Monthly Archives: <span>January 2007</span>

Judge Reduces State Farm’s Punitive Damages in Miss. Katrina Case

The federal judge overseeing the Katrina claims cases in Mississippi has reduced a recent $2.5 million jury award of punitive damages against State Farm to $1 million. U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter ruled that a punitive damage award that is …

Allstate Profit Rose 17% in 4th Quarter

Allstate Corp., the second-biggest U.S. personal-lines insurer behind State Farm, said its fourth-quarter profit rose 17 percent as it continued to benefit from a benign year for hurricanes. The $1.21 billion (euro930 million) quarterly profit ran Allstate’s earnings for the …

Group Urges Legislators to Reintroduce Surplus Lines Reform Bill

National Association Professional Surplus Lines Offices is urging members of the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs to enact the surplus lines and reinsurance reform bill introduced in the last Congress. The bill …

Allianz Kyrill Losses Around $452 Million

Germany’s Allianz Group announced that “based on the current state of knowledge,” it estimates net claims of around €350 million ($452 million) before taxes. “The amount of claims is within the scope of expectations based on Allianz’s risk modeling systems, …

Mich. Court Decision Upholds Insurance Code, Insurer Group Says

The American Insurance Association (AIA) today praised a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that it says validates and upholds Michigan’s insurance code by rejecting duplicative methods for enforcement. The ruling was made in the …

Okla. Lawmakers Riled Over Delay in Emergency Declaration

The Bush administration’s delay in issuing a “major disaster declaration” after this month’s devastating ice storm has angered some lawmakers in eastern Oklahoma, where local governments have been financially crippled from cleanup costs. Gov. Brad Henry requested the declaration more …

Many La. Residents Reluctant to Rebuild on Coast

More than 16 months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced an unprecedented exodus from the Louisiana Gulf Coast, tens of thousands of homeowners have decided not to rebuild or have yet to make up their minds, an Associated Press analysis …

Washington Commissioner Issues Multiple Fines, Enforcement Actions

Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner has ordered UnitedHealthcare Insurance Co. of Minneapolis to pay a $59,000 fine following an agency investigation into the company’s use of unapproved contracts to add chiropractors to its provider network. The agency ordered the …

Austin, Texas, Agent Appointed to Encompass Advisory Panel

Austin, Texas, independent insurance agent Vicky Lindsey has been named to the national board of NorthStar, the agent advisory panel for Encompass Insurance. Her appointment was effective Jan. 1, 2007. NorthStar provides a forum for a select group of independent …

California AG Reaches $8 Million Settlement with Bayer Corp.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown has reached an $8 million, 30-state settlement with Bayer Corp. that will resolve an enforcement action initiated because of Bayer’s failure to adequately disclose safety risks associated with the use of Baycol, a drug used …