Latest Auto Headlines

All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.

State Auto Sees Improvements in Q4 2010

Feb 18 2011 // State Auto Financial Corp., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, reported fourth quarter 2010 net income of $37.6 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, versus $14.4 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of...

New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty in Car-Fire Fraud

Feb 17 2011 // A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to torching is aunt’s car so she could collect insurance money — and pay him out of the proceeds for his role in the scheme, prosecutors said. Kristopher Wynder, of Vineland,...

Study Finds Auto Insurance and Services Add Profits for Car Makers, Dealers

Feb 16 2011 // Sales by car manufacturers and dealers of additional services to car buyers may mean the difference between profit and loss. A new study from the financial market research group Finaccord concluded that sales of...

Nevada Publishes Guides to Insurance

Feb 16 2011 // The Nevada Division of Insurance has created a series of consumer guides to help make choosing homeowners, flood, earthquake and auto insurance easier. The DOI also has published a “Frequently Asked Questions”...

Mississippi Senate Passes Proof of Auto Insurance Bill

Feb 15 2011 // The Mississippi Senate has passed a bill requiring motorists to show proof they have purchased liability insurance before receiving a car tag. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Billy Hewes, a Republican from Gulfport, who...

Arizona Increases Auto Property Damage Threshold

Feb 14 2011 // The Arizona Department of Insurance has adjusted the threshold amount of property damages insurers may use to non-renew private passenger auto policies to $2,400 because the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor...

Dad of Rhode Island Motorcyclist in Crash Sues Insurer

Feb 14 2011 // The father of a Rhode Island motorcyclist who was killed in May by a driver running a red light has sued his insurance company. The Westerly Sun reports that Richard “Robin” Foote’s lawsuit challenges a...

Oregon Motor Vehicle Fatalities Down 13%

Feb 11 2011 // Oregonians are responding to transportation safety messages, with the state’s motor vehicle fatality toll for 2010 preliminarily at 325. The number is 13 percent lower than 2009, in which 377 fatalities occurred, and...

AmWINS Expands Non-Standard Auto Capabilities Through Acquisitions

Feb 10 2011 // AmWINS Group, Inc. has acquired American Southwest Insurance Managers, Inc., Excel General Agency, Inc. and Oakwood Software Insurance Solutions, LLC. ASIM is a managing general agents for non-standard automobile insurance...

Allstate Profit Falls as Auto, Catastrophe Claims Rise

Feb 10 2011 // Allstate Insurance net income fell 43 percent in the fourth quarter as rising claims from auto insurance customers and catastrophes took their toll. Allstate’s fourth quarter 2010 net profit was $296 million compared...

Wisconsin Senate Passes Lower Car Insurance Levels

Feb 10 2011 // The Wisconsin state Senate has passed legislation that would lower minimum levels of car insurance and make it more difficult to approve of sales and income tax increases. Car insurance would still be required under the...

New Jersey Senate Panel OKs Lower Vehicle Fines

Feb 9 2011 // A bill advanced by the Senate Transportation Committee on this week gives some New Jersey drivers a break. The bill reduces the maximum fine for driving without a license, registration or insurance card if the driver can...

Wisconsin Senate to Take up Car Insurance Legislation

Feb 8 2011 // Minimum levels of car insurance that were increased two years ago would drop back down again under a bill up for a vote in the state Senate. Trial lawyers fought for the changes approved by the Democratic-controlled...

Insurance Fraud Starts with Unexpected Offer of Repair Services

Feb 8 2011 // Each year consumers pay more for their auto and homeowners insurance policies as a direct result of fraud. Unnecessary auto glass repairs, exorbitant towing charges, needless home repairs, total roof replacements, sinkhole...

People

Feb 7 2011 // Great American Insurance Group, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, announced that Michael G. “Mike” Liguzinski will succeed John W. Sullivan as divisional president, Specialty Human Services Division, upon...

Wisconsin Assembly Committee Sends Auto Insurance Bill to Full Chamber

Feb 7 2011 // A Republican-controlled Assembly committee approved a bill that would repeal minimum automobile coverage levels, sending the bill to the full chamber for a vote. The GOP-authored proposal would wipe out minimum coverage...

In Future, Cars Might Decide if Driver is Drunk

Feb 7 2011 // An alcohol-detection prototype that uses automatic sensors to instantly gauge a driver’s fitness to be on the road has the potential to save thousands of lives, but could be as long as a decade away from everyday use...

More Than Half of Car Crashes Involve Teen Drivers

Feb 7 2011 // The impact of teen driver crashes extends beyond teen drivers’ families and friends, says a new report. In 2008, 681,000 people were involved in crashes where a teen driver was behind the wheel. More than 40,000 were...

Oregon Credit Score Law Cuts Insurance Rates

Feb 7 2011 // Thousands of Oregonians are enjoying lower insurance premiums as a result of a year-old credit scoring law, according to a recent survey by the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) Insurance Division. The...

Insurance Industry Can Help Pizzerias Avoid Losses on Super Bowl Sunday

Feb 4 2011 // Americans will consumer 30 million slices of pizza on Sunday, making Super Bowl Sunday one of the busiest day of the year for pizza chains. Papa Johns, the official pizza sponsor for Super Bowl XL, expects to have its...