than $25,000 in restitution in addition to $680 in fines. On June 6, 2005, Romo fractured his thumb while on the job, and filed a workers’ compensation claim with his employer, NASSCO. Several months later, he added claims for back, neck and right shoulder injuries, claiming the injuries occurred at the same time as his thumb injury. In December 2005, Romo testified under oath that his additional injuries were… Read More »Workers’ Comp Fraud: Man Sentenced