News for May 2020

• Insurer Group Has Issue with Colorado Insurance Department’s COVID-19 Memo
• Insurance Survey Asks: How Is Pandemic Affecting Your Life, Your Work, Your Industry?
• Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Launches Parametric Product for Hail-Prone States
• AssuredPartners Acquires Cypress Insurance Group of Florida
• Price Forbes’ Gilmore Appointed Chairman of Worldwide Broker Network
• Louisiana Medical Marijuana Program Expansion Nears Final Passage
• Unlicensed Louisiana Insurance Producer Told to ‘Cease and Desist’
• S&P Affirms Munich Re’s ‘AA-‘ Ratings, Reflecting Sufficient Capital for COVID-19 Crisis
• Insurance Survey Asks: How Is Pandemic Affecting Your Life, Your Work, Your Industry?
• U.S. Court Says State Courts Are Proper Forum for Climate Suits Against Big Oil
• K2 Insurance Services Completes Purchase of MGA Pioneer Underwriters
• Agency Says Asbestos Cleanup Complete in Montana Superfund Site
• Virus from Africa Kills Horses in Thailand, Showing Dangers of Biosecurity Gaps
• Maine’s AK Insurance Joins Satellite Agency Network Group
• Farm Workers Getting Sick, Spreading Coronavirus As Peak Produce Season Begins
• New Hampshire Man Charged in Scheme that Used Bitcoin to Buy Personal Data
• New Lawsuit Filed Against Virginia Tech Over Hazing
• U.S. Warns Partners, Industrial Firms About Russian Hacking Operation
• Federal Reserve Finds Businesses Not So Optimistic About Economy
• California Approves PG&E Bankruptcy Plan With Oversight, Safety Conditions
• Israel Thwarts Major Cyber Attack Against Its Water Systems
• Google Urges EU to Use Current Laws, Not New Ones, to Regulate Artificial Intelligence
• Mississippi Governor Says Reopening Plan has ‘Freedom with Risk’
• Survey: Florida Residents More Concerned for Hurricane Season Amid Pandemic
• Texas Windstorm Insurer Outlines Funding for 2020 Hurricane Season
• 2 Companies Fined $1M Each Over Kansas Chemical Leak
• WSS Hires Easley as Sr. Broker/Underwriter in Texas
• South Dakota Property Owners Sue Over Recently Exposed Mine, Sinkhole
• Governor Orders Probe of Failed Michigan Dams
• University in Utah, Parents Didn’t Settle Lawsuit Over Slain Student
• Trump Plans Legislation Targeting Social Media Immunity
• Tyson Foods to Close Iowa Meat Plant as More Workers Catch COVID-19
• Cannabis Broker Spotlight: Bozzuto with Cannabis Connect is an Outspoken Advocate for the Business
• AAIS, Berkley Re Solutions Launch Cyber Protection Product for Families
• Kentucky Nursing Home Evacuated After Coronavirus Outbreak
• OSHA Cites, Fines Texas Chemical Plant Owner $514.6K After Explosions, Fire
• Heavy Rains Cause Flooded Streets in South Florida
• Tornadoes Rake Parts of Iowa in 2 Days of Severe Weather
• Missouri’s Skyline Risk Management Joins Midwest Insurance Agency Alliance
• Business Owner at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks Defends Weekend Actions
• Moore Named President of Austin Association of Insurance Professionals
• Crashed Pakistan Plane First Tried to Land Without Landing Gear at 203 Miles Per Hour
• Rhode Island Hosts Forums for Businesses Planning to Reopen
• Australia’s 4 Summer Natural Disasters Cost Insurers More Than US$3.44 Billion
• Massachusetts Division of Insurance Urges Carrier Flexibility with Vacancy Provisions
• Police, Regulators Target Pennsylvania Businesses Flouting Wolf Shutdown
• After Big Oil Loses Appeal, Climate Suits Appear Headed to California Courts
• California Sues for Sex Misconduct on ‘Criminal Minds’ Set
• German Court Backs Damages Claims Against VW, Providing Clarity for 60,000 Cases
• Workers’ Compensation Insurtech Pie Raises $127 Million With Plan to Acquire Carriers
• Insurtech Trov Partners with LatAm Insurer Sura to Bring On-Demand Insurance to Brazil
• Thieves Find Unattended Autos Easy Targets During Coronavirus Sheltering-at-Home
• Driving Hasn’t Found Its New Normal Yet: Opinion
• Trump Executive Order Aims to Shrink Liability Shield for Social Media Giants
• Could Hong Kong’s Role as Global Financial Hub Be Jeopardized by China Security Law?
