Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Judge Allows Mississippi Suit Challenging Healthcare Law to Continue
Sep 2 2011 // A federal judge will allow a lawsuit filed in Mississippi challenging part of the Obama administration’s health care law to continue. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, in a ruling issued Aug. 29, denied the Obama...
IIABNY, CIBGNY File Appeal of Producer Compensation Disclosure Regulation
Sep 2 2011 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York and the Council of Insurance Brokers of Greater New York have filed a formal appeal of a trial court ruling that upheld a controversial state regulation. Attorneys...
S&P Changes Willis Group Outlook to Positive; Affirms Ratings
Sep 2 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Ireland-domiciled Willis Group Holdings PLC to positive from stable, and has affirmed its ‘BBB-‘ long-term counterparty credit rating on...
Florida Supreme Court to Rule on Medical Malpractice Cap
Sep 1 2011 // Florida highest court will consider whether a $1 million cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases violates the state’s constitution. The Florida legislature enacted the cap as part of a 2003 law...
Louisiana Worker Insurance Program Valued at Up to $217M
Aug 31 2011 // The market value of a state worker health insurance program that Gov. Bobby Jindal is considering privatizing has been pegged between $133 million and $217 million, according to an audit released Aug. 29. The assessment by...
Judge Limits ‘Housewives’ TV Star’s Damages for Wrongful Firing
Aug 31 2011 // A judge urged attorneys to try to settle Nicollette Sheridan’s wrongful termination lawsuit over her ouster from “Desperate Housewives” after limiting damages the actress may recoup if she wins at...
Judge Blocks Punitive Damages in Fossamax Claim Against Merck
Aug 31 2011 // A federal judge on Tuesday threw out part of a bellwether lawsuit against Merck & Co. over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes jaw damage. The plaintiff, Linda Secrest, may pursue her claim that Fosamax...
Pending Patent Reform May Not Bring Much Lawsuit Relief
Aug 29 2011 // U.S. Congress is tantalizingly close to passing patent reform that President Barack Obama has hailed as an economic booster, but the legislation is expected to do little to divert money away from patent litigation and...
Judge Allows Punitive Damage Claims for Gulf Oil Spill to Move Ahead
Aug 29 2011 // Plaintiff lawyers claimed a victory on Friday when a U.S. federal judge overseeing hundreds of lawsuits against BP and others over last year’s big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico allowed much of the case to move...
Oklahoma Workers’ Comp Overhaul Now in Effect
Aug 26 2011 // Legislation overhauling the Oklahoma workers’ compensation laws becomes effective today, Aug. 26, 2011. The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court noted that while the effective date for Senate Bill 878 is Aug....
Insurer Group Names Jackson as Southeast Lobbyist
Aug 26 2011 // The insurer group, American Insurance Association, has hired Ron Jackson to serve as its southeast region assistant vice president for state affairs. Jackson currently is the assistant commissioner for the Georgia Office...
Minnesota Seeks to Bolster Insurance Regulation with Commerce Dept. Changes
Aug 24 2011 // The Minnesota Department of Commerce has undergone a reorganization that includes a new Division of Insurance aimed at unifying and strengthening insurance regulation in that state. The Minnesota Division of Insurance...
Calif. Court Rules on Benefit from Negotiated Rate Differential
Aug 24 2011 // California’s highest court has ruled that accident plaintiffs may only recover economic damages equal to the amount paid by their insurer and not the higher amount billed. The opinion stated that “the...
North, South Carolina Coastal Insurance Plans Ready for Hurricane Irene
Aug 24 2011 // Caught square in the path of Irene, the first major hurricane of the season, the coastal insurance plans in North and South Carolina are prepared to absorb what may be their first major losses in years. Both plans appear...
Massachusetts Judge Refuses to Quash Fatal Arson Evidence
Aug 24 2011 // A Massachusetts judge has rejected a plea to suppress evidence in the case of a Northampton man accused of setting 15 fires that left two men dead and damaged property and vehicles more than a year ago. Prosecutors allege...
Tennessee Governor Resists Calls to Tweak New Cap on Damages
Aug 24 2011 // Republican Gov. Bill Haslam doesn’t intend to rework the state’s new law limiting payouts in successful lawsuits against doctors and other businesses, despite calls from some members of his own party for...
Connecticut Court Rules on Guaranty Fund Role in Workers’ Comp Claims
Aug 23 2011 // The state insurance guaranty fund can be considered the last insurer on a workers’ compensation risk that has multiple insurers and be initially liable for paying benefits to the injured employee, with the right to...
Judge Allows Investors, Insurers to Intervene in Bank of America Settlement
Aug 23 2011 // A New York state judge granted the request of dozens of investors including pension funds, insurers and several Federal Home Loan Banks to intervene in Bank of America Corp.’s proposed $8.5 billion settlement with...
North Dakota Farm Groups Backing Crop Insurance, Research
Aug 22 2011 // Crop insurance, research and export promotion should be among the top priorities in the next federal farm bill, say spokesmen for North Dakota agricultural groups, who are bracing for cuts in federal...
Insurers Oppose Change in South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Medical Fees
Aug 22 2011 // A new South Carolina regulation for calculating medical fees in worker injury cases has set off opposition from insurers and business groups that claim it favors certain medical providers over others and will increase...
