Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Number of U.S. Deer-Vehicle Collisions Falls 7 Percent
Oct 5 2011 // For the third consecutive year, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. has dropped, according to Illinois-based State Farm Insurance. And the downturn is accelerating. The percentage decline over the last year...
Insurers to Send Refunds to 14,149 Massachusetts Motorcycle Owners
Oct 5 2011 // Travelers, Fireman’s Fund and Electric Insurance are the latest insurers to reach a settlement with Massachusetts attorney general’s office over motorcycle insurance premiums. The three companies are accused of...
California D.A.s Get $23M in Grants to Battle Auto Insurance Fraud
Oct 4 2011 // Maria Ramirez’ job heading the battle against automobile fraud in the state’s most populous county is tough enough. But her division is “operating on fumes” amid a rise in that type of crime and...
Insurance Agency Founder Sentenced for Fraud in D.C.
Oct 4 2011 // An insurance agency founder was recently placed on four years of supervised release and fined $10,000 in Washington, D.C., after earlier pleading guilty to insurance fraud, according to officials. Washington, D.C.,...
Cross Border Claims Frustrate Auto Carriers
Oct 3 2011 // Staged automobile accidents in Canada’s most populated province of Ontario pose a unique problem for American auto insurers that must deal with Ontario’s stringent no-fault benefits. Some U.S.-based adjusters...
People
Oct 3 2011 // State Auto Insurance’s previously announced Austin, Texas, claims facility is now operational, the company reported. The following individuals serve on the claims team at the Austin facility: Sandra Robinson, claims...
Mass. Agents Prepare for Battle Over Credit Ban on Ballot
Oct 3 2011 // A Massachusetts independent agents group said it is confident that a ban on auto insurers’ use of credit scores and other socioeconomic factors will become a state law in coming months. The Massachusetts Association...
Pennsylvania Motorcyclist Rule Upheld
Oct 3 2011 // A Pennsylvania court has ruled that an exclusion in underinsured motorist coverage for injuries incurred while on a motorcycle applies to motorcyclists injured after being thrown off their bikes. An underinsured motorist...
Google Secretive About ‘Super Safe’ Robot Car Crash
Oct 3 2011 // In July, an astute observer was driving in Mountain View, Calif., when he came across a multiple car fender-bender. A Toyota Prius had hit a Prius, and that Prius hit an Accord, which hit an Accord, which hit a...
Driverless Car Navigates Berlin Streets
Oct 3 2011 // It can talk, see, drive and no longer needs a human being to control it by remote. The car of the future — completely computer-controlled — is on the streets of Berlin. All summer, researchers from the city’s...
California’s Align Financial, Excellere Form Non-standard Auto Insurer
Sep 28 2011 // San Diego, Calif.-based Align Financial Group LLC has partnered with private equity firm Excellere Partners, of Denver, to form Personable Holdings Inc., an independent, non-standard auto insurance provider. Personable...
One Frustrated Florida County Tackles Auto Insurance Fraud On Its Own
Sep 27 2011 // One county in Florida has decided not to wait on state lawmakers’ promise to address the insurance fraud and fix the state’s automobile no-fault law. It has passed its own ordinance to crack down on fraudulent...
Michigan Auto Insurer Pursues ‘Unlawful Taking’ Defense
Sep 26 2011 // An insurance company has persuaded the Michigan Supreme Court to decide whether the insurer must pay the medical bills of a man who was drunk and had no license when he crashed his father’s car into a tree. Farm...
Foremost Upgrades Auto Program in Arizona
Sep 23 2011 // Foremost Insurance Group has upgraded their enhanced auto program which became available in Arizona in June. The Foremost program features new discounts, increased coverage options and improved online processing...
Texas Car Dealer Convicted in Title Washing Scheme
Sep 23 2011 // A federal jury in Texas has convicted a car dealer from Rowlett for ‘title washing,’ a fraudulent process through which a vehicle’s title is corruptly altered to conceal information that should normally...
Driverless Car Navigates Berlin Streets
Sep 23 2011 // It can talk, see, drive and no longer needs a human being to control it by remote. The car of the future — completely computer-controlled — is on the streets of Berlin. All summer, researchers from the city’s...
Mass. High Court Upholds Charging Fees for Traffic Ticket Appeals
Sep 22 2011 // The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that charging filing fees to residents appealing traffic tickets does not violate equal protection. The Sept. 21 decision affirms the lower court’s ruling. The court...
Consumers Not Required to Arbitrate Warranty Claims with Car Dealers: Court
Sep 21 2011 // A federal appeals court handed car owners a victory by striking down a requirement that they arbitrate warranty disputes with dealers. Reversing a lower court ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a...
Massachusetts Trucker Convicted of Insurance Fraud
Sep 20 2011 // A Massachusetts truck driver has been convicted of insurance fraud in New Hampshire for lying about damage to his truck, according to officials. New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny and Attorney General...
Appalachian Underwriters Launches Commercial Lines Rater for Auto Dealers
Sep 19 2011 // Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI) launches a new commercial lines online rater for independent auto dealers, www.xpressdealerpro.com. Xpress DealerPro is the latest installment of enhancements to be integrated into...