• Brit Enters High Net Worth Market with Launch of Private Client Offering
• Allianz and Generali Plan to Sell Life Insurance Assets: Sources
• DUAL Specialty Underwriting Adds Black to Management Liability Team in Tennessee
• Viewpoint: What’s Fair When It Comes to Paying Insurance Claims?
• NY Stock Exchange Partially Reopens Trading Floor; Traders, Staff Sign Liability Waivers
• Oregon Children Sue Day Care Owner, State Agencies Over Sex Abuse
• Woodruff Sawyer Adds Crowder in Northern California
• Top 100 Cities: 6 in 10 Homes in High-Risk Flood Zones Lack Flood Insurance
• Weakened Bertha Expected to Hit Carolinas, Virginia With Heavy Rains, Flash Floods
• Unlicensed Agent in California Nabbed for Allegedly Stealing $500K in Premiums
• Georgia Man Accused of Defrauding Employer Over COVID-19
• Texas Unemployment Rate Hits 12.8% in April, Worst on Record
• Tropical Storm Bertha to Bring Heavy Rain to South Carolina
• Texas Windstorm Insurer Files Replacement Cost Policy Form Revisions
• Former Student Sues Kansas’ Wichita State University over Data Breach
• Nebraska’s Chadron State College to Pay $900K to Settle Title IX Lawsuits
• Oklahoma Workers’ Comp Medical Fee Schedule Approved
• South Dakota Bull Facility Faces $122.6K in Penalties After Employee Dies
• Wells Media Names Huebner as Web Team Lead
• PartnerRe Taps Meyenhofer as CEO Specialty Lines, Haft as CEO Global Cat
• Join the Big Coronavirus Survey for the Entire Property/Casualty Insurance Industry
• Delaware Insurance Commissioner Shares Reopening Reminders
• Utah Lawsuit Against Pellet Grill Company Dismissed
• Reinsurers Will Fail to Earn Cost of Capital in 2020, Leading to More Rate Hikes: Fitch
• Smoke Inhalation Killed 34 in California Dive Boat Fire, Coroner Says
• Lawmaker Details Federal Reinsurance for Pandemic Business Interruption, Event Losses
• Coronavirus Cluster Found in Crew of Freight Cargo Ship in Australia
• Airbus Opens Investigation into Plane Crash that Killed 97 in Pakistan
• Massachusetts Begins Phased Reopening, Implements Safety Standards for Workplaces
• Liberty Mutual Appoints Perez to Chief Underwriting Officer of Global Risk Solutions
• Ship Inspectors Conduct Virtual Inspections of Oil Tankers During Pandemic
• Severe Storm Batters Coast of West Australia
• Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Names Hunziker as APAC Head Property & Specialty
• Florida CFO to Focus On Pandemic Business Liability Protections in 2021 Session
• Retail Subsidiaries of BB&T Rebrand as McGriff, Maintain North Carolina Headquarters
• SEC Pursues Coronavirus Fraudsters With Help From Whistleblowers
• P/C Insurance Underwriting Profits Up 21% for Q1: AM Best Analysis
• Property Damage – Is It Because the Government Says It Is?
