Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Non-U.S. Claims Against Toyota
Dec 2 2011 // Toyota Motor Corp has won the dismissal of a U.S. lawsuit brought by vehicle owners in 14 other countries who said their Toyotas lost value because of the Japanese automaker’s mishandling of alleged unintended...
Swiss Re Economists See Weak Growth; Some Market Hardening; EU Peril
Dec 2 2011 // Swiss Re presented its latest analysis of the global economic outlook and its potential impact on the insurance industry at an economic forum in London yesterday, December 1. Chief Economist Kurt Karl began the discussion...
Part of Mississippi Healthcare Suit Placed on Hold
Dec 2 2011 // A federal judge has put on hold portions of a Mississippi lawsuit against Obama administration’s health care law. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, in a ruling issued Nov. 23, stayed consideration of parts of the...
Aspen Enters Recreational Marine Market
Dec 1 2011 // Aspen U.S. Insurance has entered the recreational marine insurance market. Its products will be distributed through an exclusive agreement with the Atlanta-based Axiom Insurance Management, Ltd. The focus will be on...
Judge Allows Indiana State Fair Victims to Form Class
Dec 1 2011 // A federal judge certified all of the victims of the Indiana State Fair concert stage collapse into a single class in a lawsuit challenging a law that caps the state’s liability at $5 million, but she concluded the...
Aon Introduces Tenant Rent Default Coverage
Dec 1 2011 // Aon has partnered with QBE Insurance Group to offer a product that will reimburse U.S. landlords for lost incomes when tenants default on rent payments. “Rent default coverage has been sold overseas for years, but...
Sweeney Retires; McKay Named CEO of U.S. Aviation Underwriters
Dec 1 2011 // Michael Sweeney plans to retire as CEO of United States Aviation Underwriters (USAU) at the end of the year, parent company General Re Corp. in Stamford, Conn. said. Sweeney will continue as chairman until April 30, 2012....
Hiscox Designs Terrorism Product for Healthcare Industry
Nov 30 2011 // Hiscox has launched a terrorism liability product designed specifically for healthcare risks such as hospitals, physician offices, researchers and long-term care providers. The carrier says the product, which was designed...
Man Released from Aruba Jail Still Suspect in Traveler’s Death
Nov 30 2011 // U.S. businessman Gary Giordano is getting out of jail but he isn’t in the clear. Investigators still consider him a suspect in the presumed death of his travel companion — a case seemingly bedeviled by the same...
Arbitrators Near Jurisdiction Call in Chevron-Ecuador Pollution Case
Nov 29 2011 // Arbitrators expect to rule as early as next month on whether they can hear a dispute between Chevron Corp. and Ecuador related to a marathon pollution liability case, according to a letter to the lawyers involved. The...
Thai Flood May Hit Asia Harder Than Japan Disaster: Official
Nov 29 2011 // The impact from Thailand floods on Asia’s production networks may last longer and be deeper than that from Japan’s March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, a senior Asian Development Bank official said on...
Judge Rejects Citigroup-SEC Mortgage Settlement; Orders Trial
Nov 28 2011 // A federal judge angrily threw out Citigroup Inc.’s proposed $285 million settlement over the sale of toxic mortgage debt, excoriating the top U.S. market regulator over how it reaches corporate fraud...
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts Won’t Seek Re-election
Nov 28 2011 // U.S. Democratic Representative Barney Frank, who helped to craft the landmark overhaul of financial regulations that bears his name, will not seek re-election in 2012, Democratic aides said Monday. Frank, one of the most...
Ratings Roundup: Hiscox (US), Western Mutual
Nov 28 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a” of Chicago-based Hiscox Insurance Company, Inc. (HICI), both with stable outlooks. The...
Supreme Court to Decide Whether Harm Needed in Kickback Suits
Nov 28 2011 // In a dispute pitting big business against consumer groups, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Monday on whether a person has to suffer legal harm to sue a company over an alleged kickback it got. Cleveland home buyer...
Last Chance to Save Kyoto Deal at Durban Climate Talks
Nov 28 2011 // Countries will make a last ditch effort to save a dying Kyoto Protocol at global climate talks starting on Monday aimed at cutting the greenhouse gas emissions blamed by scientists for rising sea levels, intense storms and...
Black Friday, Cyber Monday Bring Out the Risk Grinch
Nov 23 2011 // The rush is the risk on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the eyes of a retail insurance and risk expert who previously worked in retail for 22 years. Kelly Brown of Zurich North America doesn’t go so far as to...
Two North Texas Men Sentenced in Arson for Insurance Case
Nov 23 2011 // Two men in Texas have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to commit arson in order to obtain insurance proceeds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced. Blaise Hancock, of...
Report Links Wildfires to Immigrants in Arizona
Nov 23 2011 // A study by Congress’ investigative arm shows investigators have linked 30 fires that erupted in a five-year period in Arizona’s border region to people who crossed into the United States illegally — a...
Ratings Recap: Standard Casualty, Grinnell, Erie & Niagara, Northwest GF Mutual
Nov 23 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A-‘ (Excellent) from ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “a-” from “bbb” of Texas-based Standard Casualty...
