Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Lawmakers File Bills to Address Auto Insurance PIP Fraud
Jan 11 2012 // State Sen. Joe Negron this week filed legislation designed to crack down on the fraud that leads to more expensive personal injury protection insurance required of all Florida drivers. Negron’s bill (SB 1860) targets...
World Economic Forum Warns Economic, Social Turmoil Risk Globalization Gains
Jan 11 2012 // The latest report from the World Economic Forum highlights the “world’s vulnerability to further economic shocks and social upheavals.” Together they “risk undermining the progress that...
Barton, Nelson Promoted at Missouri Department of Insurance
Jan 10 2012 // Two veteran insurance regulators at the Missouri Department of Insurance have been appointed to division director positions. Matt Barton was picked to lead the Consumer Affairs Division and Angela Nelson is now director of...
Federal Risk Retention Law Needs Clarification: Congressional Report
Jan 10 2012 // The federal law governing risk retention groups should be clarified to reduce the number of disagreements between RRG managers and state regulators and to clarify the coverage RRGs may offer, a Congressional report...
5 Strategies for P/C Insurers for 2012
Jan 10 2012 // The economic uncertainty that plagues buyers of insurance does not bode well for the property/casualty insurance industry, experts are warning. Ernst & Young, the global tax and business advisory firm, said it expects...
South Carolina Judge Grants Initial OK for Class Action Over Sun City Homes
Jan 10 2012 // A South Carolina judge has granted preliminary class-action status to lawsuits alleging defective stucco work on homes in Sun City Hilton Head. The Island Packet of Hilton Head reported that Judge J. Michael Baxley issued...
Connecticut Law Nixing Legitimate Malpractice Lawsuits
Jan 9 2012 // After losing a baby because of an incompetent cervix, Patricia Votre thought she was well prepared when she got pregnant again. She made arrangements with her doctors to consult with high-risk pregnancy experts from Yale...
Judge Dismisses Most Claims in New Mexico Gay Bias Lawsuit
Jan 9 2012 // A judge has dismissed most of the claims in a New Mexico lawsuit by two women who alleged their daughter’s teacher discriminated against the girl because her parents are gay. Shannon Peterson and Jessica Bissell sued...
Hawaii Supreme Court Rules ‘Known or Obvious Danger’ Defense Not Viable
Jan 9 2012 // The Hawaii Supreme Court has ruled the “known or obvious danger” defense is no longer viable under state law as a complete bar to an injured plaintiff’s premises liability claim. Michele R. Steigman...
The Sound of Feds Listening
Jan 9 2012 // For months now, Director Michael McRaith and his staff at the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) have been doing something rare for a federal agency — they’ve been listening. In meetings, requests for comment, and even...
Florida May Tap Surplus Lines to Depopulate Citizens
Jan 9 2012 // Florida lawmakers are considering allowing surplus lines carriers to help Citizens Property Insurance Corp. lose some of its 1.5 million policyholders. State Sen. Garrett Richter (R-Naples) and Rep. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton)...
Trends for 2012
Jan 9 2012 // Soft Market Here to Stay, Merger Activity, Financial Pressures and More In order to be proactive, one needs to understand and exploit current and future trends. So what will 2012 be like for insurance agents and brokers?...
Declarations
Jan 9 2012 // Extended Stay “I’ve talked to the board and said that if I stay healthy — and I’m still hopeful — I would like to stay on for another year.” —AIG CEO Robert Benmosche on his plan to extend his...
Insurance Veterans’ Forecasts for 2012
Jan 9 2012 // Now that the year 2011 is behind us, let’s take a look at what might be ahead. Insurance Journal spoke with leading industry professionals and asked them what they are expecting this year. If their forecasts are any...
Judge Rules BP Not Negligent in Alaska Spill
Jan 9 2012 // A federal judge ruled that BP was not negligent in the case of a 2009 oil spill and did not violate the terms of its probation from an earlier accident thus escaping further punishment. The decision is a victory for the...
Workers’ Comp Reform Signed by Michigan Governor
Jan 9 2012 // Workers’ compensation reform legislation that supporters say will help reduce employer costs for assisting injured workers is now law in Michigan. Gov. Rick Snyder signed House Bill 5002 in late December...
Utah Lawmaker Wants Out of Daylight Saving Program
Jan 9 2012 // One Utah lawmaker wants to pull the plug on daylight saving time. The Desert News of Salt Lake City reports Republican Rep. Jim Nielson of Bountiful plans legislation that lets Utah opt out of the semiannual changing of...
Florida Investigating Massive PIP Fraud in Dade County
Jan 8 2012 // State investigators are considering criminal charges after finding regulatory violations in almost 90 percent of the pain clinics that treat automobile accident victims in Miami-Dade County. A report by the Agency for...
N.J. Court Rules in Favor of Allstate in Agency Franchise Lawsuits
Jan 7 2012 // Allstate announced on Friday that the Superior Court of New Jersey has entered judgment in favor of Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allstate Insurance Company, and dismissed all claims...
Finston Named California Deputy Insurance Commissioner
Jan 6 2012 // John F. Finston has accepted an appointment to be Deputy Commissioner for Corporate & Regulatory Affairs at the California Department of Insurance. Finston was the head of SNR Denton’s insurance regulation...