• Lockton Affinity to Offer Coverage for Architects, Engineers through GenStar
• Times Square to Go Dark to Shine Light on Fight Over Business Interruption Insurance
• Oregon’s New Insurance Emergency Orders Released for COVID-19
• State Fund in California Accepting Applications for $50M Return to Work Fund
• Stay-At-Home Order Extended to June 1 in Mississippi
• North Carolina Tyson Foods Poultry Plant Reports 570 COVID-19 Cases
• Mississippi Church Suing Over Virus Restrictions Burns Down; Arson Suspected
• Texas DOI Takes Over More Windstorm Compliance Certifications on June 1
• DeBuys Joins Valent Group’s Employee Benefits Practice in Alabama
• Houston International Insurance Group Appoints Robinson as CEO
• SCOR CEO Takes 30% Bonus Cut; 2019 Dividend Scrapped on COVID-19 Crisis
• North Texas Region Pummeled by Large Hail, Tornadoes
• Federal Court: No Immunity from Civil Lawsuit for Kansas Sheriff
• Florida Unemployment System Hit by Data Breach
• Lawsuits Filed Against Michigan Dam Operator, Others over Flooding
• Residents in Small Alaska Town Feel Moderate Earthquake
• Nevada Governor Declares Emergency After Big Quake
• Warehouse Fire Devastates San Francisco’s Fishing Industry
• Three Members of $31.7M New York City Trip-And-Fall Scheme Sentenced to Prison
• California Workers’ Comp Bureau Lowers Mid-Range Estimate of COVID Costs by $10B
• EU Urged to Create Insurance Catastrophe Backstop for Pandemics, Huge Cyber Attacks
• Official Says Fire at Middle School in New Hampshire Was Set Intentionally
• Workers’ Lawsuit Against McDonald’s Seeks Safety Measures, Not Damages
• Willis Towers Watson Launches Customized Cyber Insurance for Shipowners
• Chubb Not Responsible for Superstorm Sandy Damage to Two Insureds’ Homes
• Canopius Appoints AXA XL’s Elliott as APAC Casualty Underwriter
• Update: AXA to Pay Business Interruption Claims to Restaurants After Court Ruling
• As Hurricane Season Starts, Coronavirus to Impact Disaster Preparedness
• Space Explorers Should Beware of Viruses From Outer Space: Opinion
• NFL Player Sues Airline, Says Attendants Failed to Stop Sexual Harassment by Passenger
• Crest Insurance in Colorado Adds Stephen and Vallino in Employee Benefits
• BHSI Expands Defense Base Act Coverage into Dubai
• CFC Launches Standalone Licensing Agreement Liability Product for IP Risks
• Kansas Legislature Passes Bill Barring COVID-19 Lawsuits
• What’s a Life Worth? America Weighs Costs, Benefits of Social Distancing
• North Carolina Eases Business Restrictions, Allows Restaurants to Serve Indoors
• Chemours Won’t Face Federal Charges Over North Carolina GenX Contamination
• Judge: Ohio Hospital, Insurer Need Not Fund Doc’s Murder Case Defense
• 2 Construction Workers Killed in Mississippi Trench Collapse
• Bill Would Expand Louisiana’s Medical Marijuana Program
• Texas Insurer Germania Extending Auto Premium Paybacks Through June
• GOP Questions North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Candidate’s Eligibility
• Workers Worry Over Enforcement of Meatpacking Plant Safety Recommendations
• Texas Agency Sleeper Sewell Insurance Joins Insurors Group
• French Court Orders AXA to Pay Restaurant’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Losses; AXA Vows to Appeal
• Coalition Launches Cyber Insurance and Security Coverage in Canada
• AIR Worldwide Estimates Global COVID-19 Deaths Could Reach 644,000 During June
• Earthquake Confirmed in Remote Area of Western Nevada
• New Mexico Hospital Paying to Settle Retaliation Claim
• Pacific Hurricane Forecast Complicated by Coronavirus
• Not All Homes in Wildfire Zones Are Uninsurable. Here’s How Insurers Can Tell.
