Insurer Must Defend Doctor Accused of ‘Fertility Fraud’
A Connecticut appellate court reversed a lower‑court decision, requiring medical‑malpractice insurer Integris Insurance to cover the defense costs of Dr. Narendra Tohan, accused of using his own sperm in IVF procedures without patient consent. The court found the insurer had not met Connecticut’s stringent standard for invoking policy exclusions, noting that the negligence claim involving a potential genetic disease lacked an intentional or sexual component. The ruling sends the case back to trial court for further litigation on coverage issues. The decision arrives amid a wave of fertility‑fraud lawsuits, with over 50 doctors nationwide facing similar accusations.
Ski Pass or Pass on Skiing? Lawsuit Claims Slopes Are Rigged
A class-action lawsuit filed in March alleges Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain are fixing lift ticket prices to push skiers into expensive multi‑resort season passes. The complaint says daily tickets are inflated, limiting competition and forcing consumers into four‑figure pass...
National Emphasis Program for Heat Safety Expires
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s national emphasis program on heat safety will expire on April 8, ending a year‑long effort that generated roughly 7,000 inspections of high‑risk workplaces. The program, launched in 2022, allowed OSHA to target heat‑related hazards...
India Plans $1.5B Reinsurance Cover for Ships in Conflict Zones
India’s government has announced a $1.5 billion reinsurance program to protect commercial vessels operating in high‑risk conflict zones such as the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Black Sea. The scheme will be underwritten by a mix of domestic insurers and...
Amwins MGA Hires From Vantage
Applied Risk Capital, an Amwins-owned managing general agent, announced the appointment of Paul Livingstone as managing director and head of portfolio credit. Livingstone joins from Vantage Group, where he served as senior vice president for credit, mortgage and structured re/insurance....
India Plans Sovereign Guarantees for Insurers as War Heightens Shipping Risks
India is preparing sovereign guarantee mechanisms to back insurers covering vessels transiting the Persian Gulf amid heightened war risks. The plan features a $1.5 billion government‑backed reinsurance fund and a $300 million industry‑contributed pool to manage liquidity and large claim payouts. War‑risk...
Ohio Court OKs Comp Claim for Unexplained Workplace Fall
An Ohio appellate court upheld a workers’ compensation claim for a correctional facility employee who suffered a shoulder injury after an unexplained fall. The court applied Ohio Supreme Court precedent that classifies such falls as neutral risks, shifting the burden...
MMA Acquires Montana-Based Agency
Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) announced the acquisition of Seitz Insurance Agency, a Sidney‑based firm with 24 employees founded in 1961. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, brings Seitz’s commercial and personal lines expertise—particularly in agriculture, crop and energy—under...
Fuel Crisis Forces Airlines to Cancel Flights Globally
A sharp surge in jet‑fuel prices, driven by geopolitical tensions and refinery outages, has forced airlines worldwide to slash schedules and cancel thousands of flights. Carriers are trimming up to 10% of their weekly departures, with European and Asian markets...
Court Dismisses Cyber Coverage Suit over Fraudulent Wire Transfer
A federal court in Mississippi dismissed a law firm's cyber‑insurance claim after a fraudulent wire transfer of about $158,850. The firm sought coverage under a social‑engineering endorsement, but the court ruled the policy only applies when the fraud imitates an...
Ohio Court Upholds Safety Violation Comp Award Against Whirlpool
The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed a workers' compensation award against Whirlpool Corp., finding the company violated a safety rule by failing to install required guard railings at a conveyor crossing. The injury, a 2017 incident where a maintenance technician fell...
Talanx Raises $1.1B in Dual Bond Deal
German insurer Talanx completed a dual‑tranche bond offering that raised approximately $1.1 billion. The deal combined senior unsecured and subordinated notes, drawing strong demand from European institutional investors. Pricing was competitive, reflecting confidence in Talanx’s credit profile amid a volatile insurance...
