Latest USA Headlines

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

Montpelier Re Completes U.S. Surplus Lines Acquisition

Nov 6 2007 // Bermuda-based Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. announced that Montpelier US, its Hartford-based subsidiary, has completed the purchase of a US Excess & Surplus lines insurance company after receiving regulatory approval...

Security of Vermont’s Enhanced Drivers’ License Questioned

Nov 6 2007 // The technology planned for an enhanced drivers’ license system that will allow Vermonters to return to the United States from Canada without a passport is insecure and a threat to privacy, according to some computer...

Ratings Recap: Hingham, Beazley (US), Kanawha, Genworth Mortgage

Nov 6 2007 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘B+’ (Good) from B++ (Good) and assigned issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “bbb-” to The Hingham Group and its members –...

La. Dept. of Labor Gets $10.5 Million to Help with Hurricane Recovery

Nov 6 2007 // The Louisiana Department of Labor has received a $10.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to assist 3,500 citizens in hurricane-affected parishes, the agency reported. LDOL requested the National Emergency...

Ironshore Acquires US Admitted Shell

Nov 5 2007 // Bermuda-based Ironshore Inc. announced that Ironshore Holdings (U.S.) Inc., the company’s US subsidiary, has completed the acquisition of Stockbridge Insurance Company, a US-based admitted insurance company, from...

Lloyd’s Holds Conference on Terrorist Threats in New York

Nov 5 2007 // Threats from terrorists have become a subject nobody can ignore – least of all the insurance industry. To meet those threats requires knowing who the terrorists are and how they operate. Lloyd’s recent seminar...

Declarations

Nov 4 2007 // Declarations Saved by sprinkler “It is almost certain that the entire building and possibly adjoining buildings would have been destroyed by a fire of enormous magnitude.” — Hartford, Vt., Assistant Fire...

Business Moves

Nov 4 2007 // AmWINS, London American General AmWINS Group Inc., a national wholesale insurance broker based in Charlotte, N.C., reports it has acquired London American General Agency Inc. Based in San Diego, Calif., London American is...

TRIA extension must pass without NBCR provision

Nov 4 2007 // After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the market for commercial property and liability insurance in large urban areas was in turmoil, as reinsurance for terrorism became expensive and scarce. Congress responded in...

People

Nov 4 2007 // Valiant Insurance Group Inc. announced that John N. DiBlanda has joined its U.S. property and casualty insurance operations as chief financial officer and chief operating officer. Prior to joining Valiant, DiBlanda served...

My New Markets

Nov 4 2007 // Agents E&O Nuts & Bolts: Market Scout is offering a broad coverage form from three different “A” rated carriers. Each insurer has agreed to provide up to 25 percent discounts for agencies that have 40...

People

Nov 4 2007 // Austin, Texas-based Medicus Insurance appointed John Flanagan as its new Regional Market manager for the Midwest. Flanagan will be based in Chicago. Flanagan brings over five years of experience in the professional...

People

Nov 4 2007 // Bermuda-based Catlin Group Ltd. appointed Nick Greggains chief underwriting officer for insurance, and Andrew Englesbe chief underwriting officer for reinsurance for Catlin U.S. Both will be responsible for insurance and...

News Currents

Nov 4 2007 // Only 22 percent of in-house counsel said they expect to see the number of legal disputes their companies face increase over the next 12 months; a year ago, 33 percent said they were anticipating a rise in lawsuits...

News Currents

Nov 4 2007 // Collateral conundrum: To change or not to change N.Y. steps out as first state to deliver level playing field for all reinsurers New York State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo’s proposal that the highest rated...

News Currents

Nov 4 2007 // Catastrophic wildfires sweep across Southern California Industry estimates insured losses at more than $1.5 billion and rising Insured losses are continuing to accumulate from Southern California wildfires that burned in...

Hurricane Noel, Season’s Deadliest Storm, Moving up East Coast

Nov 2 2007 // U.S. forecasters have issued an advisory for Noel, now a Category 1 hurricane and this season’s most dangerous storm, which is moving northward between the southeastern U.S. and Bermuda and growing in size. The...

Under Pressure, NASA Vows to Reveal U.S. Aviation Safety Problems

Nov 2 2007 // NASA is abandoning its secrecy claims and promising to reveal results of an unprecedented federal aviation survey that found aircraft near collisions, runway interference and other safety problems occur far more often than...

U.S. Employee Sues Japanese Ad Firm Alleging Offensive Sexual Activity

Nov 2 2007 // The former creative director of the U.S. arm of Japan’s largest advertising agency sued the company this week, saying he was pressured to visit a brothel and engage in other sexually explicit activities on company...

Okla. Reaches Tentative Settlement Over Tar Creek Superfund Site

Nov 2 2007 // The state of Oklahoma has reached a tentative settlement with a mining company that would provide nearly $65 million to agencies involved in restoration efforts at the Tar Creek Superfund site. A hearing on the settlement...