Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hiscox Cites Loss on COVID, BI Dispute ‘Brand Damage’; Will Alter Liability, Cyber Books
Mar 3 2021 // British insurer Hiscox reported a big loss for 2020 after a jump in claims from businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and also faces “brand damage” from a legal dispute over policy wordings for...
European Union Weighs Emergency Approvals for COVID Vaccines
Mar 2 2021 // The European Commission said on Tuesday that it was considering emergency approvals for COVID-19 vaccines as a faster alternative to more rigorous conditional marketing authorisations which have been used so far. The move...
South Carolina Senate Passes COVID Liability Protection Bill
Mar 1 2021 // A bill that would prevent lawsuits against businesses and other groups by people who contract COVID-19 as long as federal and state health guidelines were being followed passed the South Carolina Senate on Thursday. The...
Managing COVID-19 Employment Practice-Related Exposure
Mar 1 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group. As the pandemic continues, we’re seeing new COVID-19-related regulations, restrictions and advisories issued and adjusted by federal, state, and...
Biden Extends Unemployment Insurance for Workers Fearing COVID Risk
Feb 26 2021 // The Biden Administration is expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits for workers who feel they are forced to choose between working in an unsafe environment and refusing work to avoid the risk of coronavirus...
Insurance Employment Impresses With Insurers Adding 20K Jobs During Pandemic
Feb 26 2021 // Levels of employment for the insurance industry are “holding up much stronger than the overall economy,” the leader of an insurance search firm said recently, reporting that insurers have added almost 20,000...
Auto Insurers Slam Nevada Pandemic Lawsuits
Feb 25 2021 // The American Property Casualty Insurance Association is responding strongly to new litigation the group says is an attempt to capitalize on the ongoing pandemic by targeting the auto insurance marketplace. Class action...
Munich Re’s 2020 Profit Drops 55% on COVID-19-Related Reinsurance Claims of $4.1B
Feb 25 2021 // Munich Re reported a profit of €1.21 billion (US1.47 billion) for 2020, a 55% decline from the €2.71 billion (US$3.29 billion) reported for the previous year. The reinsurer’s Q4 2020 profit dropped to €212...
Nevada Lawsuits Filed Against Auto Insurers over Rates in Pandemic
Feb 25 2021 // Class action lawsuits were filed in Nevada against 10 major auto insurance companies this week, contending that the companies charged excessive insurance premiums during the pandemic by failing to account for a drop in...
AXA Reports 18% Drop in Net Income During 2020 with COVID Claims of $1.8 Billion
Feb 25 2021 // AXA reported net income of €3.16 billion (US$3.8 billion) during 2020, an 18% drop from €3.86 billion (US$4.7 billion) in full-year 2019. The combined ratio for AXA’s P/C business increased 3.2 points to 99.5%,...
Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sued Over Coronavirus Policy
Feb 25 2021 // A Kentucky parent has filed a lawsuit against the Kentucky High School Athletic Association over a policy on when student athletes can return to competition after testing positive for COVID-19. Jon Kelly Johnson, a dentist...
Workers’ Compensation and COVID: More Data on Evolving Claims
Feb 25 2021 // Workers’ compensation insurers aren’t getting the large aggregate volumes of COVID-related claims projected during the early months of the pandemic, but different data sources give varying readouts on...
Bill to Limit COVID-19 Lawsuits Approved in Missouri Senate
Feb 24 2021 // Missouri senators have passed a bill to shield hospitals, manufacturers and other businesses from lawsuits over alleged wrongdoing during the pandemic. The GOP-led Senate voted 20-13 in favor of the bill, which now goes to...
Missouri Auto Parts Manufacturer Cited in Worker’s Coronavirus Death
Feb 24 2021 // Federal workplace safety officials have cited a Missouri-based auto parts manufacturer for failing to maintain safe workplace conditions after worker tested positive for coronavirus and subsequently died of COVID-19, the...
Judge Advances Multidistrict COVID Business Interruption Case Against Society Insurance
Feb 24 2021 // A federal judge denied Society Insurance’s motions to dismiss three “bellwether” lawsuits filed by hospitality businesses that were denied coverage for revenue lost because of COVID-19 public health...
Italy’s Top Insurer Generali to Invest €3.5B in COVID-Hit European Countries
Feb 24 2021 // MILAN – Italy’s top insurer Generali said on Wednesday it launched a 3.5 billion euro ($4.26 billion) investment plan over five years to support the recovery of European countries hit by COVID-19. The plan, dubbed...
Aviation Regulator Sees Pandemic Bringing New Safety Risks
Feb 24 2021 // U.S. Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson warned on Tuesday of a changed industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken air travel over the past year and created new safety risks that must be...
Judge Tosses Wife’s Suit Blaming Employer for Her Husband’s Covid
Feb 22 2021 // A federal judge tossed out a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that sought to hold an employer responsible for a worker’s spouse getting sick with Covid-19. U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco on Monday...
Indiana Governor Signs COVID-19 Liability Shield Legislation
Feb 22 2021 // Indiana businesses and others now have broad protections from lawsuits by people blaming them for contracting COVID-19 under a new state law. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on Feb. 18 signed the bill that he and GOP...
Cyberattack Strikes Pandemic-Besigned Navajo Nation Hospital
Feb 22 2021 // A pandemic-besieged hospital on the edge of the Navajo Nation says it has been the focus of a cyberattack. The nonprofit operator of Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital in Gallup issued a brief statement acknowledging...
