Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Prior Approval of Auto Rates Does Not Benefit Consumers: Study
Aug 21 2013 // The prior-approval rate regulation of auto insurance is considered an unnecessary and ineffective approach, according to a new industry study. Risk and insurance experts responding to the survey conducted by the Insurance...
Former Kentucky Lawmaker Nunn Liable for $23M in Ex-Fiance Slaying
Aug 21 2013 // A judge in Lexington ruled that former Kentucky lawmaker Steve Nunn is liable for nearly $24 million in damages in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of his slain ex-fiancee. Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael...
West Virginia High Court Caseload Drop Tied to Workers’ Comp Reform
Aug 21 2013 // The number of filings in the state Supreme Court reached its lowest level in more than 25 years in 2012, according to a report presented to West Virginia lawmakers. The report by court clerk Rory Perry says there were...
Illinois Governor Signs Gun Law on Background Checks, Thefts
Aug 20 2013 // Illinois gun owners who fail to report the theft or loss of a weapon will face tougher restrictions under a new law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn. The law closes a background check loophole for the sale or transfer of a firearm...
Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund Withdraws Proposal to Gain Policy Rights
Aug 19 2013 // The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) — the auto insurance market of last resort in Maryland — last week withdrew its proposal to gain “sole and exclusive property” rights to all MAIF...
Lead Company Wants Missouri Lawmakers to Override Veto of Liability Cap
Aug 19 2013 // A Missouri lead company has launched an aggressive effort to persuade lawmakers to override a gubernatorial veto of a bill that would shield it from large punitive damages in liability lawsuits. The Doe Run Co. contends...
Stilt Houses in Greenwich, Conn., Foreshadow Impact of New Flood Maps
Aug 19 2013 // In the coastal areas of Greenwich, Connecticut, the latest housing craze requires hydraulic jacks, pylons and stilts. One home towers over its neighbors like a cruise ship. Others look like expensive tree...
Judge OKs $30 Million Southern California School Molest Settlements
Aug 16 2013 // A judge has approved settlements of lawsuits that claimed dozens of students were molested at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles and the district has made the first of what may become $30 million in...
Q&A: Why Sinkholes Form in Florida
Aug 15 2013 // Sections of a building at a resort near Orlando’s theme park district collapsed into a sinkhole on Aug. 12, forcing the evacuation of 105 guests in the structure and also dozens of visitors staying in two adjacent...
BP Asks Judge to Deny Investors’ Class-Action Spill Suit Bid
Aug 15 2013 // BP Plc asked a federal judge to deny U.S. investors the right to pursue a class action, or group, lawsuit claiming the company misled them before and after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The investors, led by the New...
Judge Throws Out Race-Based Claims in Paula Deen Lawsuit
Aug 15 2013 // A federal judge this week threw out race discrimination claims by a former Savannah restaurant manager whose lawsuit against Paula Deen has already cost the celebrity cook a valuable chunk of her culinary empire. Lisa...
U.S. Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Oklahoma Healthcare Reform Lawsuit
Aug 14 2013 // A federal judge has denied most of the federal government’s motion to dismiss Oklahoma’s legal challenge to implementation of the new federal healthcare law. In a 27-page decision, U.S. District Judge Ronald...
Judge Strikes Down LAPD Car Impound Policy
Aug 14 2013 // A judge has struck down an Los Angeles Police Department policy that makes it easier for unlicensed drivers to keep their cars instead of having them impounded after police stops. Deputy District Attorney Gerald Sato said...
Oklahoma Governor Calls Special Session on Lawsuit Reform
Aug 13 2013 // Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has called for a special session of the Oklahoma Legislature, to begin Sept. 3 for work on lawsuit reform. Gov. Mary Fallin’s executive order calls on lawmakers to re-institute...
Safety Fears Spur Regulations For Trampoline Gyms In Utah, California
Aug 13 2013 // Stephen Merrill was finishing his freshman year of college two years ago when he and a group of friends went to an indoor trampoline park in Utah for a day of flipping, jumping and bouncing. At one point, Merrill leaped...
Trade Group Applauds 2 N.Y. Laws That Target Counterfeit Airbags, VIN Forgeries
Aug 13 2013 // New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed two pieces of legislation that seek to put greater fraud protections in place and increase safety for the state’s drivers and passengers. The New York Insurance Association...
Judge Orders Settlements in D.C. Metrorail Crash Unsealed
Aug 12 2013 // A federal judge has ordered the unsealing of settlement agreements involving a deadly Metrorail crash. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton says the 2009 Red Line crash, which killed nine people, represents “a matter of...
Florida Regulator McCarty Answers CFO Over Reinsurance Costs
Aug 12 2013 // Florida’s insurance regulator, in response to questions why lower reinsurance costs have not translated into reduced homeowners rates, said insurers have significant leeway in how they incorporate those costs into...
Oklahoma Lawmakers Want Special Session on Business Legal Liability
Aug 12 2013 // Spokesmen for the leaders of Oklahoma’s House and Senate said the lawmakers want the governor to call a special session “sooner rather than later” so that the Legislature can consider restoring laws...
Judge Dismisses Kmart Flood Damage Claim Against Mississippi City
Aug 12 2013 // A federal judge Friday dismissed Kmart’s claims against the city of Corinth over flood damage to one of the chain’s stores in 2010. U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson ruled that the city is entitled to...
