Latest Massachusetts Headlines
All the headlines from our Massachusetts Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurer Mapfre Faces Class Actions Over Data Breach
Sep 13 2023 // Two proposed class actions have been filed in federal court in Massachusetts against Mapfre U.S.A. Corp. and its affiliate Commerce Insurance Co. over a recent data breach that one of the lawsuits contends may have exposed...
Central Massachusetts Experiencing Severe Flash Flooding
Sep 12 2023 // The central Massachusetts city of Leominster and other nearby communities are dealing with severe flash flooding from excessive rainfall. A state of emergency has been declared in Leominster, a city of about 43,000...
Allstate Wins Trade Secret Tiff With Former Agents
Sep 8 2023 // Allstate Insurance has emerged victorious in litigation against two of its former exclusive agents who retained and used Allstate spreadsheets with policyholder information after the insurer terminated their agency...
Roman Bust Seized from Massachusetts Museum in Ongoing Investigation
Sep 7 2023 // A bronze bust believed to depict the daughter of an ancient Roman emperor has been seized from an art museum in Massachusetts by New York authorities investigating antiquities stolen from Turkey. The seizure is the latest...
NHTSA Shifts Gears, No Longer Opposes Massachusetts’ Vehicle Data Access Law
Aug 24 2023 // The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has dropped its opposition to a motor vehicle right-to-repair law in Massachusetts that unlocks vehicle data after the state explained how manufacturers may comply...
Weather Service Confirms Five Tornadoes Hit New England Last Week
Aug 23 2023 // The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Connecticut last Friday, joining a spate of four other twisters detected Friday in New England, including three in Massachusetts and another in Rhode...
Rare New England Tornado Damages Homes, Floods Roads, Topples Trees
Aug 21 2023 // A rare Rhode Island tornado lifted a car off an interstate highway Friday as severe weather swept already storm-weary New England, damaging homes, flooding roads and toppling trees. Tornadoes were reported in several spots...
Large Ice Chunk Fell From Sky and Damaged House in Massachusetts
Aug 21 2023 // A large ice chunk fell from the sky and hit a house in Massachusetts, damaging the roof of the home, the homeowner said. Jeff Ilg said he and his wife, Amelia Rainville, suspect the ice fell off an airplane traveling to...
Landlord Not Liable for Murder at Nightclub, Massachusetts Supreme Court Says
Aug 17 2023 // A commercial landlord is not liable for a “targeted, execution-style shooting” that took place on her property as it was not reasonably foreseeable and no reasonable security measures could have prevented it,...
Zurich American Off the Hook on Harvard’s Legal Costs in Affirmative Action Case
Aug 10 2023 // Even the smartest institutions in the land can miss deadlines – and can lose $15 million in insurance coverage because of it, a federal appeals court decided Wednesday. The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a...
Mass. Police Must Reinstate 7 Who Refused to be Vaccinated, Arbitrator Says
Aug 8 2023 // Massachusetts State Police must reinstate seven troopers who refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19, an independent arbitrator has ruled. The troopers have been on unpaid leave, but the arbitrator`s decision means they can...
Class Action Targets Grocery Delivery Firm for Alleged Unpaid Wages
Aug 4 2023 // A delivery driver in Massachusetts has filed a proposed class action against a grocery delivery company and grocery chain for allegedly misclassifying drivers as independent contractors and not paying minimum wage,...
Massachusetts Physical Therapy Clinic Owner Sentenced for $7M Auto Insurance Fraud
Aug 2 2023 // The owner of a Massachusetts physical therapy clinic who defrauded 24 auto insurers by submitting largely bogus treatment claims was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison and ordered to pay $7,383,756 in...
Uber-Backed Group to Reboot Gig-Worker Ballot Initiative in Massachusetts
Aug 1 2023 // A coalition of gig economy giants plan to reboot a failed ballot initiative in Massachusetts in a renewed push to cement their workers’ status as independent contractors. The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent...
Massachusetts High Court Revives Contractor Liability Claim Over ‘Half Inch’ Defect
Jul 24 2023 // Whether a half-inch granite protrusion on a crosswalk under repair is sufficient to support a negligent claim is a matter for a jury to decide, not a court granting summary judgment for a contractor doing work for a...
Massachusetts Judge Rejects Auto Insurance Class Actions Over Diminished Value
Jul 17 2023 // A judge in Massachusetts denied class certifications for claimants seeking payments from two insurers for the lost resale value of their motor vehicles that were damaged in accidents and then repaired. Suffolk County...
Penske Truck Denies Fraudulent Inspection Allegations But Will Pay $3.5M to End Dispute
Jul 13 2023 // Penske Truck Leasing Co. will pay up to a $3.5 million civil penalty for alleged fraudulent safety and emissions inspections on fleet trucks and trucks it rented for commercial use. According to Massachusetts Attorney...
Massachusetts High Court Affirms Limit on Wrongful Death Suits in Tobacco Ruling
Jul 7 2023 // If a person’s right to bring a personal injury lawsuit has expired by the time of his or her death, the person’s estate is barred from bringing a wrongful death suit in Massachusetts for the benefit of the...
AM Best Issues Improved Outlooks for Barnstable Group in Massachusetts
Jul 6 2023 // AM Best has revised its outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed its Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a” (Excellent) for the members of Barnstable Group,...
Car Dealer Shielded From Liability in ‘Courtesy’ Car Accident
Jun 28 2023 // Massachusetts car dealerships that provide customers with a courtesy vehicle to use while their car is being repaired are protected by federal law from liability should the courtesy car be in an accident, despite a state...