• Insurers, Agents Propose Pandemic Business Relief Plan; Plaintiffs Offer BIG Compromise
• Maryland P/C Insurance Consumers to Receive More Than $250M in Premium Relief
• Australia Clamps Down on Litigation Funders Following Surge in Class Action Lawsuits
• Some of Hand Sanitizer Purell’s Claims Called Misleading, Draw Lawsuits
• Retaliation Claim Against Delaware Law Firm Over Softball Injury Nixed
• Update: Airbus A320 Jet Crashes in Pakistan with 99 People on Board
• Zurich North America Brings Apprenticeship Program to New York City
• SUNZ Insurance Solutions in Florida Names Leonard as President
• Brazil Reinsurer IRB Eyes Purchase of Foreign Competitors’ Portfolios: Sources
• Menard Inc. in Michigan for Sued by EEOC for Sexual Harassment
• LP Insurance Services Adds Layne in Employee Benefits in Nevada
• SelectQuote Raises $350M in IPO; Shares Jump 40% in Market Debut
• Federal Coronavirus Business Interruption Suits Now Top 100; Many More Expected
• Woodruff Sawyer Adds Glover as Producer in California
• Michigan Flood Puts Privately Owned Dams in Harsh Spotlight
• Report: Financial Community Sees Climate Risk as Improperly Priced
• Many Florida Business Owners Take Slow Approach to Reopening
• Possible Virus Exposure Shut Louisiana OMV Office the Day it Reopened
• 18 North Carolina Counties Receive Disaster Declaration for February Storms
• Florida Keys to Reopen to Visitors June 1
• WNFIS Expands Private Flood Program into South Carolina
• Credit Ratings of United Farm Bureau of Indiana Group Upgraded
• Suit: ADT Employee Spied on Texas Customers Via Home Security Systems
• Service American, Tangram Insurance Partner on Workers’ Comp Program
• Dow Shuts Operations in Michigan as Flood Waters Rise
• Cyber Seller Coalition Counters Insurtech Funding Dip, Raises $90 Million for Expansion
• Oregon Governor Declares Drought Emergency in Coos County
• Aspergillus Mold Found Again at Washington Hospital
• Las Vegas Businessman Reaches $21M Settlement in Fatal DUI Crash
• Rhode Island’s Lathrop Insurance Named Newest Member of Renaissance Alliance
• Connecticut Reminds Businesses to Verify Insurance Coverage During Reopening
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps Proving Not Much of a Help Thus Far
• Update: Generali 1st Quarter Net Profit Plunges 84.8% on COVID-19 Investment Hit
• Safety Probe Cites ‘Poor Safety Culture’ for Fatal Air Ambulance Crash
• Woodruff Sawyer CEO Barrengos Named CEO, Chairman; Loar Now Chairman Emeritus
• When UK Insurers, Banks Emerge from Lockdown, Their Employees Face New Normal
• New York Dusts Off 1918 Pandemic Playbook For Help in Making Subway Safer
• Update: Cyclone Amphan Floods Areas of India and Bangladesh, Killing Dozens of People
• UK’s Aviva Expects COVID-19-Related Claims of Nearly $200 Million
• Roads Are Emptier But Riskier During Coronavirus Quarantine. Fatality Rate Up 14%.
• States Sharing of COVID-19 Patients’ Data With First Responders Sparks Privacy Concern
• OSHA Vows More Work Safety Inspections for Coronavirus as Businesses Reopen
• Insurance Is Not A Company’s Primary Line of Defense in a Crisis
• Minnesota Governor Signs Bill Aiding Farmers Facing Foreclosure
• TDI Says License Renewal Extension Ends May 31; Issues Cat Area Data Call
• Journalist’s Spouse Sues Aircraft Owners, Insurers Over Deadly Louisiana Crash
• Evacuations in Michigan as Dams Break, Flooding Hits Midwest
• Altamont Capital Deal to Acquire Topa Insurance Called Off
• Please Place Your Masks in Upright Position. Airlines Stress Safety to Lure Passengers.
