Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Airlines Liable for Hot Drink Burns During Flights, EU Court Rules
Dec 19 2019 // Airlines are liable for a hot drink accidentally spilled and hurting a passenger, the European Union’s top court said in a dispute involving a carrier founded by the late-Formula One motor-racing champion Niki...
Court Nixes Obamacare Mandate But Punts on What That Means for the Law
Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that a component of the Obamacare law is unconstitutional, but dodged a major ruling by stopping short of declaring that the rest of the landmark 2010 healthcare statute must also be...
Oklahoma Appeals Judge’s $465M Order in Opioid Lawsuit
Dec 18 2019 // A judge didn’t order Johnson & Johnson to pay enough when he said the company must pay $465 million to address Oklahoma’s opioid crisis, the state said in an appeal filed on Dec. 16. Attorney General Mike...
British Accountants Under Pressure to Do More to Detect Fraud at Companies
Dec 18 2019 // British accountants could be required to look for fraud at companies they audit under proposals made in a government-backed review of recent corporate scandals which went undetected. Lawmakers called for a shake-up of...
Bankruptcy Judge Approves $13.5B PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims
Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved on Tuesday PG&E Corp.’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of Californian wildfires, and the company’s stock rallied as the utility gained momentum to emerge from...
W.R. Berkley Corp. Forms Captive Insurer in North Carolina
Dec 18 2019 // W.R. Berkley Corporation has formed Oak Harbor Reinsurance Co. (Oak Harbor Re), a protected cell captive insurance company, which was licensed by the N.C. Department of Insurance on Nov. 25. According to the North Carolina...
Judge Rules U.S. Army Engineers May Be Liable for Hurricane Harvey Floods
Dec 17 2019 // Hundreds of Houston homeowners near U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed reservoirs may receive compensation for flooding of their properties during 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The U.S....
Government Spending Bill Includes Flood, TRIA Renewals and Obamacare Taxes Repeal
Dec 17 2019 // Congress is planning to use a $1.4 trillion package of two must-pass spending bills to repeal Obamacare taxes, raise the age for tobacco purchases to 21 and extend the U.S. Export-Import Bank for seven years, according to...
Judge Puts Hold on Enforcement of Arkansas’ Meat-Labeling Law
Dec 16 2019 // A federal judge has restricted Arkansas from enforcing a law that bans using terms such as “burger” or “sausage” to sell vegetarian and vegan products. U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted a...
Surprise Medical Bill Moving in Congress Could Help Insurers As Well as Patients
Dec 16 2019 // Congress is closing in on a deal that could shield patients from surprise medical bills, eliminating a source of frustration for Americans who face unexpected charges from emergency care and other procedures. The question...
Judge Approves $103M Settlement for Florida Bridge Collapse Victims
Dec 16 2019 // The families of six people killed, along with 10 people injured, when a bridge collapsed at a Miami university are set to receive a nearly $103 million settlement. Judge A. Jay Cristol, with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Miami,...
Michigan Car Insurance Fee to Drop by 55% Next July
Dec 16 2019 // Michigan drivers who want unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries will pay $100 per vehicle starting in July, which will be 55% less than the record high $220 annual fee they currently pay. The Michigan Catastrophic...
Officials Say Regulation Standards Factor in Alaska Quake Damage
Dec 16 2019 // Assessments following Alaska’s enormous 2018 earthquake showed building damage was worse outside Anchorage’s safety area because of reduced regulation, municipal officials said. There was less structural damage...
Driver Privacy Concerns in Auto Insurance. There’s an App for That.
Dec 13 2019 // Apps that let you book a ride to work or borrow a car for your next vacation are feeding into a revolution in auto insurance — while also raising some privacy red flags. Data on everything from how frequently a car...
California Judge Allows Gender Pay Bias Suit Against Disney to Proceed
Dec 13 2019 // Walt Disney Co. failed to persuade a judge to dismiss a lawsuit by female employees who allege the company discriminates by paying male workers better. A state judge in Los Angeles found that the 10 current and former...
Michigan House Votes to Ban Drivers Under 18 from Using Cellphones
Dec 13 2019 // Drivers younger than 18 would be prohibited from using cellphones except for emergencies under legislation approved by the Michigan House. Michigan now bars drivers with a learner’s or intermediate permit –...
Judge Orders South Carolina Authorities to Protect Farmer’s Seized Hemp Crop
Dec 12 2019 // A judge is allowing a South Carolina hemp farmer arrested after authorities said he grew the crop in unregistered fields to harvest some of his crop and put the money in a trust as he awaits trial. The State Law...
Court Rules Events After Email Instruction Don’t Erase Claim for Phishing Loss
Dec 12 2019 // A $1.7 million email phishing fraud that included phone calls with a fake lawyer and an intervention by a Wells Fargo fraud investigator is still a fraud and Ironshore Indemnity is liable for the claim, a split panel with...
Johnson & Johnson Appeals Judge’s Ruling in Oklahoma Opioid Lawsuit
Dec 12 2019 // Attorneys for Johnson & Johnson have appealed an Oklahoma judge’s order for the company to pay $465 million to address the state’s opioid crisis. The company argues in an appeal filed on Dec. 9 that the...
New York Doors-Off Helicopter Ride Raised Concern Months Before Crash
Dec 12 2019 // A government safety inspector who saw a popular New York City, doors-off sightseeing helicopter flight operation six months before a fatal 2018 crash called it “unorthodox,” but officials thought they had no...
