Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Washington Working Harder to Combat Insurance Fraud
Aug 31 2010 // In advance of a rate announcement expected in September, Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries said it is working to “transform itself” by strengthening fraud fighting efforts, helping...
Washington Workplace Fatalities Decline
Aug 24 2010 // The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its preliminary statistics for 2009, reporting that work-related deaths declined in Washington state last year to numbers not seen since 2000. The BLS, which produces an...
Lockton Adds 4 Execs to D.C. Construction Practice
Aug 13 2010 // Insurance broker Lockton Cos. has expanded its Construction Services Group with the addition of four construction insurance and surety experts in its Washington, D.C. operations. Douglas A. Crowe, Jr. and Alexander N....
China’s Economy Set to Pass Japan’s as World’s Second Biggest
Aug 2 2010 // China is set to overtake Japan as the world’s second-largest economy in a resurgence that is changing everything from the global balance of military and financial power to how cars are designed. By some measures it...
Two Accused of Faking $1 Million in Aflac Claims in Georgia
Jul 27 2010 // Two people have been indicted on charges they stole nearly $1 million from insurer Aflac Inc. by filing false insurance claims from 2007 to 2009. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that federal prosecutors are accusing...
Wash. Court Dumps Notice for Malpractice Lawsuits
Jul 19 2010 // The Washington state Supreme Court said it is unconstitutional to require 90 days notice before suing a doctor, marking the second time in less than a year the court has rejected a legislative attempt to reform medical...
Washington Agents Advised to Update Contact Info
Jul 19 2010 // Washington agents and brokers are being advised to update their licensing business address with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. In October, the OIC will launch a new search feature on its Web site to help...
Minor Earthquake Shakes Up U.S. Capital
Jul 19 2010 // Earthquakes are so rare in the Washington area that even a geology student wasn’t quite sure what was going on when a minor one hit early Friday. Was it a truck passing by? A low-flying plane? Gerasimos...
Washington Commissioner Criticizes Insurers’ Credit Score Use
Jul 16 2010 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is taking aim at insurers’ use of credit scores, warning consumers that large drops in credit scores could lead them to pay 8 percent to 15 percent more for insurance....
Washington Workers’ Comp Initiative Qualifies for Ballot
Jul 15 2010 // An initiative to eliminate Washington’s workers’ compensation insurance monopoly and allow private insurers to offer coverage for workplace injuries has qualified for the November ballot. Secretary of State Sam...
Wash. Court Dumps Notice for Malpractice Lawsuits
Jul 8 2010 // The Washington state Supreme Court said it’s unconstitutional to require 90 days notice before suing a doctor, marking the second time in less than a year the court has rejected a legislative attempt to reform...
Washington Agents Advised to Update Listing on OIC Web Site
Jul 7 2010 // Washington agents and brokers are being advised to update the licensing business address with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. In October, the OIC will launch a new search feature on its Web site to help consumers...
Non-Resident Blogger Can Be Sued in Florida Over Defamation
Jul 5 2010 // The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that a non-resident blogger can be sued in the state for posting allegedly defamatory comments about a Florida company on her out-of-state Web site. In a unanimous opinion, the court...
Bad Weather Hinders BP Oil Cleanup; Oil Invades More Wetlands
Jul 2 2010 // Tropical storm Alex slowed oil spill clean-up and containment work in the Gulf of Mexico and drove more petroleum into fragile Gulf wetlands and beaches Thursday, with any permanent fix to BP Plc’s ruptured deep-sea...
Washington Closer to Eliminating Workers’ Comp Insurance Monopoly
Jul 2 2010 // A campaign to end the state’s monopoly on workers’ compensation insurance appears to have enough support to qualify for the November ballot, adding to a busy initiative season in Washington politics. Initiative...
Special Reuters Report: Oil Spill a Gusher for Lawyers; Litigation May Take Years
Jun 30 2010 // BP payout should far exceed what Exxon spent on Valdez The company’s $20 billion fund may not be enough Accountability may take years if not decades to assess Many federal laws allow civil, criminal liability From a...
Surplus Line Association of Wash. Administers Flood Insurance Program
Jun 29 2010 // Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and more than two dozen insurance companies have launched a new program to help Green River Valley businesses struggling to find flood coverage. The “Washington...
Democratic Governors Defend Healthcare Overhaul
Jun 25 2010 // A small group of Democratic governors this week launched a counter-attack over the federal healthcare overhaul, firing back against legal challenges from nearly two dozen state attorneys general who are seeking to overturn...
CNA Opens New Branch in Washington, D.C.
Jun 22 2010 // CNA has opened a new branch office in Washington, D.C., a move aimed at extending the insurer’s geographic footprint and bringing it closer to its agents, brokers and customers. George Agyen, Mid-Atlantic Zone...
NSU Named One of Washington’s ‘Best Companies to Work For’
Jun 22 2010 // National Specialty Underwriters Inc. (NSU) of Bellevue, Wash., was named one of Washington’s 2010 Best Companies to Work For. Seattle Business magazine chose 100 finalists in their search for Washington’s Best...
