NC Jury Award for Workers Injured in Wall Collapse May Be Largest in State History
A North Carolina jury awarded $45 million to each of two block masons injured when a retaining wall collapsed at a Hajoca showroom in Hendersonville, a verdict that would be the largest personal‑injury award in state history. The plaintiffs, subcontractors for Robert Crawford Masonry, also received $11 million for loss of consortium. The case settled shortly after the verdict for an undisclosed amount, while both Hajoca and the masonry contractor were fined roughly $30,800 each by the state labor department. The litigation also highlighted the impact of the 2024 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Chevron doctrine on OSHA citation defenses.
Comulate Loses Appeal for Injunction Against Applied Systems
A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois again denied Comulate's request for a preliminary injunction against Applied Systems, maintaining the earlier ruling that favored Applied. Comulate, accused of misappropriating trade secrets by creating a fake insurance agency to...
Markets/Coverages: Fidelis Partnership Boosts Automated Broker Submission Process
The Fidelis Partnership (TFP) has launched Broker Connect, a new AI‑driven capability that automates broker submissions through an ACORD ADEPT integration with Howden. The platform digitizes the pre‑bind workflow, eliminating manual rekeying and improving data accuracy for underwriting, operations and...
People Moves: Markel Taps Talbot’s O’Donoghue to Lead Fine Art & Specie for London; Aon’s Global ReSpecialty Team Promotes Mitchell,...
Markel Insurance has appointed Danny O’Donoghue to head its Fine Art & Specie division in London, tasking him with expanding a portfolio that covers high‑value art, jewellery, specie and cash‑in‑transit risks. O’Donoghue arrives with more than 15 years of underwriting...
Delay in Calling Police Does Not Wreck UM Claim, WV Supreme Court Says
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that an insurer must demonstrate prejudice before denying uninsured‑motorist (UM) coverage for a delayed police report. The Dobbins’ policy required a 24‑hour report, but the court held that the insurer, West Virginia...
Judge Refuses to Delay Civil Trial Over Fatal Baltimore Bridge Collapse
A federal judge denied a request to postpone the civil trial over the March 26, 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, keeping the June 1 start date. The decision comes as criminal charges have been filed against Singapore‑based Synergy...
People Moves: Aon Announces Leadership Promotions for EMEA and Latin America; Markel International Promotes Rice to Head of Global Development,...
Aon plc promoted Kai‑Frank Buechter and Tracy‑Lee Kus to co‑CEOs of its EMEA region, while Pedro Penalva was named CEO of Latin America, expanding the firm’s executive committee. The appointments also include Alfonso Gallego de Chaves as deputy CEO of...
Texas Chick-Fil-A Franchisee Sued for Religious Discrimination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Hatch Trick, Inc., a Texas Chick‑fil‑A franchisee, alleging it violated Title VII by refusing to accommodate an employee’s Sabbath observance and terminating her when she declined a demoted role. The...
Denver Runway Fatality Reveals A Weakness in Airport Security
A 41‑year‑old man slipped past motion detectors, scaled an 8‑foot fence and entered a Denver International Airport runway, where a Frontier Airlines jet struck him, killing the intruder and forcing an aborted takeoff. The aircraft, carrying 231 people, evacuated safely...
Oil Tankers Transiting Strait of Hormuz Since Start of Iran War
Since the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran began on Feb. 28, a series of non‑Iranian oil tankers have continued to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite alternating blockades by Washington and Tehran. Data from LSEG and Kpler show VLCCs and suezmaxes delivering...
NH House Passes Self-Insurance for Childcare, Behavioral Health Businesses
On May 15, 2026, the New Hampshire House approved Senate Bill 614, which creates multiple‑caregiver self‑insured risk coverage arrangements for childcare, foster‑care and behavioral‑health providers. The legislation lets two or more providers pool contributions into a fund managed by the...
AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Arrow Mutual of Massachusetts
AM Best downgraded Arrow Mutual Liability Insurance Co.’s financial strength rating to B++ from A‑ and its long‑term issuer credit rating to bbb+ from a‑, shifting the outlook to stable. The downgrade reflects a decade of underwriting losses, with only...
