Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Washington Commissioner Winning Sixth Term, Prop. 22 in California Passes
Nov 4 2020 // Incumbent Mike Kreidler was leading Republican challenger Chirayu Patel in the race for Washington insurance commissioner as vote counting continued on Wednesday. Kreidler, who’s seeking a sixth term in office, had...
Washington Family Files Lawsuit Following Death After Surgery
Nov 2 2020 // The family of a woman who lived at a Washington facility filed a lawsuit alleging neglect that caused her death following bunion surgery. The lawsuit says 33-year-old JoHanna Pratt died from a pulmonary embolism after the...
Ex-Police Chief in Washington Turned Pinup Model Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud
Nov 2 2020 // A Snohomish County, Wash., woman faces two charges of making false or misleading statements to collect more than $67,000 in workers’ compensation benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor &...
Amazon Injuries Could Spark Higher Workers’ Comp Rates for Fulfillment Centers
Oct 26 2020 // Injuries in Amazon.com Inc. warehouses could damage more than just the company’s reputation. They could start to hurt the e-commerce giant’s bottom line, as well. Washington state’s workplace safety...
Washington Developing Wildfire Smoke Worker-Safety Rules
Oct 23 2020 // The Washington Department of Labor & Industries is developing new workplace safety and health rules regarding wildfire smoke. The L&I announced the move this week in response to an increasing number of acres burned...
Ex-Police Chief in Washington Turned Pinup Model Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud
Oct 19 2020 // A Snohomish County, Wash., woman faces two charges of making false or misleading statements to collect more than $67,000 in workers’ compensation benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor &...
What P/C Insurance Industry Can Expect If Biden Wins or If Trump Is Re-Elected
Oct 19 2020 // If Republican President Donald Trump wins re-election, the property/casualty insurance industry is not likely to see much change from the status quo in Washington. If Democrat Joe Biden wins the presidency, however, the...
Report: Washington Businesses Fined for Mask Violations, But Most Are Complying
Oct 19 2020 // A handful of Washington businesses are facing fines for violations related to lack of mask use by customers and staff, however thousands of other businesses that were the subject of complaints and have been warned are now...
Northwest Windstorm Kills 1, Thousands Lose Power
Oct 15 2020 // One person died after a tree fell on them and thousands of people in western Washington were without power as high winds blew into the region Tuesday. According to Anne Nesbit with Key Peninsula Fire, a tree fell on a...
Mechanical Problems Likely Caused Massive Washington Industrial Plant Fire
Oct 14 2020 // Mechanical problems at a Tacoma, Wash. industrial plant are the likely cause for a fire that triggered explosions and spewed toxic chemicals into the air early over the weekend. It took several hours for Tacoma...
Iowa Orders Hole in Won, Affiliates to Stop Insurance Business in State
Oct 13 2020 // The Iowa Insurance Division has ordered Hole in Won LLC, Kevin Kolenda, Hole In Won.com, Hole in Won.com Worldwide, Golf Marketing Worldwide, Compliance HIW, and Amanda Penrose (respondents) to cease and desist acting as...
Washington Meter Reader Who Got $186K Accused of Stealing Workers’ Comp Money
Oct 12 2020 // A meter reader who was attacked by a dog while on duty and collected years of workers’ compensation is now accused of stealing the money, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said. Linda Jordan of...
Washington Commissioner’s Climate Summit Highlighted Area, Global Vulnerabilities
Oct 8 2020 // “The insurance buying public wants to know that insurance is going to be available and affordable to them when they need it.” That was the take-home message from Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler,...
Report: Washington Businesses Fined for Mask Violations, But Most Are Complying
Oct 7 2020 // A handful of Washington businesses are facing fines for violations related to lack of mask use by customers and staff, however thousands of other businesses that were the subject of complaints and have been warned are now...
Hackers-for-Hire Group Targets Officials, Activists, Executives in Middle East
Oct 7 2020 // Saudi diplomats, Sikh separatists and Indian business executives have been among those targeted by a group of hired hackers, according to research published on Wednesday by software firm BlackBerry Corp. The report on the...
Washington’s Minimum Wage to Reach $13.69, Will Also Impact OT and Salaried Execs
Sep 30 2020 // Washington’s minimum wage will increase to $13.69 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2021. The change is significant this year because it also impacts wages paid to some salaried employees exempt from overtime and other...
Washington Officials Say State Being Targeted by Phishing Campaign
Sep 28 2020 // Washington state is among those being targeted by a “large-scale, highly sophisticated” nationwide phishing campaign, the office of Gov. Jay Inslee said. At a press conference Thursday, Inslee said that the...
Lockton Names Huston Senior Vice President in Washington
Sep 25 2020 // Lockton Cos. has named Danielle Huston a senior vice president. Huston will support the growth of Lockton’s Washington office and oversee the introduction of benefits consulting services to the local market. She was...
Tree on Power Line Apparent Start of Washington Fire
Sep 22 2020 // A tree that made contact with a power line apparently started a wildfire that burned dozens of homes in eastern Washington, according to a utility company. The fire burned the vast majority of homes in Malden and Pine...
University of Washington Student Suing for Refund Because of Online Classes
Sep 22 2020 // A graduate student at the University of Washington filed a lawsuit demanding tuition reimbursement after the school shifted most of its classes online for the remainder of the year. Alexander Barry wrote in the complaint...
