Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wisconsin Court Sides with Insurer on Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Jan 28 2009 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the insurance company in a closely-watched case involving a farmer’s business auto policy and whether its underinsured motorists endorsement applies to a family...
GEICO Lowers Georgia Auto Rates
Jan 23 2009 // GEICO reports that it is reducing auto insurance rates in Georgia by 2.3 percent on average. The rating plan is already in effect for new policies and will be effective Feb. 8 for renewal policies. GEICO is currently the...
New York: Insurers Did Not Steer Customers to Certain Body Shops
Jan 22 2009 // An investigation by the New York Insurance Department has found that auto insurers in the state did not engage in a widespread effort to steer consumers to certain auto body shops – a violation of state law. However,...
Two Dead after Snowy, 40-Vehicle Highway Crash in Maryland
Jan 21 2009 // A pileup of 35 cars and five tractor-trailers on a snowy Maryland highway killed two people Monday and seriously injured at least a dozen, state police said. Seventy-one people, including infants and the elderly, were...
Liberty Mutual Increases Nevada Auto Insurance Rates
Jan 21 2009 // The Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. received approval for a 6.9 percent rate increase, Liberty Insurance Corp. received approval for a 7 percent rate increase and First Liberty Insurance Corp. received approval for a 7.6...
Auto Thefts Down in Tulsa
Jan 20 2009 // Police in Tulsa, Okla., say that a 30 percent drop in auto thefts last year is largely due to officers targeting thieves who snatch cars to make quick cash from scrap metal. Roughly 2,500 vehicles were reported stolen in...
Hawaii Auto Insurance Fraud Convictions Increase 61%
Jan 14 2009 // The Insurance Fraud Investigation Unit of the Hawaii State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs experienced a 61 percent increase in criminal convictions for motor vehicle insurance fraud in 2008 over the previous...
Toyota to Introduce Driver Assist Service Competing with GM’s Onstar
Jan 12 2009 // Toyota said last week that it plans to roll out new safety and driver-assist programs on certain Toyota and Lexus models beginning late this summer. That marks the first major competition for Detroit-based General...
Fatalities on New Hampshire Roadways Increased in 2008
Jan 11 2009 // Fatal motor vehicle crashes are on the rise for the second year in a row according to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. The numbers released include all fatalities from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22, 2008. A fatality includes...
AAA Michigan: 2 Million Residents Traveled During Holidays
Jan 11 2009 // An estimated 2 million Michigan residents – almost the same number as last year traveled 50 miles or more from home during the Christmas holiday and New Year’s period, according to AAA’s latest travel...
Driven to Desperation, More Insureds Illegally Dumping Cars
Jan 11 2009 // The economic downturn is spurring anxious drivers to fraudulently dump unwanted vehicles for insurance money, according to research by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Officials in nearly a dozen state and local...
North Carolina Auto Rate Hike In Escrow Until Court Rules
Jan 11 2009 // Auto insurers may increase premiums on North Carolina drivers by up to 9.4 percent starting Jan. 1, but a court ruling will determine whether they can keep the extra money. The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents...
Actual Cash Value Versus Replacement Cost Value
Jan 11 2009 // Navigating the Valuation Quagmire As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. And insurance agents would be wise to explain the differences between actual cash value (ACV) and replacement cost value (RCV) to...
States Rate Poorly on Consumer Insurance Information on Web
Jan 11 2009 // A national consumer group says state insurance departments vary in the quality of the information they provide consumers online, with differences in the usefulness of information such as the rates and practices of...
Merchants Offers New Personal Auto Policy in New York
Jan 9 2009 // Buffalo, New York-based insurer, Merchants Insurance Group, has launched a new personal auto product in New York. The product, called Merchants Flexible Choice Auto, features significant rate reductions along with new...
Aon Completes Sale of Auto Insurance Specialists to Mercury General
Jan 7 2009 // Chicago-based insurance broker Aon Corp. has completed the sale of AIS Management, LLC, which is the parent company of Auto Insurance Specialists, LLC, to Mercury General Corp. Aon said it received $120 million in cash at...
Fatalities on New Hampshire Roads up in 2008
Dec 31 2008 // Fatal motor vehicle crashes are on the rise for the second year in a row according to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. The numbers released on Monday include all fatalities from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22, 2008. A fatality...
North Carolina Auto Insurance Rate Hike In Escrow Until Court Rules
Dec 29 2008 // Auto insurers may increase premiums on North Carolina drivers by up to 9.4 percent starting Jan. 1, but a court ruling will determine whether they can keep the extra money. The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents...
New Hampshire Attorney General Warns of Auto Insurance Scam
Dec 29 2008 // New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is warning consumers to beware of an insurance scam reported in the Midwest. Ayotte says consumers reported getting calls from scammers claiming there was a problem with the...
AAA Reports: 2 Million Michigan Residents Plan Holiday Travel
Dec 22 2008 // An estimated 2 million Michigan residents — almost the same number as last year — will travel 50 miles or more from home during the upcoming Christmas holiday period, according to AAA’s latest travel...
