Latest USA Headlines

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

Halliburton Pleads Guilty to Destroying Gulf Oil Spill Evidence

Jul 26 2013 // Halliburton Co. has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday. The government said Halliburton’s guilty plea is the...

Judge Blocks Lawsuits Challenging Detroit Bankruptcy

Jul 26 2013 // A federal judge has agreed with Detroit, Mich., and stopped any lawsuits challenging the city’s bankruptcy, declaring his courtroom the exclusive venue for legal action in the largest filing by a local government in...

Florida Woman Sues Airline Over Rough Landing

Jul 25 2013 // A Tampa-area woman has sued US Airways, saying she was injured after a rough landing at Tampa International Airport. Nancy Linker, who is 48, said in the lawsuit that she was hospitalized after the front tires of US...

Cruise Lines Agree to Post Ship Crime Statistics

Jul 25 2013 // Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the target of proposed legislation after high profile mishaps at sea, will voluntarily publish more data about crimes on their cruises. Adam...

1st Half 2013 Natural Disasters Cost $85 Billion – Aon Benfield

Jul 25 2013 // A mid-year natural disaster analysis from Impact Forecasting, the catastrophe model development center of excellence at Aon Benfield, puts economic losses from global natural disasters at $85 billion, higher than the $75...

Lance Armstrong Seeks Dismissal of False Claims Lawsuit

Jul 24 2013 // Lance Armstrong, the former champion cyclist, asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit claiming he defrauded the U.S. by using banned substances in violation of his team’s contract with the U.S. Postal...

Southwest Crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Triggers Probe by NTSB

Jul 24 2013 // The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board began a formal investigation into the Southwest Airlines Co. accident Monday at New York’s LaGuardia airport that injured eight and disrupted traffic. The Boeing Co....

Canada Insurer Industrial Alliance Targets C$500 Million Deal for Asset Manager

Jul 24 2013 // Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc., the best-performing Canadian insurer in the past year, plans to acquire a money manager in what would be the company’s biggest takeover. Industrial Alliance...

U.S.-Led Trade Talks Gain Heft, Complexity, as Japan Joins

Jul 24 2013 // Japan joined U.S.-led trade talks on Tuesday, adding its weight to a pact that covers two-fifths of the world economy but raising further doubt over whether negotiators can prise open sensitive sectors such as farm goods...

Iowa Court: Lawyer May Be Sued for Emotional Pain

Jul 24 2013 // The Iowa Supreme Court said a couple from Ecuador may sue their attorney for emotional distress because his advice caused them to be separated from their children and grandchildren for a decade. It’s the first time...

Flood Insurance an Issue in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate Race

Jul 24 2013 // U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and her Senate race challenger, U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, are jockeying for credit and prominence on a high-profile problem for many Louisiana residents: the skyrocketing cost of flood insurance...

6 Plead Guilty in Louisiana Auto Accident Insurance Fraud Scheme

Jul 23 2013 // Six defendants in a case involving an automobile accident insurance fraud scheme in Louisiana have pleaded guilty, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced. The pleas were heard by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks,...

Federal Jury Convicts Former Texas Insurance Agent in Fraud Case

Jul 23 2013 // A former Denton County, Texas, insurance agent has been convicted in an insurance fraud scheme that targeted elderly individuals, U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldana of the Northern District of Texas announced. A federal jury...

House Lawmakers Introduce Patent Reform Bill

Jul 23 2013 // Two U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on Monday to give companies another tool to fight lawsuits brought by companies that specialize in patent litigation. Their bill would broaden the power of the U.S. Patent and...

Canada’s Intact Financial Sees $454 Mn Flood Losses; $24.2 Mn Train Crash

Jul 23 2013 // Canadian P&C insurer Intact Financial said it expected quarterly results would be hurt by losses from a train derailment and fiery explosion in a Quebec town and storm and flood damage in Canada’s oil capital,...

CIWA Announces Changes to Bylaws to Increase Number of Associate Members on Their Board

Jul 23 2013 // Folsom, CA, 07/23/13 – In an effort to gain valuable insight about their company and vendor members, CIWA has elected to revise their bylaws and allow for more associate members. “CIWA is adapting to the...

Judge Dismisses Faulkner Estate’s Copyright Claim Against Woody Allen Movie

Jul 23 2013 // A federal judge in Mississippi has dismissed a lawsuit claiming that Woody Allen’s 2011 film “Midnight in Paris” improperly used one of William Faulkner’s most famous lines. Faulkner Literary Rights...

Toyota Acceleration Case Settlement Gets Final OK

Jul 22 2013 // A U.S. judge on Friday gave final approval to the settlement of a class action lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corp. by plaintiffs who claimed design defects caused some of the company’s vehicles to accelerate without...

People – South Central

Jul 22 2013 // Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. (LWCC) promoted Angie Risley to manager of financial reporting and Shelly Vige to premium audit manager. Risley has been with LWCC since 2003 when she was hired as a senior...

Here Comes Berkshire Hathaway

Jul 22 2013 // Interview with BHSI’s Peter Eastwood on Building a New E&S Giant When a veteran of CNA joined Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance to lead the new venture’s professional liability division a few weeks...