Latest Claims Headlines
All the headlines from our Claims Topic Page, ordered by recency.
TDI: Former Texas Insurance Agent Who Faked Cancer Claims Sentenced
Feb 27 2019 // A Plano, Texas, woman pleaded guilty to insurance fraud for faking cancer claims to get more than $300,000 in insurance payments over two years, the Texas Department of Insurance announced. Karissa White Coleman, a former...
Could J&J Be Helped by Missouri Ruling Against Talcum Lawsuits?
Feb 26 2019 // A Missouri Supreme Court ruling on talc lawsuits could reduce the liability and number of large trials Johnson & Johnson faces over allegations its talc products, including baby powder, cause cancer. The ruling will...
As Health Plan Deductibles Rise, Expect More Workers’ Compensation Claims
Feb 20 2019 // Are employees injured at work more likely to file under workers’ compensation instead of group health insurance when their group health plan has a higher deductible? The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI)...
Texas Bill Would Protect First Responders’ Work Comp Claims from Illegal Denials
Feb 15 2019 // A bill recently filed in the Texas House of Representatives would penalize insurers that illegally deny Texas first responders access to medical treatment for line-of-duty injuries covered under state workers’...
Study Questions Safety Claims About Tesla Autopilot’s Steering Feature
Feb 14 2019 // An analysis of government data disputes a finding by safety regulators and promoted by Tesla Inc. that crash rates of its older vehicles declined after they were equipped with an automatic steering capability. The study,...
Allstate Q4 Catastrophe Loss Tempered by Higher Premiums, Reduced Auto Claims
Feb 8 2019 // The Allstate Corp. lost $312 million in its 2018 fourth quarter, which was attributable to higher catastrophe losses, lower investment income and a pension settlement charge. Catastrophe losses hit $963 million, versus...
An Old Dog Up to New Tricks
Feb 4 2019 // For the seventh consecutive year, commercial auto is losing money. Despite rate increases in 23 of the past 25 quarters, the combined ratio topped 111 percent in 2017. The line has been a weak spot for many insurers,...
What It Takes to Successfully Resolve Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes
Feb 4 2019 // While Understanding Why Some Claims Are Denied In the first column of this series, I provided an overview of what it takes to successfully resolve coverage and claims disputes without litigation. In the coming months, we...
The Claims Talent Evolution
Feb 4 2019 // It should not be a surprise that drones fly over disaster areas for property inspection, and some insurers use chatbots to answer policyholders’ claims questions. Claims applications and supporting documents are...
China’s Ping An P&C Unveils Credit-Based Smart Auto Insurance Claim Solution
Jan 30 2019 // Ping An Property and Casualty Insurance Co. of China has launched a credit-based smart auto claim solution in China, to make it easier for car owners to make claims and encourage good driving habits. The credit-based...
Progressive Embarks on Hiring Binge: 10,000 People in 2019
Jan 25 2019 // Insurer Progressive said it expects to hire more than 10,000 people in the coming year to support its growth. Positions will include IT and analyst roles, corporate functions, customer care and claims roles. The...
Hartford Archdiocese Has Paid $50M to Settle Abuse Claims
Jan 25 2019 // The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford says it has paid $50.6 million to settle priest sexual abuse claims over the last several decades. The archdiocese said Tuesday that it has settled 142 claims involving 32 clergy...
UFG Insurance Names Ruehle Chief Claims Officer
Jan 25 2019 // Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based UFG Insurance has appointed Corey Ruehle as chief claims officer, effective Feb.1. Ruehle will succeed current Chief Claims Officer Dave Conner, as he retires after a successful 20-year career with...
Insurance Industry Use of Drone, Aerial Imagery Soared After 2018 Southeast Disasters
Jan 24 2019 // The importance of drones and aerial imagery rose to a new level in the wake of 2018 natural catastrophes as insurers made them an integral part of their disaster recovery procedures, particularly following the hurricanes...
J&J to Pay States $120 Million to Settle Hip Implant Marketing Claims
Jan 23 2019 // Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit have agreed to pay $120 million to resolve deceptive marketing claims by several U.S. states over the company’s metal-on-metal hip implants. Attorneys general of...
Argo Estimates Losses from Q4 Natural Catastrophes, Other Claims to Hit $44M
Jan 18 2019 // Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd., the Bermuda-based re/insurer, announced a preliminary pre-tax catastrophe loss estimate of $32 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, primarily related to Hurricane Michael and the...
Swiss Re Estimates Its Q4 Natural Catastrophe Claims to Hit US$1.0B
Jan 15 2019 // Swiss Re estimates it will pay claims of approximately $1.0 billion for natural catastrophes booked in the fourth quarter of 2018, with the largest generated from California wildfires and Hurricane Michael. These natural...
Hedge Fund Baupost Reported to Hold $1 Billion in PG&E Insurance Claims
Jan 14 2019 // Seth Klarman’s Baupost Group has been the poster child of the hedge fund industry’s ill-timed stock-market bets on the troubled utility PG&E Corp., which announced plans for bankruptcy. It turns out,...
California Comp Insurers Won’t See Insurance Guarantee Assessment, a First in 20 Years
Jan 14 2019 // California worker’s compensation insurers and their customers are getting a bit of a break this year. The California Insurance Guarantee Association won’t be collecting its annual assessment on 2019...
Neiman Marcus Settles Data Breach Claims With States for $1.5 Million
Jan 10 2019 // More than 40 state attorneys general have announced a $1.5 million settlement with The Neiman Marcus Group LLC over a data breach the Dallas-based retailer disclosed in January 2014. The breach exposed customer credit card...