Middle East Firms Rush for War Cover
As the Iran war enters its second month, Middle Eastern companies are scrambling for war‑risk insurance. Premiums have surged, with coverage for real‑estate now costing roughly 6‑8% of property value versus under 1% in peace. Insurers are tightening policy terms,...
CopperPoint Names Kellen Booher CEO
CopperPoint Insurance announced that Kellen Booher will assume the role of president and chief executive officer, succeeding Marc Schmittlein who is retiring after a decade of steering the company’s transformation. Booher, who joined the Phoenix‑based workers compensation and commercial insurer...
Best Downgrades Rating of Wisconsin Municipal Insurer
A.M. Best downgraded the financial strength rating of Cities and Villages Mutual Insurance, a Wisconsin municipal insurer, to B++ from A‑. The agency also cut its long‑term issuer credit rating to BBB+ from A‑, shifting the outlook for financial strength...
April Renewals Extend Softening in Reinsurance Market: Howden Re
April 1 renewals have extended the recent softening trend in the global reinsurance market, according to U.K.-based Howden Re. Risk‑adjusted property catastrophe rates‑on‑line have fallen back to levels last seen in the early 2020s. In Japan, reinsurers stayed disciplined, with...
China Re’s Net Profit Stumbles 8%
China Re, the state‑backed reinsurer, reported an 8% year‑on‑year drop in net profit, falling to roughly 5.2 billion yuan (about $720 million). The decline was driven primarily by heightened property‑line losses linked to severe weather events. Despite the profit dip, the firm’s...
Toyota Reduces Middle East Exports Due to War
Toyota Motor Corp trimmed its Middle East vehicle shipments by roughly 20,000 units in March, citing disruptions from the ongoing Iran war. The cut represents a notable dip in the automaker’s regional export volume. Company officials warned that if hostilities...
JPMorgan Must Face Wells Fargo Lawsuit over Troubled $481M Loan
A Manhattan federal judge rejected JPMorgan Chase’s attempt to dismiss Wells Fargo’s breach‑of‑contract lawsuit over a troubled $481 million commercial‑real‑estate loan. Wells, acting as trustee for investors, alleges JPMorgan knew the Chetrit Group’s 2019 loan was based on overstated net operating...
Willis Launches $50M Excess Casualty Facility
Willis Towers Watson’s retail broking arm unveiled a $50 million excess casualty facility aimed at filling the U.S. market’s shortage of large‑limit umbrella coverage. The Willis Excess Liability Lineslip offers up to $25 million of lead umbrella protection with an additional $25 million...
Tennessee Court Awards Benefits to Injured Worker Who Acted ‘Recklessly’
A Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims ruled that maintenance mechanic Jerome Monroe is eligible for workers’ comp benefits despite his reckless act of inserting his hand into a running machine. The court held his conduct was negligent, not willful,...
Cloud Services See Decline in Downtime in 2025: Parametrix
In 2025 the three leading cloud providers—Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud—recorded a notable decline in critical downtime, with aggregate outage duration dropping 28% to 175.3 hours. The number of critical interruptions fell to 45, the lowest figure...
US Treasury to Consult with Insurance Regulators on Private Credit: Sources
The U.S. Treasury will hold its first meeting with domestic and international insurance regulators to address concerns in the $2 trillion private‑credit market. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent plans regular consultations starting in the second quarter, focusing on liquidity, transparency, fund‑level leverage,...
Missile Attack Sparks Renewed Threat to Red Sea Shipping
Iranian‑backed Houthi rebels launched a missile strike against Israel, prompting fears they could extend attacks to commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The threat revives concerns of a renewed blockade of this vital maritime corridor, already strained by Iran’s ongoing...
Lawyer’s E&O Insurer Owes No Defense in Trade Secret Theft Case
A U.S. District Judge in Georgia ruled that ALPS Property & Casualty Insurance Co. has no duty to defend attorney Jeremy Cohen in a trade‑secret theft lawsuit because the alleged conduct does not fall within the scope of legal services....
