Latest Washington Headlines

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

Amtrak in Washington 50 Mph Over Speed Limit Before Deadly Derailment

Dec 20 2017 // Federal officials confirmed an Amtrak train was hurtling 50 mph over the speed limit when it careened off an overpass south of Seattle, spilling cars onto the highway below and killing at least three people. Bella...

Lockton Hires Cohen as Senior VP and Client Executive in Washington D.C. Office

Dec 19 2017 // Lockton, a global, privately held insurance broker, has hired Bruce Cohen as a senior vice president and client executive as it continues to grow its business in the Northeast. Cohen brings to this role nearly 30 years of...

Fatal Amtrak Crash in Washington State Stirs Safety Debate in D.C.

Dec 19 2017 // The deadly Amtrak crash in Washington state marked the railroad’s third fatal accident in as many years, putting the passenger rail operator under fresh scrutiny less than a month after safety regulators issued a...

Trump Hotel, EPA Building Among Federal Properties in Flood Zones

Dec 19 2017 // The worst hurricane season in memory has spurred President Donald Trump to consider new ways to prod private homeowners to move out of flood plains. But many of the federal government’s own buildings are also at risk...

Amtrak Plunges on Washington Highway Resulting in Deaths, Injuries

Dec 18 2017 // An Amtrak passenger train derailed near the Washington State town of DuPont, sending rail cars plunging onto a busy interstate during the morning rush hour and resulting in injuries and deaths. Washington State Patrol...

Westcap Insurance Services Ups Limits for Contractors Program, Expands into Arizona

Dec 15 2017 // Solvang, Calif.-based Westcap Insurance Services, LLC has expanded its admitted program for contractors to now include Arizona domiciled risks. Westcap also announced increased limits and other product enhancements to the...

Average Cost of Workers’ Comp in Washington Dropping in 2018

Dec 1 2017 // The price of workers’ compensation insurance will go down for many businesses in Washington next year. The state Department of Labor & Industries announced that the average amount employers and workers pay for...

Washington Commissioner’s Order that Zenefits Charge for Software Upheld

Dec 1 2017 // An administrative ruling has upheld Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s order that California-based Zenefits must charge for its cloud-based human resources and benefits software. In August 2016,...

Washington-based Trans Ocean to Settle Sexual Harassment Suit

Dec 1 2017 // Washington-based Trans Ocean Seafoods Inc., doing business as New England Shellfish, will pay $75,000 to three female former employees and implement other relief to settle a federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal...

Index Shows Where People Are Moving in Next Few Months

Nov 30 2017 // It’s possible to know where in the country more homebuyers will be moving over the next 30 to 90 days, thanks to what’s called a “pre-mover” index. It turns out that the U.S. markets with the...

Former Washington Insurance Agent Jailed in $233K Workers’ Comp Scam

Nov 29 2017 // A Lake Stevens, Wash. man who ran an insurance agency while claiming he was too disabled to work must serve jail time. The Washington state Department of Labor and Industries says 53-year-old James Kooy was sentenced...

Tribal First Acquires American Indian Health Services in Washington

Nov 28 2017 // Tribal First, a division of Alliant Specialty Insurance Services Inc., has acquired American Indian Health Services. Brendan McKenna, president of AIHS, and his team will join Alliant and continue to serve clients from its...

Assurance Adds Wolfrey to Washington D.C. Team as Risk Management Consultant

Nov 17 2017 // Assurance, a Top 50 U.S. insurance brokerage, has hired Eric Wolfrey to its Washington D.C. team to serve as a risk management consultant. Wolfrey will provide business insurance and risk management solutions to a variety...

Female Engineer Awarded $251K in Washington Discrimination Suit

Nov 8 2017 // A jury has awarded a female Vancouver, Wash. engineer $251,100 for her lawsuit against the Clark County Community Development Department. The Columbian reports that the jury ruled staff at the department defamed and...

County in Washington Not Negligent in Suit 84-Year Old Juror Who Froze to Death

Nov 6 2017 // Local government officials were not negligent in the death of an elderly man who had reported for jury duty and was later found covered with snow outside a Washington state courthouse, jurors ruled. Kay Mita, 84, reported...

Assurance Furthers Expansion Into Washington D.C. with Hiring of Groseclose

Oct 27 2017 // Assurance, a Schaumburg, Ill.-headquartered, independent insurance brokerage, has hired Jack Groseclose to serve as an employee benefits advisor. In his new role, Groseclose will be based in Washington D.C., furthering...

18 States Denied Bid for Emergency Order to Restore Obamacare Subsidies

Oct 26 2017 // A U.S. judge on Wednesday refused to block President Donald Trump’s decision to end subsidy payments to health insurers under Obamacare, handing Trump a victory against Democratic attorneys general who have regularly...

PEMCO in Washington Names Vigil to Executive Team, Barry as Vice President of Claims

Oct 17 2017 // Seattle, Wash.-based PEMCO Insurance has named M.J. Vigil to its executive team as the company’s new vice president of people and brand. PEMCO also named Paul Barry to its executive leadership team as vice president...

Trump Defends Killing Off Obamacare Subsidies; 18 States Sue in Uphill Battle

Oct 15 2017 // Eighteen U.S. states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday to stop him from scrapping a key component of Obamacare, subsidies to insurers that help millions of low-income people pay medical expenses,...

Leavitt Group Acquires Group Services Northwest in Washington

Oct 11 2017 // Leavitt Group Northwest has acquired Group Services Northwest. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. This merger will not affect Group Services Northwest client policies and all staff remains with the agency at the same...