Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
New Virginia Car Insurer to Host Grand Opening
Oct 20 2009 // Virginia-based Elephant Insurance, a recently launched direct writer for auto insurance, plans to host a grand opening for its new offices tomorrow. The company, which is owned by UK-based Admiral Group, has invited...
North Carolina Arrests 3 More in Alleged Staged Auto Accident Ring
Oct 19 2009 // Three more people have been arrested in connection with an alleged staged accident ring in North Carolina, bringing the total to seven in what has been a two-year investigation in Rowland. Insurance Commissioner Wayne...
Pressure Builds for More States to Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving
Oct 19 2009 // Opening a Sept. 30 government meeting on auto safety, 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...
Louisiana Rolls Out New Online Auto and Homeowners Rate Guides
Oct 14 2009 // The Louisiana Department of Insurance announced that its 2009 online auto and homeowners rate comparison guides are now available for viewing on the Department of Insurance Web site at www.ldi.state.la.us. “The rate...
California Governor Vetoes Auto Insurance Program
Oct 13 2009 // A state-backed low-cost automobile insurance for Californians is threatened following Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s veto of a bill that would have extended the program until 2016. The veto has consumer groups...
California Man Nabbed for Auto Insurance Fraud
Oct 9 2009 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced today that Tony Lu, 56, of San Jose, was arrested on October 7 and charged with filing a false motor vehicle claim, perjury and falsely reporting a crime. Lu was...
Loss Control Leads to $801K Dividend for Texas Auto Dealers
Oct 9 2009 // Workers’ compensation insurer Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced an $801,625 dividend to the Lone Star Auto Dealers (LSA) purchasing group. LSA has earned nearly $4 million in dividends since 2002. The dividend...
Arizona Has Big Decline in Auto Theft
Oct 7 2009 // Thefts of cars and trucks in the Phoenix area are down 33 percent over last few years according to law enforcement and insurance industry experts. Roughly 55,300 cars, trucks and motorcycles were stolen in 2004, compared...
