Latest Michigan Headlines

All the headlines from our Michigan Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Enbridge Says Michigan Oil Spill Cost $550 Million

Apr 7 2011 // Enbridge Inc. says the spill of at least 800,000 of oil into the Kalamazoo River system near Marshall cost the pipeline company $550 million in 2010. The figure, which comes from the Enbridge annual report, excludes...

Michigan Catastrophic Auto Insurance Fee to Rise 1.3%

Apr 4 2011 // Michigan auto insurance policyholders will pay an additional $1.91 starting July 1 to help pay the lifetime medical expenses of people seriously injured in accidents. The lifetime benefit is a part of Michigan’s...

Michigan’s Accident Fund Unveils New Corporate Headquarters

Mar 30 2011 // Workers’ compensation carrier Accident Fund Holdings Inc. today unveiled its new national headquarters on the site of the former Lansing Board of Water & Light Ottawa Street Power Station in downtown Lansing,...

Michigan Catastrophic Auto Insurance Fee to Rise 1.3%

Mar 28 2011 // Michigan auto insurance policyholders will pay an additional $1.91 starting July 1 to help pay the lifetime medical expenses of people seriously injured in accidents. The lifetime benefit is a part of Michigan’s...

Michigan’s Stricter Teen Driving Rules Go Into Effect Next Week

Mar 25 2011 // Michigan is preparing to enact new restrictions on teen drivers-in-training. Law enforcement, insurance and education leaders gathered in East Lansing this week to explain the requirements that take effect March 30. The...

Michigan Court Reinstates Injured Cheerleader’s Lawsuit

Mar 25 2011 // A civil lawsuit accusing a Detroit area youth football league and team of negligence contributing to a cheerleader’s injury has been reinstated by the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Appeals Court reversed a Macomb...

Michigan Nixes Strict Workplace Ergonomics Rule

Mar 23 2011 // Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed a bill to prevent state-level administrative rules mandating workplace ergonomics. Ergonomics aims to limit injuries caused by lifting, repetitive motion and awkward work positions. The...

Come along for a ride with Jason Verlinde

Mar 21 2011 // I recently went on my own ride to Michigan for the Michigan YIP’s Winter Get-Away! I was invited to teach a class on Generational Differences and the turnout and response from the class was tremendous – it was...

Michigan Court Orders Insurer to Pay Mother Who Saw Son Die in Crash

Mar 11 2011 // An Ohio insurance company must pay benefits to a Detroit-area woman who suffers from witnessing the death of her son on a motorcycle. The Michigan appeals court said Gale Boertmann of Clinton Township can collect on her...

Ratings Recap: Blue Whale Re, Michigan Millers, Constitutional

Mar 10 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a” of Vermont-based captive Blue Whale Re Ltd., both with stable outlooks. The ratings...

Business Moves

Mar 7 2011 // Hylant Group, Creative Benefits Systems Ohio-based Hylant Group, one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerage firms in the nation, recently acquired a substantial portion of Creative Benefits Systems (CBS), an...

Michigan Lags in Snowmobile Safety: Report

Feb 28 2011 // Michigan’s snowy winters and 6,200 miles of groomed trails make it a magnet for snowmobilers, but all that fun comes at a price. The Detroit Free Press reported that more than 130 snowmobilers have been killed in...

Michigan Man Slips Up in Trip-and-Fall Case

Feb 18 2011 // A man who tripped and fell has lost his lawsuit against Michigan’s Bay City because he gave the wrong location. The Michigan appeals court says state law is very clear: Robert Graczyk needed to be exact when...

Michigan Judge Rules Wal-Mart Can Fire Employee for Marijuana Use

Feb 16 2011 // Michigan law legalizing medical marijuana doesn’t stop private businesses from firing people for drug use, a federal judge said in dismissing a lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker...

Mood on Main Street: How Recession Changed Insurance Buying Habits

Feb 15 2011 // The recession has taken its toll on contractors, restaurants, retailers, small manufacturers and other Main Street business around the country and most of the survivors are not going to soon forget the pain of the past few...

Michigan Senate Approves Bill Banning Mandatory Ergonomics Rules

Feb 14 2011 // The Michigan Senate has approved a bill that would prevent administrative rules mandating workplace ergonomics rules. The bill from Republican Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge was approved by a 25-12 vote last Thursday and...

Ratings Roundup: Allstate (bank), Queen City, Sutter, Auto Club (Michigan)

Feb 11 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that its ratings on Allstate Corp. (A-/Stable/A-2) and its operating subsidiaries “are not affected by the announcement that Allstate is exiting the banking...

Business Moves

Feb 7 2011 // Hylant Group, Swartzel Affiliated Ohio-based insurance brokerage, Hylant Group, and property/casualty insurance services provider Swartzel Affiliated Insurance Agency have merged. The companies’ announcement said the...

The Mood On Main Street

Feb 7 2011 // Has the recession changed how small business feels about insurance? The recession has taken its toll on contractors, restaurants, retailers, small manufacturers and other Main Street business around the country and most of...

Hylant Acquires Michigan Benefits Agency

Feb 2 2011 // Ohio-based Hylant Group, one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerage firms in the nation, recently acquired a substantial portion of Creative Benefits Systems (CBS), an employee benefits provider in Grand...