Monthly Archives: <span>December 2017</span>

A.M. Best Removes Michigan’s Conifer Holdings, Subsidiaries from Under Review

A.M. Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb” of Birmingham, Michigan-based Conifer Insurance Co. (Conifer). Also confirmed were …

Michigan Moped Driver Hurt By Low-Hanging Wire Awarded $2.9M at Trial

A jury has awarded $2.9 million to a moped driver who was badly injured when he struck a low-hanging telecommunications wire in Michigan. The Ann Arbor News reports a Washtenaw County jury last week reached the verdict saying Kevin Michaels …

Company Co-Owner Pleads Guilty in Louisiana’s Camp Minden Explosion Case

One of the owners of a company that abandoned thousands of tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant in Louisiana has admitted lying in order to be awarded federal contracts to “demilitarize” the smokeless powder, known as M6. Explo Systems co-owner …

Takata Airbag Led to Death in Louisiana Honda Civic Crash

Honda Motor Co.’s North American unit and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed on that a ruptured airbag inflator of Takata Corp. used in a Honda Civic caused the death of the driver on July 10. The 2004 model …

Lemonade OK’d to Offer Insurance in Arkansas

Insurtech company, Lemonade, has received a Certificate of Authority to do business in Arkansas. Lemonade Insurance Co. has been approved to sell property, casualty and marine products in Arkansas with an initial limit to renters insurance. A New York-domiciled property/casualty …

Blakey Named President, CEO of Starr Insurance Holdings as Dangelo Retires

Starr Companies announced the appointment of Steve Blakey as president and chief executive officer of Starr Insurance Holdings. Blakey replaces Chuck Dangelo, who has announced his retirement. Dangelo has been with Starr since 2009, when he left American International Group …

Amtrak in Washington 50 Mph Over Speed Limit Before Deadly Derailment

Federal officials confirmed an Amtrak train was hurtling 50 mph over the speed limit when it careened off an overpass south of Seattle, spilling cars onto the highway below and killing at least three people. Bella Dinh-Zarr, a National Transportation …

Startup Trov, Munich Re to Insure Riders of Waymo’s Self-Driving Car Service

Trov, an on-demand insurance startup, plans to provide trip insurance for passengers using Waymo’s soon-to-be launched self-driving, ride-hailing service. Waymo, formerly Google’s self-driving car project, plans to launch the commercial ride-hailing service for members of the public starting in Phoenix …

Maryland Woman Charged with Setting Her Trailer Home on Fire

Fire officials say a Maryland woman has been charged with setting a fire that destroyed her trailer home and injured her adult son. The Office of the State Fire Marshal says in a news release that fire marshals served a …

A.M. Best Upgrades Pennsylvania’s Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance

A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating of Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Marble, Penn., to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” from “a-“. The outlooks of these Credit Ratings have …