• MGM, Caesars, Boyd in Vegas to Participate in COVID-19 Testing Plan
• Chubb Names McLaughlin Chief Underwriter for North America Retail Commercial
• Chubb’s McNab Joins QBE North America as Chief Human Resources Officer
• NFP Acquires Pennsylvania-Based Insurance Broker Team Scotti
• Activist Shareholder Urges Watford Holdings to Sell Itself, or Be Put Into Runoff
• PG&E’s Bankruptcy Plan Wins Support from California Wildfire Victims
• Coalition in California Raises $90M to Grow Internationally
• Construction Company Owner Pleads Guilty After Lying During OSHA Investigation
• U.S. to Mandate Safety Management for Aircraft Manufacturers
• Maryland, Virginia, D.C. Intend to Sue EPA on Bay Pollution
• Judge in Las Vegas Shooting Case Seeks State Ruling on Gun Makers’ Immunity
• BMS Names Former Everest CEO Addesso as Non-Exec Chair of U.S. Reinsurance Arm
• Allianz Group Appoints Richter to Lead Cyber Center of Competence
• Generali Digitizes Art Insurance, Offering Collectors Remote Evaluation of Artworks
• Brexit Talks Become Acrimonious as UK Slams EU’s ‘Unworthy’ Trade Offer
• For Third Point Re, COVID-19 Crisis Hurts, but It Celebrates 1st Underwriting Profit
• Wisconsin’s M3 Insurance Joins TechAssure
• Mississippi to Offer $300M in Virus Relief Grants for Small Businesses
• Holmes Murphy’s CSDZ Adds Beyer to Minnesota Risk Management Team
• West Virginia Expands State Reopenings Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend
• The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers Adds Barkasy in South Carolina
• North Carolina Revises Workers’ Comp Premium Rules Related to COVID-19
• Texas Storage Tank Facility Cited for Safety Hazards, Fined $234.5K
• McDonald’s Faces Class Action From Workers Over COVID-19 Safety
• WCF Insurance Promotes Boyd to California Director of Underwriting
• Johnson & Johnson to No Longer Sell Talc-Based Baby Powder in U.S., Canada
• Work From Home Is Fine . . . For Now: Opinion
• Louisiana Senate OKs Bill Aimed at Curbing Car Accident Lawsuits
• Pandemic Could Complicate Colorado’s Potentially Bad Fire Season
• Chinese Hackers Blamed for Accessing Records of 9 Million easyJet Customers
• Kentucky Requests DOJ Investigation of Meatpacking Industry
• Alabama Insurance Dept. Forms Dedicated Resiliency Division to Reduce Disaster Risk
• North Carolina Coast Gets Heavy Rain, Strong Wind as Tropical Storm Arthur Hits Coast
• Texas Transportation Agency Hacked in 2nd Attack on State Government
• Report: Regulators Sat on Complaint as Virus Outbreak Grew at Iowa Plant
• Severe Weather Damages Buildings, Injures at Least 6, in Louisiana
• Wisconsin Commissioner Seeks Rehabilitation for Time Insurance Co.
• Bluefire Insurance Announces 10% Temporary Auto Rate Drop in Louisiana
• Minnesota’s Summit Insurance Joins Midwest Insurance Agency Alliance
• Insurer Beazley Raises $300M to Strengthen Balance Sheet on COVID-19 Uncertainties
• Parents of Oregon Baby Who Died From Meningitis Sue For $6.3M
• Nursing Home With Oregon’s Deadliest Virus Outbreak Sued
• Investigators Open Probe into Los Angeles Explosion
• Show Them the Money: Cyber Attackers Desire Financial Gain More Than Espionage
• P/C Insurers Back a Federal Pandemic Loss Fund But Not a Backstop Like TRIA
• How Coronavirus Has Affected Auto Insurance Shopping
• Car Crashes into Closed Pennsylvania Convenience Store
• Citi Appoints Haider to its Financial Institutions Group in New York
• Delaware Teen Charged with Setting Fire at Elementary School
• Aon Promotes Petrevski to Data, Analytic Services Leader
• Risk Managers Expect Prolonged Recession From COVID-19: World Economic Forum
• Sony to Take Full Control of Its Financial Unit for $3.7B, Aiming for Fintech Growth
• India, Bangladesh Prepare for Biggest Cyclone in 20 Years with Evacuation of Thousands
• North Carolina Tyson Foods Plant Closes for COVID-19 Deep Clean After Worker Illnesses
• Nearly 9K Acre Brush Fire in Southwest Florida Destroys At Least 7 Homes
