Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Sixth Circuit Highlights the Importance of Policy Definitions
Oct 21 2013 // In one of the more unusual cases interpreting terms of an insurance policy, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati highlighted the importance of policy definitions, finding in Bennett v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins....
The Future is Now for Usage-Based Auto Insurance
Oct 21 2013 // Technology is spurring innovation and altering risk scenarios throughout the economy including in auto insurance. While advanced auto safety features, the shared economy and driverless cars promise to reshape auto...
The Robots Are Coming!
Oct 21 2013 // Robots of the future could improve business efficiencies, but companies must implement risk management beyond legal requirements to minimize accidents and damage to their reputation. In recent years, robotics applications...
Insurance Media CEO, an Ex-Cop, Pulls Man From Burning Wreck
Oct 17 2013 // There may be no such thing as a retired cop; it’s more like they are “off duty.” It’s a mindset that many former police officers and emergency response professionals seem to share. After spending 16...
Premium Finance Firm to Pay $160K for Prematurely Canceling Mass. Auto Policies
Oct 17 2013 // A New York-based premium financing provider has agreed to pay $160,000 to resolve allegations that it illegally cancelled certain financed auto insurance policies affecting close to 100 Massachusetts customers, according...
Study: Michigan Auto Costs Can Drop if Lifetime Care Stays
Oct 16 2013 // Michigan can lower auto insurance premiums without making major changes to the state’s no-fault system proposed in legislation that has stalled for months, according to a nonpartisan report issued Oct. 14. The...
Fatal Crashes Seem to Be Decreasing in Wisconsin
Oct 15 2013 // Traffic fatalities appear to be decreasing in Wisconsin, in large part because of a drop in motorcyclists’ deaths, traffic officials said. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said 396 people had died in...
Progressive: Investment Income Slips; Premiums and Auto Policies Up
Oct 10 2013 // Progressive Corp., the fourth-largest U.S. auto insurer, said profit dropped 16 percent as investment income declined for a 12th straight quarter. Third-quarter net income decreased to $232.4 million, or 39 cents a share,...
Georgia Auto Parts Plant Cited 18 Times by OSHA Since 2009: Report
Oct 9 2013 // Representatives of a car parts manufacturing company say they’ve remedied several issues and have increased training after receiving the most federal safety violations in Georgia. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution...
Michigan Woman Charged In Fake Auto Insurance Policy Scheme
Oct 7 2013 // A 40-year-old woman has been arrested in the sale of more than 300 bogus auto insurance policies to Detroit, Mich.-area drivers. The Wayne County sheriff’s office says Timmica Morton was arraigned on charges that she...
Fatal Deer-Vehicle Crashes on Pace to Set Record in Minnesota
Oct 4 2013 // Minnesota Department of Public Safety is reminding motorists and motorcyclists to be especially cautious of deer in coming months, as they are breeding and more active this time of year. DPS says seven people have been...
Researchers Question Privacy of Usage-Based Auto Insurance
Oct 2 2013 // A study by a handful of university professors in Colorado claims user-based insurance tracking programs installed in millions of vehicles can collect data that shows where drivers are going, unbeknownst to most users of...
Toyota Claims Plaintiffs Fabricated Fatal Acceleration Theory
Oct 2 2013 // Toyota Motor Corp. said plaintiffs’ lawyers seeking to blame a fatal accident on unintended acceleration made up a theory of how a 66-year-old woman’s foot got stuck between the gas and brake pedal of a 2006...
J.D. Power: Personal Lines Agents Missing out on Opportunities in Renters Segment
Sep 30 2013 // Insurance agents who only focus on homeowners insurance customers are missing a golden opportunity to build long-term relationships with renter customers as their insurance needs grow due to life or circumstance...
LAPD Chief Beck Rescinds Car Impound Policy
Sep 30 2013 // Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has rescinded the department’s controversial car impound policy that made it easier for unlicensed drivers to keep their cars. The Los Angeles Times reported that Beck issued an...
FERMA Forum Opens with Solvency II Analysis from Karel Van Hulle
Sep 30 2013 // The bi-annual Risk Management Forum of the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) kicked off with a reception on Sunday night for the 1400 plus delegates at the MECC Conference Center in the Dutch city...
The Hartford Extends Term of AARP Home, Auto Insurance Program
Sep 27 2013 // The Hartford has extended its agreement with AARP to offer home and auto insurance products to its members. With the three-year extension, The Hartford’s relationship with AARP now runs through January 1, 2023. This...
Insurance Institute Cites Top Cars for Crash Avoidance
Sep 27 2013 // Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Subaru earned the highest marks in a new front crash avoidance test program developed for the U.S. insurance industry. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a non-profit group...
Groups Say Regulators Allow Unsafe Mexican Trucks on U.S. Roads
Sep 27 2013 // Regulators determined to let Mexican trucks on U.S. roads under a trade deal have downplayed safety shortcomings with companies in a border-crossing pilot program, according to safety, trucking and labor groups. Trucking...
Price Drives Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction, Shopping Around: J.D. Power
Sep 26 2013 // Rate increases are driving more customers to obtain competitive price quotes, while satisfaction with the buying experience is trending downward among new-buyer customers due to lower price satisfaction among new buyers,...
