Latest Legislation Headlines

All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.

La. Supreme Court Upholds Katrina, Rita Claims Extension

Aug 27 2006 // Two new Louisiana laws giving insurance policyholders more time to sue their insurers or file claims over damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita are constitutional, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Aug. 25. The unanimous...

U.S. Judge to Decide if Levee Break Cases go Forward in La.

Aug 27 2006 // People who want insurance companies to pay for their losses after levee breaks in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina are waiting for word from a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval, who is in charge of...

Republican Blames Own Party for Failing to Solve Fla. Insurance Crisis

Aug 27 2006 // Republican state Rep. Juan Zapata said his own party has failed Floridians by not coming up with a solution to the state’s insurance crisis and accused a fellow GOP lawmaker who has had a large role in insurance...

S.C. High Court Throws Out Medical Expert Licensing Rule

Aug 27 2006 // A new law requiring out-of-state doctors to get a temporary South Carolina medical license before testifying as experts in court has been suspended by the state Supreme Court. The court “cannot allow the...

La. Judge Rules Claims Deadline Extension Laws Constitutional

Aug 25 2006 // A Louisiana state judge on Aug. 23 ruled as constitutional two new state laws giving insurance policyholders more time to sue their insurers or file claims over damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. District Court Judge...

PCI: Judge’s Ruling on Prescription Period Sets Wrong Precedent

Aug 25 2006 // With nearly 95 percent of insurance claims from last year’s hurricane season already settled, the recent Louisiana district court ruling on the constitutionality of laws that extend the time period for consumers to...

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Coal Mine Safety

Aug 25 2006 // A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit by coal miners demanding that the government do more to ensure miners have working oxygen supplies and know how to use them. The lawsuit was filed in June after Congress...

Judge Dismisses Suit Over W. Va. Sago Coal Mine Safety

Aug 24 2006 // A federal judge this week threw out a lawsuit by coal miners that demanded the government do more to ensure that miners have working oxygen supplies and know how to use them. The lawsuit was filed in June after Congress...

N.C. Nixes Bill Giving State Worker Association Insurance Advantage

Aug 23 2006 // North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has vetoed legislation he said would give the largest association representing state workers special rights to recruit and consult with employees or sell them insurance policies. The measure...

Mass. Regulator Looks Ahead After Court Ruling Clears Way for Assigned Risk Plan

Aug 23 2006 // “We’re one step closer to operating like a normal market.” That’s how Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Julianne Bowler greeted the news that the state Supreme Judicial Court had upheld her...

S.C. High Court Rules State Responsible fro Contractors’ Work

Aug 22 2006 // The South Carolina Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision, ruling that the state is still responsible for providing reasonable care to patients even when it contracts work out to private vendors. In 1997,...

Rebuilt Homes Higher, More Varied, In Line with Stricter Building Codes

Aug 22 2006 // As homeowners along the Gulf Coast have started rebuilding and repairing since Hurricane Katrina hit nearly a year ago, they’ve been learning a new vocabulary and have been bombarded with recommendations. In many...

Judge Rules Against Private Ambulance Company Serving Spokane

Aug 21 2006 // A judge has ruled that Spokane, Wash., residents who have used American Medical Response ambulances since 1998 can pursue state Consumer Protection Act and breach of contract claims against the company. AMR, the...

Judge denies California insurers’ lawsuit to stop auto rate regs

Aug 21 2006 // A Sacramento Superior Court judge has rejected the insurance industry’s request for an injunction against auto insurance rate regulation reforms in California, but the legal challenges will not end...

It Figures

Aug 21 2006 // 86% The percent of Virginians opposed to increasing fees on car insurance to help pay for transportation improvements. The Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. survey also found that 10 percent supported insurance fees...

Rough riding for workers’ comp on the racetrack

Aug 21 2006 // The problem of providing workers’ compensation insurance for jockeys and backstretch workers, such as grooms and exercise riders, in the horse racing industry is a complicated one. Only four states —...

Rough riding for workers’ comp on the racetrack

Aug 21 2006 // The problem of providing workers’ compensation insurance for jockeys and backstretch workers, such as grooms and exercise riders, in the horse racing industry is a complicated one. Only four states —...

Michigan blocks asbestos case

Aug 21 2006 // The Michigan Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision to preclude trial courts from bundling together asbestos cases for trial or settlement is an “excellent first step toward restoring balanced justice” in asbestos...

Rough riding for workers’ comp on the racetrack

Aug 21 2006 // The problem of providing workers’ compensation insurance for jockeys and backstretch workers, such as grooms and exercise riders, in the horse racing industry is a complicated one. Only four states —...

State Farm Files for Rate Reduction

Aug 18 2006 // State Farm Insurance, California’s largest auto insurer, has applied for an 8 percent average reduction for its policyholders while simultaneously implementing new auto rate regulations, according to the Department...