Latest USA Headlines

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

Fireman’s Fund to Pay $44M to Settle Crop Insurance Fraud Charges

Mar 23 2015 // Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. has agreed to pay $44 million to settle allegations under the False Claims Act that it knowingly issued insurance policies that were ineligible under the U.S. Department of...

StartPoint Adds $25M in Capacity for U.S. D&O Market

Mar 23 2015 // Managing general agency StartPoint has added $25 million in new capacity for the U.S. directors & officers (D&O) insurance marketplace. The complete amount of the capacity is provided by certain syndicates at...

Top 30 U.S. Excess & Surplus Lines Writers in 2014: SNL

Mar 23 2015 // American International Group (AIG) and Nationwide Mutual are the top writers of U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) business but Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has climbed to become the eighth largest writer in just two years. A...

Oil Industry Sues to Block U.S. Fracking Regulations

Mar 23 2015 // U.S. drillers already reeling from a six- month drop in oil prices denounced new U.S. fracking regulations as costly and unnecessary, and quickly met them with a lawsuit. After three years of debate, the U.S. Interior...

Hot Markets for 2015

Mar 23 2015 // Insurance Journal examined industries experiencing changes and expansions in the past year. Here are the top market sectors that just might deliver hot opportunities for agents and brokers in the property/casualty...

Paying Tribute

Mar 23 2015 // The industry saw the passing of two of its best known and respected leaders in the past month: Liam McGee, former CEO and executive chairman at The Hartford, and Robert Benmosche, former CEO of MetLife and American...

People – Southeast

Mar 23 2015 // The board of directors of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Harden has elected three of its current vice presidents as officers for 2015. Kelly Craddock, Bettilyn Lunetta, and Elisa Simpson were recognized by the company as new...

U.S. to Streamline Approval for Commercial Drone Use

Mar 22 2015 // The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration plans to unveil new steps soon to make it easier for companies to use drone aircraft for specific business operations, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Commercial...

Court OKs AIG $970M Pact with Investors Over Subprime Mortgages

Mar 22 2015 // American International Group Inc. shareholders won approval on Friday of a $970.5 million settlement resolving claims they were misled about its subprime mortgage exposure, leading to a liquidity crisis and $182.3 billion...

Supreme Court Asked to Decide Standard for Vaccine Injury Compensation

Mar 20 2015 // The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether people who suffer harmful vaccine side effects should have an easier time winning compensation from the government. Congress created what’s known as the vaccine...

Uber Ads Lie About Superior Safety California, Cabbies Say

Mar 19 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. was sued by more than a dozen California cab companies over claims it falsely advertises its rideshare service promotes as safer than taxis. Uber misleads customers about the background checks it...

Firm Owned by Guardrail Whistleblower Files for Bankruptcy

Mar 19 2015 // A Virginia guardrail company belonging to a man who won a whistleblower verdict against competitor Trinity Industries Inc. filed for bankruptcy. Spig Industry LLC of Bristol, Virginia, had no income in 2014, according to...

Hedge Funds Find Gambling on Lawsuits Lucrative

Mar 18 2015 // For better or worse, the lawsuit-finance market continues to grow. Hedge funds and others speculating on litigation are making more and larger bets. Some corporate lobbyists warn that the new financial engineering...

Boies to Be a Lead Lawyer for Claims Against Takata Over Air Bags

Mar 18 2015 // David Boies, the litigator who lost the U.S. Supreme Court fight over the 2000 Bush v. Gore presidential election and later helped win legalization of gay marriage in California, was chosen for a lead role in consumer...

JLT Specialty Names Battenfield Sr. VP, U.S. Downstream Energy in Houston

Mar 17 2015 // JLT Specialty Insurance Services Inc. (JLT Specialty USA), a U.S. subsidiary of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc. (JLT), appointed Robert M. Battenfield as senior vice president and leader of downstream energy. He is...

McDonald’s Workers in 19 Cities File OSHA Complaints

Mar 16 2015 // McDonald’s Corp. restaurant workers from 19 U.S. cities complained to regulators on Monday that their working conditions are hazardous and have led to severe burns from hot grills and fryer oil. Workers taking part...

Despite Collision, Closure, Business Continues on Houston Ship Channel

Mar 13 2015 // Goods are being unloaded and commerce traded along the Houston Ship Channel, even though part of the waterway remained closed on March 11 amid cleanup efforts following a collision that spilled a flammable chemical. About...

Safety an Issue as Oilfield Companies Cut Costs During Downturn

Mar 13 2015 // A deadly oil well explosion in Texas’ Permian Basin this week offers a cautionary note of the industry’s challenges as companies cut costs during a market downturn. Even as deaths in the industry have climbed...

Insurers, Drugmakers Tussle Over Drug Copay Caps

Mar 13 2015 // The battle over soaring U.S. drug prices is heading for the states. With the price of some treatments topping $100,000, patient groups are pushing for state laws to make sure insurers cover most of the costs. Their...

U.S. Dominates Climate Change Litigation

Mar 12 2015 // It’s almost counterintuitive if you think about it. There is far more litigation related to climate change in the U.S. compared with Europe, which is usually considered more progressive on the issue. For an example...