Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
U.S. Court Rules Against Bear Stearns in Insurance Case
Mar 17 2008 // Here is more bad news for troubled investment bank Bear Stearns Co Inc: A New York appeals court has ruled that its insurers are not responsible for the costs of an $80 million settlement in late 2002 over the firm’s...
North Dakota Judge: Family Must Pay for Death of Teen
Mar 13 2008 // A judge has awarded civil damages of more than $881,000 in the case of a teenage driver involved in a Ransom County crash that killed another teenager two years ago. Southeast District Judge Daniel Narum ruled that Dillon...
S&P Report Examines Solvency II Impact on Europe’s Insurers
Mar 13 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services new report -“One In Four Of Europe’s Insurers Could Face Major Strategic Decisions Under Solvency II” – concludes that the regulations, which are...
Judge Tosses Insurance Company’s Lawsuit Against Robert De Niro
Mar 13 2008 // A California judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Robert De Niro by an insurance company that claimed he misrepresented his health for a movie role. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. insured the film “Hide...
Identity Theft, Privacy Addressed in Bill Passed by Okla. Senate
Mar 13 2008 // Legislation aimed at preventing identity theft and protecting the privacy of Oklahoma’s citizens has passed the Oklahoma Senate. Senate Bill 1745, sponsored by Sen. Randy Bass, D-Lawton, won unanimous approval. The...
Mass. Medical Society Pushes for Tort Reforms to Curb Insurance Costs
Mar 12 2008 // Massachusetts medical professionals are calling for reforms to the state’s medical liability system that they say will protect physicians from more lawsuits and help control insurance costs. To support their call,...
Climate Change No. 1 in Top 10 Risks Facing the Insurance Industry
Mar 12 2008 // Potential climate change is the greatest strategic risk currently facing the property/casualty insurance industry, with demographic changes taking priority for the life insurance industry, according to a new study by Ernst...
Connecticut Lawmakers Want Overhaul of Bail Bondsmen System
Mar 12 2008 // Connecticut lawmakers say it’s time to reform Connecticut’s bail bondsmen system. Legislators held a hearing today on a bill that would subject bondsmen to testing and routine training, and allow the public...
Kentucky Lawmakers Taking Action after Amusement Ride Accident
Mar 11 2008 // Kentucky lawmakers are taking steps aimed at improving the safety of amusement rides in the wake of a grisly accident last year that severed the feet of a girl at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. A Senate...
Oregon Supreme Court Rules Punitive Damages Excessive
Mar 11 2008 // In a victory for an insurance company accused of acting in bad faith, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that a $20.7 million jury award for punitive damages in a fatal traffic accident in 1987 was excessive. The case also set...
Montana Insurance Auditor Named Chair of NAIC Market Regulation Committee
Mar 11 2008 // Montana State Auditor John Morrison has been named chair of the Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Morrison will lead the committee’s oversight of...
States Urged to Lower Drinking Age to Reduce ‘Underground’ Drinking
Mar 10 2008 // Advocates acknowledge their argument is a hard sell politically but say it would be effective at curbing binge drinking More than two decades after the country established a uniform drinking age of 21, a nascent movement...
Pa. Judge Wants Insurance Fraud Trial Moved
Mar 10 2008 // Former Pa. Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce wants his federal insurance fraud trial moved out of Erie to U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh. Joyce’s attorney says news coverage of the case has generated enormous...
Judge Narrows N.Y.-N.J. Port Authority’s World Trade Center Claim
Mar 10 2008 // The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey can collect insurance only for damage inflicted on two buildings of the World Trade Center site destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, rather than for the entire complex, a U.S. District...
R.I. Weighs Tracking System for Medical Mistakes
Mar 10 2008 // Lawmakers in Rhode Island have proposed creating a system that would track medical errors by Ocean State doctors. The proposal comes after several well-publicized errors last year in which doctors operated on the wrong...
Maryland Weighs Premium Installments for High Risk Drivers
Mar 10 2008 // Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, the insurer of last resort for many motorists, to accept installment payments like private companies. Advocates say the proposal...
States Urged to Lower Drinking Age to Reduce ‘Underground’ Drinking
Mar 10 2008 // More than two decades after the country established a uniform drinking age of 21, a nascent movement is afoot to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to legally buy alcohol under some circumstances. Proponents say the higher age...
Iowa Supreme Court Adds Twist to Medical Malpractice Opinion
Mar 10 2008 // The Iowa Supreme Court sent two medical malpractice lawsuits back to district court after offering a new opinion on how the statute of limitations can be interpreted. The decision, which affects a breast cancer patient and...
Industry Fights Back Against Charges of Bad Faith
Mar 10 2008 // The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business’ latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows that property and casualty insurers continue to rank above average in customer service compared to...
Alabama Moves Closer to Hiking Auto Insurance Requirements
Mar 10 2008 // The Alabama House has approved legislation that would bring Alabama in line with about half the South by raising the minimum amount of auto liability insurance that motorists must buy. The House voted 82-0 for legislation...
