Latest Auto Headlines

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

Tesla Begins Rolling Out Its Auto Insurance in California

Aug 28 2019 // Tesla Inc. said on Wednesday it was launching an insurance service designed to give drivers in California, its biggest market, lower rates because of safety features on its electric vehicles. Chief Executive Elon Musk has...

When Insurance Companies Fail at the Promise

Aug 28 2019 // I read an article last week about the intersection of gig work, an innocent injured party, insurance, and big business. Let me summarize the best I can. A driver is in traffic and is suddenly hit by another driver, who was...

Auto Safety Test Pits Traditional Car Mirrors v. Rear/Side Cameras

Aug 28 2019 // The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to test how drivers could use cameras to replace traditional rearview mirrors in automobiles, a technology already allowed in other countries, the agency said...

Chronic Commercial Auto Insurance Underwriting Losses to Continue in 2019: Fitch

Aug 27 2019 // U.S. property/casualty insurers continue to face substantial underwriting losses on commercial automobile insurance and, following a statutory combined ratio of 108% in 2018, the segment is poised for a ninth consecutive...

Chicago Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Auto Insurance/Crash Victim Scam

Aug 26 2019 // A Chicago police officer has pleaded guilty in federal court to taking at least $10,000 in bribes from the owner of an attorney referral service in exchange for information about crash victims and their insurance...

California Woman Hit by Police Truck to Get $260,000

Aug 26 2019 // The Santa Rosa City Council has agreed to pay a settlement to a California woman hit by a police truck. The Press Democrat reported that 29-year-old Laure Friedell filed a lawsuit in March 2018 after her right foot and...

Off-Duty New York City Police Department Officer Indicted for Insurance Fraud

Aug 26 2019 // A New York City Police Department officer has been indicted for insurance fraud, falsifying business records and related charges for allegedly filing a false insurance claim stating his vehicle was stolen when the same car...

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities Decline

Aug 23 2019 // The four-year upward trend in motor vehicle deaths that began in 2015 is ebbing, with the number of fatalities in the first six months of 2019 dropping 3% compared to the same six-month period in 2018. Preliminary...

Allianz to Buy SulAmérica’s Auto, Other P/C Insurance Operations

Aug 23 2019 // Allianz has agreed to acquire automobile and other property/casualty insurance operations from Brazil’s SulAmérica for BRL 3 billion (667 million euros). Allianz said the acquisition will strengthen its competitive...

Early Claims and Crash Tests Suggest Risks of Luxury, SUV Electric Vehicles

Aug 23 2019 // Electric luxury cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) may be 40% more likely to cause accidents than their standard engine counterparts, possibly because drivers are still getting used to their quick acceleration, French...

Underwriters Get Picky and Other Trends in Construction Insurance

Aug 19 2019 // Construction insurance specialists say their insurance market is strong with plenty of capacity and underwriters competing for the best accounts. According to specialists interviewed by Insurance Journal for their...

At Least 17 Injured in Kentucky Crash Between Truck and Greyhound Bus

Aug 19 2019 // A fire department in Kentucky says a collision between a commercial truck and a Greyhound bus has left at least 17 people injured. WKYT-TV reports Greyhound bus 1104 traveling from Atlanta to Cincinnati when it crashed...

Russia’s Yandex Accelerates Driverless Car Testing

Aug 19 2019 // Yandex, a Russian equivalent to Google, said it is considering expanding its fleet of self-driving cars to up to 1,000 within the next two years in order to speed up tests on the fledgling technology. Yandex hopes to start...

Texas Auto Burglary/Theft Prevention Fee Rises

Aug 19 2019 // The Texas Department of Insurance says recently passed legislation raises the fee insurers must pay to the state organization that works to prevent automobile burglaries and thefts. A new law also changes Automobile...

Trump Administration Moves Ahead with Revised Truckers’ Hours Rules

Aug 19 2019 // The Trump administration took a key step last week toward relaxing federal rules that govern the length of time truck drivers can spend behind the wheel, a move long sought by the trucking industry but opposed by safety...

Why the High Net Worth Client Needs More than Just an Agent

Aug 19 2019 // What exactly is a high net worth client, also known as a “private client?” According to Investopedia.com, a high net worth individual is an individual or family with liquid assets above a certain figure. Many...

Family of Teen Who Died Trapped in Car Sues Cincinnati Over 911 Response

Aug 16 2019 // The family of a 16-year-old student who died trapped in a vehicle after a failed response to his two heartrending 911 calls has sued the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The wrongful death lawsuit filed in Hamilton County charges...

3rd Circuit: Policy to Limit Extended Transportation Expenses May be Bad Faith

Aug 15 2019 // Kyle and Marie Stechert say they rushed to buy another car after their vehicle was “totaled” in an accident because their insurance carrier refused to keep paying for their rental vehicle. The new car was twice...

Texas’ Tricolor Launches Auto Insurance Option for Low Income Consumers

Aug 13 2019 // Tricolor, a Dallas-based used vehicle retailer focusing on the sale and financing of vehicles to the Hispanic consumer, is now offering affordable auto insurance option for low-income and credit invisible customers through...

Car Makers Befriend Hackers to Learn About Cyber Vulnerabilities

Aug 13 2019 // At a conference where hackers can try their hand at picking locks and discover cyber vulnerabilities in a makeshift hospital, they can also endeavor to break into the control units of cars and take over driving...