Utah Court Limits Employer Liability Waiver Rule, Revives Ski Resort Defense
The Utah Supreme Court narrowed a century‑old rule barring employer liability waivers, limiting its reach to injuries that occur within the scope of employment. In Deer Valley Resort Co. v. Olson, the court upheld dismissal of vicarious liability claims but...
Hiring Slowdown, Wage Growth Create Mixed Outlook for Comp: NCCI
The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) reports that hiring slowed dramatically in 2025, with only 116,000 net job gains—the weakest pace outside a recession since 2003. Despite the weak labor market, rising wages kept workers‑compensation payroll growth near pre‑pandemic...
Axa XL Offers Pollution, General Liability Package Policy
Axa XL introduced an environmental combined form that bundles pollution insurance with general liability coverage. The package offers primary limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, with optional excess up to $25 million for certain businesses. It includes lead excess,...
Aon Affinity Unit, CNA Offering Midwives Malpractice Cover
Aon Affinity’s Nurses Service Organization and CNA have introduced a professional liability policy specifically for certified midwives and certified nurse‑midwives. The coverage protects prenatal, postnatal, gynecological, and labor‑and‑delivery services performed in hospitals or clinical settings. Limits are set at $1 million...
Aviva Plans to Launch Surplus Lines Business in Q2
Aviva announced it will launch a U.S. surplus lines business in the second quarter of 2026, operating from a new New York hub. The venture, led by former Everest Insurance CEO Mike Karmilowicz, will underwrite property, casualty and specialty risks through...
D&O Policy Doesn’t Cover Antitrust Suit over Drug Acquisition: Court
A federal judge ruled that Old Republic’s directors‑and‑officers insurance does not cover the antitrust lawsuit against Supernus Pharmaceuticals over its 2020 acquisition of USWM Enterprises. The court held that the policy only applies to securities issued by Supernus or its...
MedRisk Report Highlights Faster Care, AI Adoption in Comp
MedRisk’s latest trends report shows workers‑comp insurers accelerating injured‑worker treatment while scaling artificial‑intelligence tools beyond pilot projects. AI adoption is driven by rising claim complexity and the need for faster, data‑informed decisions, though many firms still wrestle with data quality,...
Catastrophe Losses Plunge, Driving US Net Underwriting Gain: Verisk
Verisk’s latest data shows U.S. catastrophe losses fell sharply in 2025, dropping roughly 30% to about $5.5 billion. The decline propelled the domestic property‑casualty market into a net underwriting gain of roughly $1.2 billion, reversing a multi‑year loss trend. Analysts attribute the...
Florida Court Reinterprets Comp Tolling, Revives Claim Filing Window
The Florida First District Court of Appeal ruled that the state workers’ compensation statute of limitations is tolled—meaning the two‑year clock stops—while an employee receives benefits and resumes one year after the last payment. This reinterpretation overturns decades of case...
Marsh Risk Arranges Coverage for Nuclear Power Plant
Marsh Risk announced it has arranged insurance coverage for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Unit 1 nuclear plant, the first commercial reactor approved for construction in nearly a decade. The policy involves insurers in the United States, London and Bermuda, as well as nuclear...
War Risk Premiums Hit 7.5%, May Reach 10%: Lloyd’s
Lloyd’s of London says war risk insurance premiums for commercial vessels have surged to 7.5% of a ship’s value following the outbreak of the Iran conflict. Insurers warn that the cost for the most hazardous voyages could approach 10%, dramatically...
Insurers Denied $105 Million in Collateral From Texas Oil Driller
A Texas federal judge denied surety insurers U.S. Fire and Pennsylvania Insurance a request for $105 million in collateral from offshore driller W&T Offshore, finding their claim of imminent financial harm speculative. The insurers had previously demanded $250 million—far exceeding W&T’s cash...
