Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
State Farm to Distribute $195 Million Calif. Auto Policyholder Dividend
Mar 1 2007 // State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. announced that auto insurance policyholders in California will receive a dividend 15 percent of their semi-annual premium. The total amount to be distributed is estimated to total...
Mass. auto assigned risk plan could be history before it even begins
Feb 26 2007 // Massachusetts insurance agents have urged the administration of Gov. Deval Patrick to scrap a proposed auto insurance assigned risk plan that the previous administration championed for four years. Former Insurance...
Ohio auto and homeowners rates decrease in 2006
Feb 26 2007 // The Ohio Department of Insurance recently announced that the average rates for the state’s top 10 auto and homeowners insurers — which represent 72 percent of both markets — decreased 1.2 percent and 0.8...
Car airbags can cause permanent hearing loss, study says
Feb 26 2007 // A researcher at a national hearing conference will present data that predicts 17 percent of people exposed to deployed airbags in American cars will suffer from permanent hearing loss. His data also shows, contrary to what...
Identity theft: A ‘catch phrase for the new millennium’
Feb 26 2007 // Contrary to popular opinion and despite well-publicized security breaches at governmental entities and major corporations, the primary methods of confiscating the information necessary to commit identity theft turn out to...
Insurers defend use of education, job criteria in rating in Florida
Feb 26 2007 // Insurers are defending the factors they use in pricing auto insurance, including the occupation and education levels of insureds, arguing that the criteria have been actuarially tested for their ability to predict...
CaseLaw Watch
Feb 26 2007 // Attorneys Fees State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Lestenkof (Alaska, Sept. 29, 2006) Ruling: In this case, the court considered whether an auto insurer must pay unlimited (Alaska Civil Rule 82) attorney’s...
Ohio auto and homeowners rates decrease in 2006
Feb 25 2007 // The Ohio Department of Insurance recently an-nounced that the average rates for the state’s top 10 auto and homeowners insurers — which represent 72 percent of both markets — decreased 1.2 percent and 0.8...
Car airbags can cause permanent hearing loss, study says
Feb 25 2007 // A researcher at a national hearing conference will present data that predicts 17 percent of people exposed to deployed airbags in American cars will suffer from permanent hearing loss. His data also shows, contrary to what...
Insurers defend use of education, job criteria in rating in Florida
Feb 25 2007 // News Currents Insurers are defending the factors they use in pricing auto insurance, including the occupation and education levels of insureds, arguing that the criteria have been actuarially tested for their ability to...
Identity theft: A ‘catch phrase for the new millennium’
Feb 25 2007 // Contrary to popular opinion and despite well-publicized security breaches at governmental entities and major corporations, the primary methods of confiscating the information necessary to commit identity theft turn out to...
Case Law Watch
Feb 25 2007 // Attorneys Fees State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Lestenkof (Alaska, Sept. 29, 2006) Ruling: In this case, the court considered whether an auto insurer must pay unlimited (Alaska Civil Rule 82) attorney’s...
Progressive Drops ‘Drive’ Brand Name…Except in Calif.
Feb 23 2007 // The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies today announced a change in its brand names for products sold through its agents. The company said it is putting the Progressive name first in the names of all of the products...
Wis. Court Says Insurance Company Should Pay for Mistreating Trucker
Feb 22 2007 // A jury properly awarded a northeast Wisconsin trucker $115,000 to punish his insurance company for how it handled his claim after his semi-truck hit a deer, a state appeals court ruled this week. The insurance company...
State Farm Eyes Auto Rate Cuts When Fla. No-Fault Law Expires
Feb 22 2007 // State Farm would cut its car insurance rates by about 16 percent if the state’s no-fault accident system ends in October as scheduled, the company said in a state regulatory filing. This week’s filing said that...
Mo. Senate Approves Refunds When License Plates Returned
Feb 21 2007 // Missourians can get a refund on their auto insurance when they get rid of a vehicle and don’t replace it. So why can’t they get a refund from the state on their vehicle license fees? That’s a question...
Calif. Judge Rules Against Auto Insurers in Lawsuit over ZIP Codes
Feb 18 2007 // Siding with consumer groups and state regulators, a state judge on Feb. 15 threw out a lawsuit that challenged rules requiring auto insurers to base their rates primarily on drivers’ records instead of where they...
Ind. Bill Would Hold Passengers Accountable in Auto Accidents
Feb 16 2007 // A bill that would require unhurt passengers to try to get help for injured drivers in a crash is headed to the full Indiana House for approval. The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee unanimously approved the...
Minn. Lawmakers Seek Tougher Auto Safety Rules
Feb 15 2007 // Strap in the kids, buckle up and turn off the cell phone. The rules of the road in Minnesota might get more strict in 2007. In the name of highway safety, lawmakers are debating bills to increase the use of seat belts and...
