Latest Legislation Headlines

Full Plate of Insurance Issues Awaits Del. Legislative Agenda

Jan 9 2006 // The Delaware General Assembly will have a full plate of insurance issues on its agenda when it reconvenes on Jan. 10, according to Richard Stokes, regional manager for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America...

Indiana Malpractice Bill May Take Sting from Docs Saying ‘I’m Sorry’

Jan 9 2006 // Usually saying “I’m sorry” means good things for the person that says it. However when a physician says “I’m sorry,” it could mean big trouble down the road in the court system. With...

West Va. Mine Survivor McCloy, Families of Deceased, Eligible for Benefits, Officials Say

Jan 6 2006 // Randal McCloy Jr., the only survivor brought out alive from the 260-foot-deep International Coal Group Mine, will be eligible for medical benefits and wage replacement benefits immediately, and will receive workers’...

Md. Revisits Bill Pressuring Wal-Mart to Improve Employee Benefits

Jan 5 2006 // A proposed Maryland law that attempts to pressure Wal-Mart to provide better health care benefits for its employees would violate federal law, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce said. The business group issued a report just...

Kansas Lawmakers Push for Tougher Penalities for Uninsured Drivers

Jan 5 2006 // Two tough bills to keep uninsured motorists off Kansas roadways will be on the agenda for consideration when the Kansas legislature convenes on Monday.The first proposed bill will help the state keep better track uninsured...

Judge Allows Convicted Criminal to Stay in Reburbished Mansion

Jan 5 2006 // U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson will allow convicted former utility chief, David Wittig, to stay in his refurbished mansion, saying the the state had failed to provide a direct tie between Wittig’s fraudulent...

Ala., Miss., La. Black Lawmakers Mull Hurricane Recovery Policy

Jan 4 2006 // Black lawmakers from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama say the three states should work together – rather than against each other – on issues such as hurricane recovery. “We can all empathize with each...

Gov. Barbour Urges Lawmakers Not to Rely on ‘One-Time Money’

Jan 4 2006 // Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has warned lawmakers not to rely on “one-time money” granted by Congress to aid in Hurricane Katrina recovery and outlined how the money would be used. Congress appropriated $29...

Treasury Issues Guidance on 2005 Terrorism Insurance

Jan 4 2006 // The Treasury Department issued interim guidance to assist the insurance industry in meeting new requirements for the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. On December 22, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Terrorism Risk...

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements, Cost to Miss. Motorists to Increase

Jan 3 2006 // Thousands of Mississippi motorists will see a higher bill when they renew their automobile insurance in 2006. A new law that took effect Jan. 1 doubles the minimum amount of liability insurance Mississippi drivers must...

Jacobs Financial Group Acquires West Virginia Fire and Casualty Co.

Jan 3 2006 // Jacobs Financial Group Inc. has acquired all of the issued and outstanding stock of West Virginia Fire and Casualty Company (WVFCC) from The Celina Mutual Insurance Company (Celina) of Celina, Ohio. The transaction had...

NAMIC: Rate Modernization Initiatives Likely in 6 States in 2006

Jan 3 2006 // At least six states are likely to advance rate modernization initiatives this year, a legislative preview prepared by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) reveals. NAMIC Senior State Advocacy...

Routine maintenance not covered by labor law, N.Y. court rules

Jan 2 2006 // In a recent case involving millions in potential damages, the Supreme Court of the State of New York (County of Nassau) ruled that an employee who was involved in routine maintenance was not entitled to certain protections...

Workers’ comp benefits can stop at retirement age, Mont. judge rules

Jan 2 2006 // A Montana judge recently ruled that insurers don’t have to pay lifetime benefits to injured workers who are permanently disabled on the job, according to the Billings Gazette. State Fund insures more than 20,000...

IJ Exclusive: Colorado Commissioner David Rivera Has Age and Experience

Jan 2 2006 // When David Rivera was appointed Insurance Commissioner by Colorado Governor Bill Owens in April 2005, he was the youngest commissioner in the United States. Despite his age, however, Rivera already had a wealth of...

Calif. insurance commissioner announces new regulations for auto insurance rates

Jan 2 2006 // California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has announced he is introducing new regulations that require insurers to base auto rates primarily on a driver’s record and not on ZIP code. According to the...

Jan 1 2006 // Jordan B. Lotsoff recently joined Integro as principal in the Casualty Practice Group in the Chicago office. Lotsoff, with more than 15 years experience in commercial insurance, will be responsible for complex casualty...

Routine maintenance not covered by labor law, N.Y. court rules

Jan 1 2006 // In a recent case involving millions in potential damages, the Supreme Court of the State of New York (County of Nassau) ruled that an employee who was involved in routine maintenance was not entitled to certain protections...

IJ Exclusive: Colorado Commissioner David Rivera Has Age-and Experience

Jan 1 2006 // When David Rivera was appointed Insurance Commissioner by Colorado Governor Bill Owens in April 2005, he was the youngest commissioner in the United States. Despite his age, however, Rivera already had a wealth of...

Meeting Today’s Challenges and Preparing for Tomorrow’s

Jan 1 2006 // Several pressing public policy issues remain to be debated in the Gulf region and across the country. At the forefront is the question of how we, as a nation, will finance losses from future mega- catastrophes. Weather...