Markets/Coverages: AXA XL Starts Prevention-Focused Business Unit; Markel Adds New Media, Entertainment Offerings
AXA XL unveiled a new Business Unit dedicated to prevention, led by Global Chief Underwriting Officer Libby Benet, to expand its risk‑consulting and advisory services. The unit will combine data, analytics, and engineering to tackle climate, supply‑chain, cyber, and operational resilience...
New York Hopes Captives Can Lower Affordable Housing Insurance Costs
New York State is providing a $2 million loan to Milford Street Association’s captive insurer and a $5 million pilot to help nonprofit housing providers adopt similar structures. The funding aims to lower liability insurance premiums that have risen from about $500...
NJ High Court Blocks Double Recovery of Future PIP Medical Benefits
The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously held that future medical expenses that fall within the state’s $250,000 no‑fault personal injury protection (PIP) limit are inadmissible in a personal‑injury trial. The decision arose from Murray’s case, where a jury awarded $100,000...
Munich Re Flags Up to €2.5 Billion Private Credit Exposure
Munich Re disclosed a private‑credit portfolio of up to €2.5 billion (about $2.9 billion), roughly 1% of its total assets. The exposure is concentrated in senior‑secured funds that the insurer says are carefully selected for strong workout capabilities. The announcement comes as...
Ex-NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for $200M Medicare Fraud Scheme
Former NFL tight end Rufus French received a 16‑year prison term for leading a multi‑year Medicare fraud that siphoned nearly $200 million. He coordinated overseas telemarketing call centers to harvest personal data from seniors and veterans, then sold falsified doctors’ orders...
Fertilizer Firms See Profit Windfall as War Upends Supplies
Fertilizer giants CF Industries and Nutrien posted roughly 20% sales growth in the latest quarter, driven by soaring nitrogen fertilizer prices after Iran’s war disrupted the Strait of Hormuz. Granular urea in New Orleans jumped about 36% and Egyptian prices...
People Moves: Novatae Names Voorhees as Managing Director of Personal Lines
Novatea Risk Group, the wholesale insurance arm of World Insurance Associates, has appointed Brian Voorhees as Managing Director of Personal Lines. In this role he will set strategic direction, expand product offerings, and deepen carrier and broker partnerships to drive growth....
Florida Governor Signs Bill Dropping Building Permits for Work Valued at $7,500 or Less
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 803, eliminating building‑permit requirements for residential projects valued at $7,500 or less, effective July 1, 2026. The exemption does not apply to properties in flood‑hazard zones. The legislation also mandates the Florida Building Commission...
In Florida Court, Sackler Family Member Admits Felony Tied to Her Opioid Addiction
Joss Sackler, wife of former Purdue board member David Sackler, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of obstruction of justice after admitting she deleted WhatsApp messages showing she was the intended recipient of a seized prescription‑drug shipment. The admission...
Multiple Colleges Hit by Disruptions After Canvas Service Hack
Education technology provider Instructure, owner of the Canvas learning platform, suffered a cyber‑attack on May 1 that forced a temporary shutdown of teacher accounts across thousands of colleges, including Harvard, Princeton and Stanford. The breach, attributed to the ShinyHunters group, exploited...
A Quieter Hurricane Season This Year Could Still Pummel the US Power Grid
Meteorologists project about 13 named Atlantic storms this season, slightly below average, but BloombergNEF research shows storm count alone doesn’t predict power‑grid damage. Hurricane Helene in September 2024 knocked out 9,138 transmission miles and left 7 million customers without power, yet its...
People Moves: Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers Names Anthony President of US Assure; CRC Group Adds to Specialty Team
Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers promoted Amber Anthony to president of US Assure, separating the title from CEO Alan Ferguson. Anthony will keep her duties as chief marketing officer while overseeing marketing, sales and distribution. US Assure also named Steve Bristow...
People Moves: Society Insurance Names Kohli as VP of Information Technology
Society Insurance announced the appointment of Kshitij Kohli as Vice President of Information Technology. In his new role, Kohli will direct the company’s technology strategy, core systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and investment decisions. He arrives from Church Mutual Insurance, where he served...
