Insurance Journal » Maine

Maine Approves Decrease in WC Loss Costs; $3.5M in Savings Expected

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:34:34 +0000

Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa announced last week that the state’s Bureau of Insurance has received, reviewed and approved the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s 2013 loss cost filing proposing a premium decrease of 1.8 percent; resulting in a cumulative …

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Earthquake in Maine Rattles New England States

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:59:07 +0000

The earthquake that rattled southern Maine was felt in New England states as far away as Connecticut, but caused no apparent damage or injuries. Patrons of a pizza parlor near the epicenter of Tuesday’s quake didn’t know what was going …

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French Fries Spark Apartment Blaze in Maine

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:58:25 +0000

Fire investigators say a woman making a late night snack of french fries sparked a fire in a Pittsfield, Maine, apartment building that left 12 people homeless. The fire, which started last Saturday night, began when a woman in a …

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Maine Motorcycle Death Total Up; 20 Fatalities So Far This Year

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:12:10 +0000

The Maine Public Safety Department says the number of motorcycle deaths on the state’s highways is outpacing last year’s figure. The state’s highway death toll so far this year as of Sept. 23 stands at 120, with 20 of those …

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Ex-Maine Cheerleader Sues School for Injury Suffered During Practice

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:00:03 +0000

A former Poland Regional High School cheerleader has sued her coach and the school district for head injuries she says she received during practice. Olivia Doyer of Mechanic Falls and her parents, Douglas and Roxanne Doyer, filed the lawsuit Tuesday …

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Maine State Worker Guilty of Workers Comp Fraud

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:21:26 +0000

A state Transportation Department worker has been convicted of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of workers compensation benefits by doing strenuous activities at his home when he was supposedly too hurt to work. Clinton Ashby III of Pembroke was found …

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Maine Regulator Highlights New App That Helps Motorists in Accidents

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:51:41 +0000

Maine’s top insurance regulator is highlighting a new mobile application that can help motorists take the guesswork out of auto accidents. Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa said this week that a new “WreckCheck” mobile application from the National Association of …

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3 Maine Agencies Included in State’s Annual ‘Best Places to Work’ List

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:43:16 +0000

Three independent insurance agencies in Maine have made the state’s seventh annual “Best Places to Work in Maine” list. The list is published by the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management. It recognizes 42 local businesses …

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Report: OSHA Fines Maine Company in Worker’s Death

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:12:10 +0000

A news report says an Augusta, Maine, construction company has been cited for violations and fined in the death of an employee after a house collapsed. Morning Sentinel reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Kennebec Home Improvements …

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Number of Highway Deaths in Maine Up 50% Over Last Year

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:26:50 +0000

Public safety officials say the number of highway deaths in Maine is up 50 percent over last year.The Bureau of Highway Safety says 97 people have died on Maine roads so far this year as of last Friday, August 10. …

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Maine-Based Insurance Firm Buys Naming Rights to New Bangor Arena

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:28:25 +0000

The City of Bangor, Maine, announced last Friday that its new 8,000-seat multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue currently under construction will be named the Cross Insurance Center as a result of a new, long-term naming rights agreement with Cross Insurance.The …

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Maine Advises Residents to Assess Storm Risks, Review Flood Insurance

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:56:13 +0000

Maine’s top insurance regulator is advising state residents to assess the risks associated with severe weather, and take steps to protect themselves and their property. Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa reminded residents this week that most homeowners insurance policies do …

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Homeowners’ Complaints About Bears Soaring Across Maine‎

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:58:30 +0000

Maine wildlife officials say the number of complaints about bears has more than doubled so far this year.Officials say between Jan. 1 and July 3, the Maine Warden Service had received 542 complaints from the public about bears. That’s up …

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Maine Gov. LePage Attacks Supreme Court’s Healthcare Ruling

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:53:35 +0000

Maine Gov. Paul LePage used his weekly radio address this past Saturday to attack the Supreme Court’s decision that upheld the president’s health care law. He also described the Internal Revenue Service as the “new Gestapo.”LePage says the court’s decision …

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Maine Workers’ Comp Reform Bill Signed Into Law

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:58:14 +0000

A new Maine bill that brings wide-ranging changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system was signed into law last week. The bill, signed into law by Maine Gov. Paul LePage, is called An Act to Review and Restructure the Workers’ …

