Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hunter’s Lawsuit Stirs Landowner Liability Concern in New Hampshire
Aug 22 2011 // Some New Hampshire lawmakers worried a lawsuit by a hunter will prompt landowners to close their lands to hunting and other recreational activities will meet Tuesday to discuss how to tighten the state’s law...
Judge Rejects JPMorgan’s Bid to Dismiss Whistleblower’s Retaliation Claim
Aug 22 2011 // A Manhattan federal judge rejected JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s bid to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit by a former private banker who said she was fired in retaliation for warning about a suspicious Israeli...
Financial Firms Balk at New Law to Help Catch U.S. Tax Evaders
Aug 22 2011 // A U.S. law meant to snuff out billions of dollars in offshore tax evasion has drawn the criticism of the world’s banks and business people, who dismiss it as imperialist and “the neutron bomb of the global...
Florida Employers May Face Higher Workers’ Compensation Costs
Aug 19 2011 // Florida business owners could see their workers’ compensation premiums go up if regulators agree to raise rates by a recommended statewide average 8.9 percent. The National Council of Compensation Insurance (NCCI)...
Bermuda Association Lauds Government Progress on Solvency II ‘Equivalence’
Aug 18 2011 // While U.S. regulators are beginning to be worried about the impending imposition of the European Union’s Solvency II regulations for the re/insurance industry, which will come into force in 2014, Bermuda has been...
Florida Supreme Court Rules Gov. Scott Erred in Regulation Freeze
Aug 17 2011 // The Florida Supreme Court says Gov. Rick Scott overstepped his authority by suspending state agency rule-making procedures. The justices split 5-2 in the opinion. The majority ruled in favor of a disabled woman who...
Mississippi Judge Dismisses Claim Against ‘The Help’ Author
Aug 17 2011 // Did Kathryn Stockett use her brother’s African-American maid as the basis for a character in the bestselling novel-turned-movie “The Help?” For now, that question may go unanswered, by a court anyway. A...
Washington Court Rules in Single-Car, Underinsured Motorist Case
Aug 17 2011 // A Washington State couple has been turned down on their appeal of a ruling that said Farmers Insurance can deny their uninsured motorist claim following a single-car accident, which they said was caused by another driver...
European Insurance Regulation Threatens U.S. System, Connecticut Regulator Warns
Aug 17 2011 // Adoption of European regulatory changes known as “Solvency II” as currently proposed could weaken U.S. consumer protections and stability of insurers, a state insurance commissioner has warned. Connecticut...
Court Questions Handling of White Firefighters’ Reverse Bias Case
Aug 17 2011 // Reviving a lawsuit brought by a black firefighter, a federal appeals court in New York on Monday raised new questions about the impact of a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the reverse-discrimination lawsuit brought by 17...
Judge Blocks New York City From Removing Fire Alarm Boxes
Aug 17 2011 // A federal judge has ruled against a New York City plan to deactivate 15,000 fire alarm boxes, saying that doing so would discriminate against the deaf and hearing-impaired. The fire department last year said the move would...
New Workers’ Comp Reform Linked to Illinois Trooper Crash
Aug 16 2011 // A new law inspired by a former Illinois State Police trooper’s high-speed freeway wreck that killed two sisters bars state employees injured while committing crimes from getting workers’ compensation. The...
Big Insurers May Escape Capital Surcharges Under Global Regulations
Aug 16 2011 // New rules to ensure no insurance company is too big to fail are set to be drawn up in time for the 2012 meeting of G20 leaders, although unlike banks they may not include capital surcharges, according to industry...
Judge Weighs Damages Against Indiana School Over MySpace Photos
Aug 16 2011 // An Indiana school district violated the First Amendment rights of two teenage girls who were punished for posting sexually suggestive photos on MySpace during their summer vacation, a federal judge ruled. The case...
U.S. Court Rules Against Obama Healthcare Mandate
Aug 15 2011 // President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law suffered a setback Friday when a U.S. appeals court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require all Americans to buy insurance or face a penalty. The U.S. Appeals...
N.C. Trial Lawyers Seek Malpractice Cap
Aug 15 2011 // Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue, August 15, 2011. The content in this issue is not real and is not to be taken seriously. It’s supposed to be humorous....
California Supreme Court Rules on Workers’ Comp Payment Increases
Aug 12 2011 // The California Supreme Court has ruled that cost of living adjustments in total permanent disability cases are to be calculated starting the January 1 after the injured worker started collecting his or her payments. The...
First Responder Fees: Insurers Should Expect to Pay More
Aug 12 2011 // While fee recovery by fire departments is nothing new, an increasing number of local municipalities have begun to charge for first responder, primarily fire department, services. Though the types of fees and rates vary...
Judge Likely to Give French Shoemaker’s ‘Red’ Trademark Claim the Boot
Aug 12 2011 // In a court case that has all sides seeing red, a judge said this week that a French maker of luxury shoes worn by stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johansson and Halle Berry will likely fail in its effort to...
Judge Tosses Coffee Shop Defamation Claim Against N.Y. Times
Aug 12 2011 // A Brooklyn judge has tossed out a defamation lawsuit against New York Times Co. brought by Gorilla Coffee, a coffee shop that has become a fixture in the borough’s Park Slope neighborhood. The suit stemmed from an...
