Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fatal Work Injuries Dropped 10% in 2008; Down 20% in Construction
Aug 20 2009 // A total of 5,071 fatal work injuries were recorded in the U.S. in 2008, down about 10 percent from a total of 5,657 fatal work injuries reported for 2007, according to preliminary government figures. Based on these...
State Auto Appoints Hunckler Chief Claims Officer
Aug 19 2009 // Stephen P. Hunckler has joined Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto Insurance Companies as chief claims officer. He succeeds John Melvin, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Hunckler was most recently executive vice...
Four Commercial Auto Endorsements Every Insured Should Consider
Aug 18 2009 // Insurance Services Office (ISO) lists more than 100 endorsements available for use with the business auto policy (BAP) (the total number varies by state). Out of that heap of policy-altering endorsements, most designed to...
Consumer Opinions of Car Makers, Brokerages, Banks, Health Insurers Fall
Aug 18 2009 // Unsurprisingly, the industries whose reputations have been most badly hurt in the last 12 months are car manufacturers (down 31 points), banks (down 24 points), and investment and brokerage firms (down 27 points),...
Michigan Supreme Court Cited as Culprit in Auto Insurance Cost Hike
Aug 17 2009 // Michigan drivers will pay $20 more this fiscal year to care for accident victims who have brain damage, paralysis or other catastrophic injuries. The culprit? Not the usual suspects such as escalating health care costs or...
Customer Satisfaction Gap Between Agency, Direct Auto Insurers Closing
Aug 17 2009 // Overall customer satisfaction with auto insurance companies is up significantly in 2009. But the gap between agency writers and direct writers may be coming closer to a “photo finish,” says the author of a new...
Adeleye, Jones Elected Assistant Vice Presidents at State Auto
Aug 17 2009 // State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company and State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, elected two new assistant vice presidents of the companies. Lawrence (Larry) A. Adeleye joined...
New Louisiana Traffic Laws Aim for Seatbelt Use, Bicyclist Protection
Aug 17 2009 // Back seat passengers will have to buckle up, drivers will need to give a wider berth to bicyclists and slow-driving sightseers will need to stick to the right lane on Louisiana’s highways under the new state traffic...
New Jersey Insurer Markets Auto Coverage Using Highway Art
Aug 17 2009 // New Jersey personal auto insurer Palisades is using a unique approach to market itself: an “art gallery” of 13 highway billboards across the state. The images were picked by online voting and were pared down...
Gainsco Reports Income Increase in Q2 2009 Results
Aug 14 2009 // Dallas-based Gainsco Inc. announced net income for the second quarter 2009 increased to $1.6 million, compared with a second quarter 2008 net income of $1 million. Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2009 was $3.7...
Business Insurance Now Internet Site Offers Hartford’s Home, Auto Coverage
Aug 13 2009 // Web-based insurance seller Business Insurance Now has signed with The Hartford Financial Services group to offer home and auto policies. “Many small-business owners share a desire to simplify,” says Jim...
Foremost Insurance Offers New Auto Program in Georgia
Aug 12 2009 // Foremost Insurance Group has made its new DistinctChoice auto insurance program available in Georgia. The program features increased limits and deductible options, broad eligibility and popular discounts including a...
Fireman’s Fund Launches Green Auto Upgrade Coverage
Aug 12 2009 // Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company introduced a hybrid upgrade auto insurance product that enables car owners to “go green.” In addition, new vehicle replacement coverage is available — insuring the...
Seatbelts, Cellphones, Handguns Addressed in New Texas Traffic Laws
Aug 12 2009 // The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has issued a summary of new traffic laws passed by the Texas Legislature that are set to become effective Sept. 1, 2009. Among those laws that may affect the property casualty...
Car Dealers in the Storm: Dealers Left Standing Will Be Stronger, Leaner
Aug 12 2009 // Some automobile shoppers may be abandoning car makers but insurance carriers and brokers remain dedicated partners, experts say. Yet no one can deny that tough times have fallen on many of the nation’s car dealers...
Report: North Carolina Auto Inspection Programs Ineffective, Unnecessary
Aug 10 2009 // A new report has found that there is little or no evidence that North Carolina’s auto safety inspection program is effective and it’s difficult to gauge whether the auto emissions program does any good for the...
Oregon Bill Gives Consumers Leverage to Negotiate Vehicle Value During Loss
Aug 10 2009 // Oregon consumers who total their vehicle will have more information and more leverage as they negotiate their vehicle’s value with insurers, beginning Jan. 1, 2010, according to the state Department of Consumer and...
Report: Truck Driver’s Inattention Caused Massive Oklahoma Wreck
Aug 5 2009 // The inattention of a tractor-trailer driver led to a wreck on the Will Rogers Turnpike that killed 10 people in June, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said in a report released Aug. 3. Investigators looking into the June 26...
Florida Auto Glass Firm Charged in Insurance Overbilling Scam
Aug 5 2009 // Florida officials today arrested two people associated with a Jacksonville glass company on charges that they overbilled insurers for as many as 1,300 windshield replacement claims. A total of 10 people have been arrested...
Ohio Personal Lines Premiums Remain Lower than U.S. Average
Aug 5 2009 // The Ohio Insurance Institute (OII) recently reported that premiums for homeowners and auto insurance in that state remain lower than the U.S. average. On its Web site, www.ohioinsurance.org, the OII released the following...