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Maine House OKs Workers’ Compensation Overhaul

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:12:10 +0000

A workers’ compensation overhaul bill that Republicans say brings Maine’s law into line with other states has won initial House passage. Representatives voted 75-71 last Thursday along party lines, with majority Republicans saying the bill makes reforms in a program …

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Quarter Century Since Epic Maine Flood

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:44:55 +0000

Sunday, April 1, marked the 25th anniversary of one of the worst floods in Maine history. On April 1, 1987, major rivers overflowed their banks, ripping out bridges and roads, destroying homes and wrecking businesses. Experts called it a 500-year …

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Maine Drops Workers’ Comp Rate Again

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:24:40 +0000

Maine insurance regulators have approved another drop in the state’s workers’ compensation rates — the second in less than a month. A 3.2 percent decrease announced on Nov. 18 was expected to reduce workers’ compensation insurance premiums by $6.1 million …

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Maine Workers’ Comp Rates to Go Down Next Year

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:49:29 +0000

Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa said the Bureau of Insurance has approved the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s request to decrease workers’ comp loss costs in the state by an average of 3.2 percent for policy year 2012. Cioppa said …

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Maine Ski Area Not Responsible for Man’s Injuries

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:46:29 +0000

A jury has ruled that a Maine ski resort was not responsible for injuries suffered by a Bethel man who fell off a chairlift on a windy day. The Oxford County Superior Court jury ruled on Monday, Oct. 31, that …

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TD Insurance Appoints Nash in Maine Office

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:33:36 +0000

TD Insurance has appointed Karen Nash as assistant vice president and account administration manager in employee benefits in Portland, Maine. Nash will manage a staff of customer service agents who service employer group clients located across the TD Bank footprint …

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Cioppa Nominated to Be Next Maine Insurance Commissioner

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:59:51 +0000

Maine Governor Paul LePage has chosen Eric Cioppa to be the next superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance. Cioppa has been serving as acting superintendent since June when former Superintendent Mila Kofman resigned from the post. The Maine Senate …

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Maine’s Northeast Bancorp Sells Its Insurance Group to 2 Local Agencies

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:34:25 +0000

Lewiston, Maine-based Northeast Bank Insurance Group has been acquired by local agencies in two separate transactions effective Sept. 1. The Varney Agency, of Bangor, Maine, will purchase the assets of nine Northeast Bank insurance offices covering southern, central, and western …

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Highway Deaths in Maine Down for 4th Straight Year

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:46:13 +0000

Highway deaths in Maine are down for the fourth year in a row. The Bureau of Public Safety said 61 people have died on Maine roads so far this year. That’s down from 88 deaths at this time last year. …

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Maine Jury Awards Nursing Student $300K

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:40:05 +0000

A jury has awarded a Maine student $300,000 in a lawsuit she filed against a nursing school that expelled her after she complained of sexual harassment by a male instructor. The InterCoast Career Institute, a California-based school that operated a …

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Maine City Debates Home Fire Sprinkler Mandate

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:47:22 +0000

The debate over whether to mandate fire sprinklers in new homes is heating up in Maine. South Portland City Council is expected to take up the issue later this summer. If it passes, South Portland would join Portland, Westbrook and …

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Small Earthquake Felt in Eastern Maine

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:27:54 +0000

A small earthquake across Maine’s Blue Hill peninsula prompted a handful of calls to law enforcement officials, but no damages were reported. According to the Weston Observatory at Boston College, the magnitude 2.3 quake happened at 5:23 a.m. Thursday and …

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Maine Police Brutality Case Settled

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:53:51 +0000

A Maine man is going to get $725,000 as part of a police brutality settlement that was reached as the case was set to go to trial in federal court. Ronald Eaton of Deer Isle had sued several Hancock County …

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How Workers’ Compensation Politics Shut Maine Government 20 Years Ago

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:25:00 +0000

The hallways of Maine’s State House were jammed with irate, screaming protesters, and scores of state workers pitched a tent “union city” in a park across the street. The already cool relations between the political parties had sunk to a …

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Hall Named Top Exec at Great Falls

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:00:33 +0000

Maine-based Great Falls Insurance Co., a newly licensed insurer specializing workers’ compensation coverage has named Gary Hall as president and CEO. Hall has three decades of insurance experience, with a majority of that experience being in Maine and northern New …

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