Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Kuderer Wins Race for Long-Held Washington Insurance Commissioner Post
Nov 6 2024 // Democrat Patricia Kuderer defeated Republican Phil Fortunato in the bid to replace the nation’s longest serving insurance commissioner with 57% of the votes. Nearly 65% of the ballots have been counted so far, and...
Changes to Washington Homeowners and Auto Premium Rule to Be Considered
Nov 4 2024 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has proposed modifying the state’s recently adopted premium change transparency rule. The proposal is specific to Phase 2 of the rule (the automatic inclusion of...
Washington Farm Labor Contractor Fined $140K for Withholding Info From Workers
Nov 1 2024 // A Pasco farm labor contractor faces nearly $140,000 in fines for violations uncovered during a Washington State Department of Labor & Industries investigation that include withholding information from worker. According...
Washington Drafting New Ergonomic Rules for Airline Ground Crews
Oct 30 2024 // Scheduled airline ground crews, including baggage handlers and maintenance workers, file injury claims for work-related musculoskeletal disorders at more than 10 times the statewide average, according to the Washington...
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Adept Benefits in Washington
Oct 30 2024 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Snoqualmie, Washington-based Adept Benefits LLC. Adept Benefits is a health and benefits consulting firm serving clients in the greater Seattle area. Megan Narrance and her team will...
Washington Commissioner: Most Homes in 2023 Wildfire Were Underinsured
Oct 29 2024 // An analysis of the claims paid out after the Gray and Oregon Road fires in Washington last year found that most of the homes destroyed were underinsured. The fires destroyed 366 homes, burning more than 20,000 acres...
Washington Insurance Commissioner Issued Fines Totaling $302K
Oct 25 2024 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines totaling $302,500 against insurance companies, agents, brokers and unlicensed entities in July, August and September for violations of state insurance laws and...
Washington Paper Mill Fined Nearly $650K in Machine Operator Death
Oct 21 2024 // The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries cited and fined a mill operator in Camas following an investigation into the death of a worker who was crushed by a packing machine that had no safety guards in...
Washington’s Landmark Climate Law Hangs in The Balance This Election
Oct 16 2024 // A groundbreaking law that forces companies in Washington state to reduce their carbon emissions while raising billions of dollars for climate programs could be repealed by voters this fall, less than two years after it...
Washington Paper Mill Fined Nearly $650K in Machine Operator Death
Oct 4 2024 // The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries cited and fined a mill operator in Camas following an investigation into the death of a worker who was crushed by a packing machine that had no safety guards in...
Woman Arrested From Washington Insurance Commissioner’s Most Wanted List
Sep 26 2024 // An Everett woman on Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Insurance Fraud Most Wanted list who failed to appear for her arraignment has been arrested. Shawndlyn Williams, who also goes by Shawndlyn Dyson,...
Washington Metal Fabricator Faces Felony in $340K Workers’ Comp Scam
Sep 19 2024 // A Washington man who claimed he was too injured to work while operating a metal fabrication shop faces a felony charge in an alleged $340,000 workers’ compensation scam. Travis Lee Johnson, 52, of Spokane Valley,...
Washington Cabinet Shop Fined $187K for Safety Violations
Sep 18 2024 // A Ridgefield, Washington cabinet company has been cited for numerous safety violations including unguarded saw blades, spraying flammable glue next to ignition sources and not taking steps to lock down dangerous...
PCF Acquires Insurance Business of Top Insurance Associates in Washington
Sep 17 2024 // PCF Insurance Services acquired the insurance business of Top Insurance Associates in Snohomish, Washington. The Top Insurance Associates team will join PCF Insurance’s Fortiphi Insurance. Top Insurance Associates...
Washington Contractor Fined for Using a Crane to Lift Workers After Elevator Breaks
Sep 6 2024 // A Seattle, Washington construction company is facing more than $150,000 in fines for putting workers at risk. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries cited and fined Lane Construction Corporation in July for...
Washington Marble Contractor Fined $300K for Exposing Workers to Silica Dust
Sep 2 2024 // A Skagit County was fined nearly $330,000 for exposing workers to crystalline silica dust from cutting, grinding and polishing stone countertops. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries cited and fined A+...
Highstreet Acquires Wingert Insurance Agency in Washington
Aug 28 2024 // Highstreet Insurance Partners acquired Wingert Insurance Agency in Mill Creek, Washington. Wingert President Jason Wingert and Agency Vice President Shelley Wingert will continue leading their team at Wingert’s...
Washington State Meter Reader Pleads Guilty in Workers’ Comp Scam
Aug 22 2024 // A 56-year-old former Washington State meter reader who claimed she was so traumatized from a workplace dog attack that she fainted at the sight of dogs has pleaded guilty in a workers’ compensation fraud...
Rhode Island Sues 13 Firms That Worked on Troubled Washington Bridge
Aug 19 2024 // Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee announced Friday that the state has filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction and inspection services related to the troubled Washington Bridge. The bridge was...
3 Plead Guilty to Insurance Fraud After Washington Insurance Commissioner Investigations
Aug 6 2024 // Three suspects pleaded guilty to insurance fraud in May and June after investigations by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit. The fraud cases included a suspect from Qatar...