Railroad Wrongfully Suspended Worker for Reporting Collision: OSHA
OSHA concluded that Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) illegally suspended a Kansas City employee for reporting a minor train collision at its Knoche Yard. The employee had filed the required safety report two days after learning of the August 11, 2024 incident,...
Wheat Crops Wither, Herds Thin as Spring Drought Deepens
An intense spring drought now grips nearly 90% of Nebraska and Oklahoma, pushing the Great Plains toward record‑low winter wheat conditions and forcing cattle producers to confront soaring feed costs. USDA data show only 30% of the U.S. winter wheat...
Rhode Island Approves 2.5% Workers’ Compensation Decrease
Rhode Island’s Department of Business Regulation approved a 2.5% average reduction in workers’ compensation loss costs, effective August 1, 2026. The cut applies to industrial classes, while federal “F” classes see a steeper 12.9% decline and USL&HW classes remain unchanged. This marks...
People: Sunstar Names New CEO, King Risk Adds Sales Leadership
Memphis‑based Sunstar Insurance Group announced Adam Meyerowitz as its new chief executive officer, succeeding founder Casey Bowlin who will become chairman. Meyerowitz co‑founded Prime Risk Partners and served as COO after its acquisition by EPIC Insurance Brokers. Sunstar, backed by...
A Quiet Alaska Fault Is Missing The Fluids Scientists Expected
A new marine electromagnetic survey of the Shumagin Gap—a 75‑mile creeping segment of the Alaska‑Aleutian subduction zone—found far less high‑pressure fluid than the prevailing “lubricated fault” model predicts. The imaging revealed a rugged fault surface with normal‑pressure fluids and limited...
Westcap Launches Excess Liability Product
Westcap Insurance Services introduced an Excess Liability product aimed at construction and manufacturing clients, adding a supplemental layer above primary policies. The coverage is designed for complex, evolving risk profiles and will initially launch in eight western states, with plans...
UK Court Orders Samsung to Pay China’s ZTE a $392M Lump Sum After Patent Trial
A London High Court judge ordered Samsung Electronics to pay a $392 million lump‑sum to China’s ZTE for a licence to use its mobile‑phone patents. Samsung had sued for a fair, reasonable and non‑discriminatory (FRAND) rate after a 2021 agreement fell...
Trader Mercuria Sues Baltic Exchange Over Hormuz Freight Losses, Court Filing Shows
Swiss‑based commodity trader Mercuria has filed a lawsuit in England’s High Court against the Baltic Exchange, alleging the benchmark TD3C crude‑tanker index remained published despite the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Mercuria claims the unchanged index caused extreme...
Trucordia Acquires Paradiso Insurance of Connecticut
Trucordia announced the acquisition of Paradiso Financial and Insurance Services, a Connecticut‑based agency offering auto, home, life, business and specialty insurance. The deal gives Paradiso’s 200‑plus agents and their client base access to Trucordia’s extensive carrier relationships and national resources....
Marsh McLennan Agency to Buy Health and Benefits Broker TriBridge Partners
Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) announced an agreement to acquire independent benefits broker TriBridge Partners. TriBridge, founded in 2013 through a merger of three regional firms, provides health, retirement and wealth advisory services from its Columbia, Maryland office. The acquisition will...
St. Louis Alderman Sentenced to 16 Months for Insurance Fraud
Former St. Louis Alderman Brandon Bosley received a 16‑month prison term after a federal jury convicted him of wire fraud and lying to the FBI. He defrauded his insurer by orchestrating inflated repair estimates for a totaled 2010 Prius, ultimately...
Steel Company Faces $12M Settlement Over Contamination at Ohio Site
The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed a consent decree requiring Cleveland‑Cliffs Steel Corp. to fund a $12 million remediation at its Middletown Works plant in Ohio. The settlement resolves a civil lawsuit originally filed against AK Steel, the company’s predecessor, and...
