Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hunckler Named Vice President of State Auto Insurance Companies
Nov 9 2009 // Stephen P. Hunckler has been elected vice president by the boards of directors of Columbus, Ohio-based State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company and State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance Company. Hunckler joined...
New York Insurers Say No-Fault Claims are Driving Up Costs
Nov 6 2009 // No-fault payments for medical claims by auto accident victims in New York have seen a dramatic increase over the last several years, one industry group says, and the state and insurance companies need to redouble efforts...
Wisconsin Republicans Rail Against Auto Insurance Provisions
Nov 4 2009 // Republican legislators in Wisconsin are trying to muster support for a bill that would repeal new minimum car insurance levels. The state budget Gov. Jim Doyle signed earlier this year required all motorists to purchase...
Oregon Bans Cell Phones in the Car
Nov 2 2009 // As of Jan. 1, you can get slapped with a $90 fine if you use a hand-held cell phone while driving in Oregon. Will that be enough to encourage motorists to keep their full attention on the road? And how well can the law be...
California Arrests Bogus Auto Insurance Agent
Nov 2 2009 // A woman who faked being an automobile insurance agent, Leandra Delgadillo, 32, of Canyon Country has been arrested and booked into jail at the San Fernando Police Department on felony charges of fraud and grand theft. She...
Pressure Builds for More States to Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving
Nov 1 2009 // The Obama administration reported that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a striking indication of the dangers of using mobile devices...
Georgia Court Blocks ‘Stacking’ of Business Auto Policies
Nov 1 2009 // The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that injured motorists are not entitled to maximize their coverage by combining commercial auto insurance policies on several vehicles to cover one accident, a tactic known as...
California Gives Insurers Green Light for Pay-As-You-Drive Auto Policies
Nov 1 2009 // Californians will soon be able to purchase pay-as-you-drive automobile insurance, as the final regulations have been approved. The regulations regarding pay-as-you-drive, which was originally proposed by state Insurance...
Clear Insurance Policy: A Closer Look At Document Language
Nov 1 2009 // Insurance companies are taking another rhetorical beating—this time as a part of President Obama’s promotional campaign for his health care reform proposals. Now a healthy dose of professional introspection can be...
California Reports 25% Jump in Auto Fraud Cases Linked to Arson
Nov 1 2009 // In the year 2008, there was a 25 percent increase in suspected vehicle arson fraud in California, according to the state. Commissioner Steve Pointer said that recently compiled statistics show that scam artists may be...
Georgia Auto Fraud Ringleader Arrested
Oct 30 2009 // Georgia officials say they have arrested the ringleader in a fraud ring operating in Savannah, that collected nearly $95,000 from six insurance companies by staging accidents and filing bogus claims. Insurance Commissioner...
California Car Crash Ring Broken Up
Oct 30 2009 // California’s Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced that a year-long investigation by California Department of Insurance detectives has resulted in eight arrests and the dismantling of a staged automobile...
Michigan Senate Rejects Ban on Location in Setting Auto Premiums
Oct 30 2009 // The Republican-led Michigan Senate has killed legislation that would have banned auto insurers from considering where a driver lives when setting rates. Democrats say the practice is unfair to motorists who pay higher...
Texas May Drop Phone Numbers from Vehicle Accident Reports
Oct 29 2009 // In a blow to businesses that contact drivers after car wrecks, Texas’ law enforcement and transportation agencies have agreed to drop telephone numbers from crash reports. The move is supported by the insurance...
Programs to Combat Vehicle Theft to Expand in New Orleans
Oct 29 2009 // Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon says Louisiana’s program to reduce vehicle theft and insurance fraud will be expanded in Orleans Parish, which includes New Orleans. Donelon made the announcement about the...
Blame Shifting Begins Over Costlier Auto Insurance in Wisconsin
Oct 27 2009 // As insurance companies begin mailing notices to Wisconsin customers telling them that their premiums are likely to increase soon, state politicians are scrambling to avoid the blame. The first changes expected to affect...
South Dakota Group Seeks to Strengthen Traffic Safety Laws
Oct 26 2009 // More than a dozen organizations and state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf of Vermillion have formed Safe and Sound South Dakota, a coalition they say is designed to promote traffic safety legislation. In a release, the coalition said...
California Has Rise in Auto Insurance Fraud
Oct 26 2009 // In the year 2008, there was a 25 percent increase in suspected vehicle arson fraud in California, according to the state commissioner. Department of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said that recently compiled...
State Auto’s Net Income Up, Combined Ratio Down in Q3 2009
Oct 22 2009 // Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto Financial Corporation reported third quarter 2009 net income of $13.0 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, versus a net loss of $14.7 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, for the third...
Georgia Supreme Court Blocks ‘Stacking’ of Auto Insurance Policies
Oct 20 2009 // The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that injured motorists are not entitled to maximize their insurance coverage by combining commercial auto insurance policies on several vehicles to cover one accident, a tactic known as...