• Insurance Office of America Adds Goodwell in California
• When Insurers Deny Claims, Brokers Are Next in Line for Allegations of Wrongdoing
• U.S. Employers Shying Away From Using Coronavirus ‘Immunity’ Tests in Reopening
• OSHA Releases First Coronavirus Guidance for Nursing Homes
• Amazon’s French Warehouses to Reopen After Ending Virus Safety Dispute with Workers
• North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Addresses COVID-19 Testing Coverage
• Tropical Storm Arthur Inches Closer to East Coast; Minor Impact Expected to North Carolina
• U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against State of Georgia in Copyright Dispute
• Wrongfully Convicted Missouri Man Gets $8M Settlement
• Nevada Highway Damaged by Largest Area Earthquake in 65 Years
• Pilot in Helicopter Cash That Killed Lakers Star Had No Drugs, Alcohol in System
• Study: Sharp Drop in California Workers’ Comp Independent Medical Reviews
• Cyclone Amphan Intensifies, Threatening India, Bangladesh with Dangerous Storm Surge
• AM Best’s Stress Testing Indicates Most Insurers Can Withstand Pandemic Hit
• China Urges Local Firms to List in London with China Pacific Insurance Leading the Pack
• Investigations Continue Following Blast at Maine Paper Mill
• Great American Insurance Group Hires Lewis as Divisional Vice President
• Hub Acquires Assets of Massachusetts’ Lashua-LaChance & Poliks Insurance Agency
• Insurance Comparison Website SelectQuote Hopes IPO Will Raise $342 Million
• The Facts About Supposed ‘Illegal Acts’ Exclusions
• Ed Broking Launches E-Trading Platform Called ‘TradEd’ in Bermuda
• BMS Signs Long-Term Partnership Agreement with Chilean Broker Insurex Re
• Coronavirus Blocks Farm Laborers from Working in UK – in Possible Foretaste of Brexit
• Europe Faces Sweltering Summer with Below-Average Rainfall: Scientists
• Italy to Protect Businesses from Liability if Workers Catch Coronavirus: News Report
• 5th Circuit Court: Suit Against LSU in Frat Pledge’s Death Can Proceed
• Louisiana Senate Backs Bills to Shield Businesses from Virus Lawsuits
• Workers at Kansas FedEx Facility Infected with Coronavirus
• Nephew: Dead Worker Had Warned Virus Was ‘Everywhere’ at Iowa Plant
• Central Insurance COO Hurless Elected to Company’s Board
• San Antonio’s Amerman Insurance Services Merges with Higginbotham
• Economy Will Need More Government Help to Recover, Says Fed Chair Powell
• Talc Miner Imerys to Forfeit North America Units to Settle 14,000 Cancer Lawsuits
• Citing 9/11 Victims Fund, Lawmakers Eye U.S. Compensation Pool For COVID-19 Workers
• U.S. Completes Overhaul of Biotech Farm Product Regulations
• Buckle Adds Delivery Coverage During Pandemic for Georgia Rideshare Drivers
• Aon’s Thurman Joins Lockton Re in Atlanta to Lead New Workers’ Comp Practice
• California Expands Order for Insurers to Partially Refund Premiums
• California Workers’ Comp Bureau Chief Addresses COVID’s Impact on System
• Florida Man Charged with Starting 343-Acre Wildfire in Panhandle
• After Criticism, Georgia to Require Road Test of Teen Drivers After All
• Increased Seismic Activity in Hawaii Not Considered A Danger
• California Music Venues Sue Insurer over Business Interruption Related to COVID-19
• Study Finds State, Local Measures Have Reduced Coronavirus Cases by 34 Million
• Cyber Underwriting Firm Envelop Risk Raises $6 Million in Funding
• AXA’s Wattez-Richard Receives 1st Geneva Association Women-in-Insurance Award
• New York’s Simco Insurance Center Joins Satellite Agency Network Group
• CorRisk Solutions Hires DeFelice to Lead Its A&E Professional Liability Team
• Walt Disney, Unions Agree on Coronavirus Worker Safeguards for Reopening Parks
• UK Regulator Announces Pandemic Relief Measures for Insurance Customers
• Wolf Administration Warns Pennsylvania Businesses Defying Shutdown Order
• U.S. Issues Maritime Advisory on Sanctions for Ship Owners, Insurers

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