Latest Washington Headlines

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

Wash. Court: Old Bankruptcy Nixes Worker’s Asbestos Claim

Aug 13 2007 // Todd Shipyards Corp. can’t be sued for a deceased worker’s asbestos exposure because the man missed a filing deadline in a 20-year-old bankruptcy proceeding, the Washington Supreme Court said. In a unanimous...

Wash. Medical Malpractice Rules Outline Reporting Requirements

Aug 7 2007 // Regulations designed to provide guidance to insurers, providers, attorneys and claimants on complying with Washington’s new Health Care Liability Reform Law have been implemented, according to the Office of the...

Insurance referendum appears headed for Washington ballot

Aug 6 2007 // In its latest attempt to block a Washington regulation that insurers say would drive up insurance rates, insurance industry associations have launched a public campaign to take their issue to the ballot box. A campaign...

Business Moves

Aug 6 2007 // Safeco Seattle-based Safeco has expanded its sales organization from five to nine regions, and has named executives to lead two of the territories. “Independent insurance agents have consistently told us they want...

People

Aug 6 2007 // The Main Street America Group named Gregg Effner assistant vice president of distribution management. Effner, who has 30 years of property/casualty industry experience, will be based at the company’s corporate...

Insurance Referendum Appears Headed for Wash. Ballot

Jul 24 2007 // In its latest attempt to block a Washington regulation that insurers say would drive up insurance rates, the insurance industry association has launched a public campaign to take their issue to the ballot box. A campaign...

Thousands of Washington homes threatened by faulty fire sprinklers

Jul 23 2007 // Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are warning Washington apartment homes and hotels that their fire sprinkler systems may be defective. The Washington State Fire...

Washington Firefighters Gain Ground on Blazes but Await Lightning Storm

Jul 16 2007 // Firefighters tried to contain several dozen lightning-caused fires in Washington state on Saturday, as more thunderstorms swept through the region. Close to 2,700 lightning strikes were reported in Washington and Oregon on...

Washington Casualty Reinstated in Idaho

Jul 13 2007 // The Idaho Department of Insurance has reinstated the license of Washington Casualty Co., a subsidiary of FinCor Holdings Inc., allowing it to underwrite insurance in the state. The reinstated license validates WCC’s...

Thousands of Washington Homes Threatened by Faulty Fire Sprinklers

Jul 11 2007 // Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are warning Washington apartment homes and hotels that their fire sprinkler systems may be defective. The Washington State Fire...

Miami, Okla., Residents Fear They May not be Able to Return Home

Jul 11 2007 // Sharon Glass fought back tears after hearing she may not be able to return to her flood-damaged home. “I just wonder how a judgment call could be made before FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) officials have...

Poll: Washington Driver Speed Connected to Household Income

Jul 2 2007 // Washington drivers who earn a household income of more than $75,000 are more likely than their counterparts to speed and talk on a cell phone, according to data from a poll conducted by PEMCO Insurance...

Washington takes workers’ comp rate holiday

Jul 2 2007 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries announced that beginning July 1, employers can take a workers’ compensation premium partial rate holiday. The rate holiday means that most Washington employers...

News Currents

Jul 2 2007 // Washington takes workers’ comp rate holiday Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries announced that beginning July 1, employers can take a workers’ compensation premium partial rate holiday. The...

Wash. Workers’ Comp Benefits to Increase 5.4%

Jun 29 2007 // Workers currently receiving Washington workers’ compensation wage-replacement or pension benefits will receive a 5.445 percent cost-of-living increase that went into effect July 1. State law requires that benefits be...

Washington Casualty Co. Reinstated by Idaho Department

Jun 25 2007 // FinCor Holdings Inc. announced on Friday, June 22 that its Washington Casualty Co. (WCC) subsidiary has had its license to underwrite insurance fully reinstated in Idaho by the Idaho Department of Insurance. FinCor...

Washington Levies Fines for Violations

Jun 25 2007 // A Los Angeles insurer has been fined $100,000 for multiple violations of Washington insurance laws discovered during a market conduct examination of the company by the Washington Office of the Insurance...

Washington L&I Announces Workers’ Comp Rate Holiday

Jun 22 2007 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries has announced that beginning July 1, and over the next six months, employers and workers in the state will save an estimated $315 million in workers’ compensation...

Wash. issues emergency rule on heat illness

Jun 18 2007 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries has issued an emergency rule, requiring employers to take precautions to prevent heat-related illness for anyone working outdoors in hot weather. This is the second...

Washington Man Denies Killing Girl for Insurance Money

Jun 15 2007 // An Auburn-area, Wash., man accused of drowning his 3-year-old stepdaughter to collect on a $200,000 life insurance policy pleaded innocent in King County Superior Court and remained in jail on $5 million bail. Joel...