Latest Tennessee Headlines

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

Ratings: Argonaut, MAPFRE (Fla.), Pekin, Penn National, AXA Art, Tennessee Farmers, ALPS, BancInsure

Jun 23 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of the Texas-based Argonaut Insurance Group and its members. Best also...

Tennessee Implements Scrap Metal Theft Prevention Program

Jun 19 2008 // Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Leslie Newman named the members that will serve on an advisory committee for the department’s scrap metals registration program. The advisory committee is...

Tennessee Gov. Vetoes Williamson County Bill, Citing Safety Rules

Jun 18 2008 // Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen vetoed a bill that would have exempted a church-operated school in Williamson County from statewide building construction safety standards. Bredesen said in his veto letter dated June 13 that...

Fire Units Consolidation in Tennessee Could Reduce Insurance Cost

Jun 12 2008 // Roane County, Tennessee commissioners have approved the creation of a county fire department. The 15-0 vote June 9 in Kingston, Tenn. cleared the way for county officials to set up an organization that will coordinate...

Tennessee Bankruptcy Rate Continues to Lead Nation

Jun 11 2008 // Tennessee continues to have the highest personal bankruptcy rate in the nation and experts are predicting even more filings next year because of the slowing economy. According to a report released last week by the Federal...

Tennessee Man Arrested for Workers’ Comp Fraud in Virginia

Jun 11 2008 // A Tennessee trucker faces 193 charges for workers’ compensation fraud in Virginia, according to Virginia authorities. Virginia State Police special agents detained William Douglas Pickel on May 21 as Big Sandy...

Inspectors Find Problems at Tennessee Nursing Homes

Jun 8 2008 // State inspections uncovered an unprecedented number of dangerous living conditions at Tennessee nursing homes during the past year. The crackdown comes after a May report from the Government Accountability Office found...

J. Smith Lanier Names New Managing Director in Tennessee

Jun 2 2008 // West Point, Ga.-based J. Smith Lanier & Co. added Mark Benson as the new managing director in its Knoxville, Tenn. office. Benson will oversee all sales, financial expenses and personnel in Knoxville. Benson joined J....

Tenn. Reforms Moderate Workers’ Comp Costs

Jun 2 2008 // Tennessee experienced a moderation in average workers’ compensation costs per claim among 14 study states, after two consecutive years of rapid cost growth and in the wake of reforms enacted in 2004, according to a...

2004 Reforms Slow Tennessee Workers’ Comp Costs, Study Finds

May 23 2008 // Tennessee experienced a moderation in average workers’ compensation costs per claim among 14 study states, after two consecutive years of rapid cost growth and in the wake of reforms enacted in 2004, according to a...

Tennessee Creamery Recalling Cheese

May 20 2008 // An east Tennessee creamery is recalling a line of its cheese because of the potential for bacterial contamination. Sweetwater Valley Farm said its Tennessee Aged Black Pepper Cheese should not be eaten because it has the...

Tennessee Gov. Signs Bill to Restrict Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

May 20 2008 // Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen signed into law a bill seeking to limit frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits by requiring experts to vouch for a case’s merits. The law will also require plaintiffs to give 60 days...

Tennessee Set to Require Review of Medical Lawsuits

May 19 2008 // The Tennessee Senate unanimously agreed with changes made earlier in the House to a bill supporters say will limit frivolous medical malpractice suits. The bill would require plaintiffs to give 60 days notice before filing...

Tennessee Eyes Ban on Suits if Flood Warnings Ignored

May 19 2008 // Tennessee drivers who ignore flood warning signs or barricades could be charged with reckless driving under a bill headed to the governor for his consideration. The legislation, which unanimously passed the Tennessee...

Liability Costs for Long Term Care Industry Stabilize, Aon Reports

May 13 2008 // An Aon Corp. analysis of liability in the long term care industry found for the first time in nine years of reporting that liability costs are stable on a national average basis. The study found that average general...

Burn Victim Sues Owner of Tennessee Oil Well that Exploded

May 12 2008 // A man who was seriously burned when an Anderson County, Tenn. oil well exploded as he was driving past is suing the company and its owner for $4.5 million, claiming negligence. The well near Oliver Springs, Tenn., ignited...

Update: Tennessee Drivers Could Face Reckless Driving Charge for Ignoring Flood Signs

May 8 2008 // Tennessee drivers who ignore flood warning signs or barricades could be charged with reckless driving under a bill headed to the governor for his consideration. The House voted unanimously on May 6 to approve the measure...

Tornadoes Hit Tennessee, Demolish Mobile Homes, Injure 4

May 6 2008 // The National Weather Service said four weak tornadoes were spawned by a storm system that moved through Tennessee’s Montgomery County in the early morning hours of May 4. One struck Clarksville’s fairgrounds...

Unum Group Reverses 42% of Reviewed Disability Claims

May 2 2008 // In a forced self-review, the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Unum Group agreed to fully or partly reverse 42 percent of previously denied disability claims and paid out $676 million in additional benefits. The Tennessee...

Tennessee Open Container Bill OK’d Despite Enforcement Concerns

May 1 2008 // The Tennessee Senate passed a bill that would ban open alcohol containers in vehicles despite concerns raised by prosecutors and safety officials the measure could cause drunken driving enforcement efforts to lose...