It Figures

$19 Million

The amount being funneled to the Mississippi wind pool from the Mississippi Insurance Department this month. Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said the funds should help stabilize premium rates for wind pool policyholders.

$23,000

The fine levied by South Carolina workplace safety officials against a chemical company for an accident in July when a ruptured hose caused an ammonia leak that killed a passing motorist. Pennsylvania-based Tanner Industries didn’t have proper safety valves in place that could have lessened the severity of the leak, didn’t have an alarm system to warn others of the leak and used an improper hose to transfer the liquid anhydrous ammonia from a truck to a storage tank, according to the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

100

The number of sobriety checkpoints that the Tennessee Highway Patrol will set up across the state during the rest of the year to arrest impaired drivers and other violators. Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates and dozens of other unanticipated expenses. These include attorney fees, other fines and court costs, towing and repairs, plus lost time at work.

$17.7 Million

The amount West Virginia has paid out to resolve more than 5,000 accident claims involving state vehicles during the past five budget years. The Division of Highways had nearly 4,000 of the claims, and accounted for $10 million of the total payouts. There were 29 agencies where at least one employee had two or more accidents during the period.

15%

The percentage of its Florida policies that State Farm Florida will be able to cancel under the agreement negotiated with state regulators that keeps the insurer from exiting the state. State Farm will also be allowed to raise rates 14.8 percent and its contract agents will be able to place the business State Farm non-renews with other private insurance companies. State officials said the agreement is better than State Farm cancelling all of its 810,000 home and condo policies and having many of them end up in the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which was a concern with the insurer’s original exit plan.