Calif. Bill Would Require Certification for Stone Fabrication Shops
California lawmakers introduced Assembly Bill 2137 to create a statewide certification system for shops that fabricate engineered stone, granite, marble and similar slab materials. The bill directs Cal/OSHA to develop an application process, with certifications issued for three years beginning...
Author, Publisher Not Blood-Sucking Vampires of Unpublished Material
A Southern District of New York judge ruled that the archetypal "hot, sexy, dangerous boy" common in young‑adult romance cannot be copyrighted. The decision cleared Tracy Wolff of plagiarism accusations brought by Lynne Freeman, who claimed Wolff’s “Crave” series copied...
Medical Supply Vendor Not a Provider Under Comp Law: Pa. Court
A Pennsylvania appellate court ruled that Scomed Supply, a distributor of durable medical equipment, does not qualify as a “health care provider” under the state Workers’ Compensation Act. The decision upheld the insurer’s refusal to pay additional reimbursement for supplies...
Liberty Mutual Names Johnson to Head Ironshore
Liberty Mutual announced Ben Johnson as the new president of its wholesale insurance unit Ironshore, replacing retiring Matt Dolan. Johnson, who joined Liberty after the 2017 Ironshore acquisition, previously led Global Risk Solutions’ field operations across North America. His background...
Insurer Released From Potbelly’s Coverage Claim
A Seattle federal judge ruled that Potbelly Corp cannot invoke its Beazley Execuguard management‑liability policy for a wage‑transparency lawsuit under Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. The court found the claim did not allege discrimination as defined in the policy,...
Insurer Off Hook for Medical Costs for Worker’s Travel to Visit Family
A Florida appellate court ruled that a tetraplegic worker’s trip to New York to visit family does not qualify as medically necessary under workers’ compensation law, so the insurer is not required to cover travel costs. The insurer had already...
Regulator Places Insurers Under Statutory Management
A regulator placed two insurers under statutory management, signaling heightened oversight in the sector. Concurrently, war-driven volatility is expected to push Nigerian reinsurance rates higher and spur Greek firms to intensify cyber‑risk scans. Insurers are also expanding globally, with a...
Insured Losses From Iran War Manageable if Conflict Short-Lived: Moody’s
Moody's warns that insured losses from the Iran‑Israel conflict remain manageable for large, diversified specialty insurers if hostilities are brief, projecting a baseline scenario of a few weeks before navigation through the Strait of Hormuz resumes. However, a prolonged war...
Federal Appeals Court Denies Deportation Relief for Injured Missouri Worker
A federal appeals court in the Eighth Circuit upheld the Board of Immigration Appeals’ denial of cancellation of removal for Mexican national Eugenio Alonso‑Juarez, a Missouri worker injured in a roof‑fall accident. The court rejected his claim that the injuries...
Washington Senate Votes to Send Medical Treatment Bill to Governor
The Washington Senate voted 30-19 to approve amendments to S.B. 5847, sending the bill to Governor Bob Ferguson. The legislation lets network providers deviate from Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) coverage decisions and national treatment guidelines when medically appropriate....
Captives Can Generate Profits Through Third-Party Business: Panel
Captive insurers are increasingly being used to underwrite third‑party programs such as extended warranties, delivering underwriting profits of 20‑30% and additional investment income from premiums held. Manufacturers like Subaru and Harley‑Davidson have built captives to reinsure service contracts, achieving risk,...
Bill Would Add Parkinson’s Disease to Firefighter Occupational Illness List
Alabama lawmakers introduced H.B. 466 to add Parkinson’s disease to the state’s list of recognized firefighter occupational illnesses. The bill creates a presumption that the disease stems from job‑related toxin exposure, provided the firefighter has a clean pre‑service physical and...
Tenn. Judge Orders Specialist Panel in Knee Replacement Dispute
A Tennessee workers‑compensation judge ordered Swift Transportation to provide a panel of joint‑reconstruction orthopedic surgeons for truck driver Stephen Jablonski, who suffered a knee injury and subsequent arthritis. The employer had offered a generic orthopedic panel, including a surgeon who...