Lockton Secures Reinsurance License in Saudi Arabia, With Business Led by Al Rowais
Lockton has obtained a reinsurance license in Saudi Arabia, enabling the firm to provide both facultative and treaty solutions to local insurers. The Saudi operation will be headed by Mohammed Al Rowais, who brings more than 15 years of market experience...
Hippo ‘Off to a Fast Start’ With Reversal of Q1 Loss a Year Ago
Hippo Insurance turned a $47.7 million Q1 loss from a year ago into roughly $7.1 million of net income in the first quarter of 2026. The insurer’s combined ratio improved dramatically to 99.5 from 159.2, while catastrophe losses collapsed to $4.3 million after...
Bank of England to Curb Offshore Life Insurance Trades
The Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority announced a plan to raise the capital charge on funded reinsurance deals to roughly 10%, up from the current 2‑4% range. The move targets roughly £40 billion ($54 billion) of existing exposure, which the PRA...
Oil Traders Lawyer Up as Hormuz Disruptions Trigger Billions of Dollars in Disputes
Oil traders are entangled in multi‑billion‑dollar disputes after the Iran‑Israel war shut the Strait of Hormuz, leaving contracted Murban crude shipments undelivered. Shell is suing PetroChina's unit for roughly $35 million over a 500,000‑barrel cargo that arrived at only 62,000 barrels,...
California Adopts Rules Allowing Testing And Deployment of Heavy-Duty AVs
The California Department of Motor Vehicles approved new regulations that lift the ban on autonomous vehicles over 10,001 pounds, allowing heavy‑duty driverless trucks to be tested and eventually deployed on state roads. Manufacturers must start testing with a safety driver,...
People Moves: WTW Names Lipkin Chief AI Officer, Wintrob Head of AI Acceleration; ReSource Pro Appoints Fu SVP of Data...
WTW announced Spike Lipkin as chief AI officer and Gordon Wintrob as head of AI acceleration, roles designed to scale AI adoption across the insurer’s global operations. The duo, both co‑founders of Newfront, will embed AI into WTW’s strategy, operating model and...
FEMA Restoring Slashed Flood Mitigation Funds, Now With $20M for SE Projects
FEMA announced nearly $20 million in flood‑mitigation grants for the Southeast, restoring funding that the Trump administration cut in 2025. The grants are part of a broader $250 million allocation for 100 projects nationwide, including property elevation and demolition of repetitive‑loss homes....
Viewpoint: Medical MJ Resked: Implications for Insurance Coverage, Capacity and Compliance
On April 23 the Department of Justice re‑classified state‑licensed medical marijuana and FDA‑approved cannabis products to Schedule III, easing the federal tax penalty under IRC 280E. The change removes a major financial headwind, improving margins for operators and opening the door for broader...
Mother And Son Cited $4.4M for Misclassifying Caregivers in California
A California labor investigation fined Hart Placement Agency Inc. $4.4 million for misclassifying 144 home‑care workers as independent contractors. The citation requires the firm to pay $4.27 million in back wages and benefits to the affected caregivers. Investigators found the agency forced...
Liberty Mutual Says Safeco Brand Is Officially Retired
Liberty Mutual announced on April 27, 2026 that it has officially retired the Safeco Insurance brand in its independent‑agent channel, effective April 25. All personal‑lines products will now be marketed and sold under the Liberty Mutual name, while existing policies and agent relationships...
Supreme Court Split Over Bayer’s Fight Against Roundup Lawsuits
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Bayer AG’s bid to block state lawsuits alleging its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, revealing a split among the justices. Bayer contends that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) preempts state‑law failure‑to‑warn...
Inszone Acquires Michigan’s James R. Vozar Insurance Agency
Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of James R. Vozar Insurance Agency, a family‑owned firm operating out of Athens, Quincy and Union City, Michigan. The deal adds three regional offices and more than five decades of agricultural insurance expertise to...
A 50% Surge in Zombie Oil Wells Prompts Texas to Crack Down on Toxic Water Leaks
Texas’ Railroad Commission is drafting emergency rules to curb the surge of “zombie” oil wells that are spewing toxic wastewater. The number of leaking wells rose 53% to an average of 29 per day, driven by high‑volume water injection in...