Social Media Addiction’s Liability Potential
An California jury awarded $6 million in damages to a plaintiff who blamed Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for addiction, anxiety and depression, marking the first major verdict that treats social‑media platforms as potentially liable for health harms. The decision has drawn parallels to opioid and tobacco litigation, prompting insurers to warn that commercial general liability, directors‑and‑officers and cyber policies could face exposure. A Delaware court already denied Meta coverage under its CGL policy, and lawyers anticipate a wave of class actions targeting not only Meta and YouTube but also other tech, gaming and smartphone firms. Insurers are beginning to draft specific exclusions as the risk of large‑scale claims looms.
SterlingRisk Promotes Marci Waterman to Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Names John S. Beres as Chief Operating Officer
MSIG USA’s claims team is leveraging artificial intelligence to match the plaintiff bar’s rapid, data‑driven demand generation, but it stresses that technology is an enhancer, not a substitute for human judgment. Chief Claims Officer Ron Morrison highlights a culture‑first approach...
Rob Marsh Named President of Global Risk Solutions North America Specialty at Liberty Mutual Insurance
Musculoskeletal disorders remain a costly occupational hazard, prompting firms to seek data‑driven ergonomic assessments. AI‑powered computer‑vision tools now analyze short workplace videos, delivering a numeric risk score and color‑coded visual map of strain. Providers offer tiered service models—from self‑serve video...
Janelle Griffith Named Global Logistics Practice Leader at Marsh Risk
HCS Network Solutions, a MedRisk subsidiary, is highlighting the business value of rapid medical access in workers’ compensation claims. Industry data shows the interval from injury to first conservative treatment fell roughly 50% between 2021 and 2025, reflecting a more...
Insurers Face the Same Cyber Threats They Underwrite — and Gaps Remain
Insurance carriers, which underwrite cyber risk, are themselves prime cyber‑attack targets. A new report by the Insurance Information Institute and Fenix24 shows insurers generally follow strong security practices but still lag in credential management, backup definitions, and patch deployment cycles....
Psychological Safety on Jobsites Directly Reduces Incidents and Turnover, Analysis Shows
A new Gallagher Bassett analysis links psychological safety on construction sites to measurable drops in incidents and employee turnover. The National Safety Council attributes nearly 70% of workplace accidents to poor communication, underscoring the risk of a culture where workers...
Workplace Assaults Rose 5.3% Annually Over the Past Decade, With Health Care Bearing the Brunt
Nonfatal workplace assaults rose at a 5.3% annual rate from 2011 to 2021‑22, pushing the assault rate per 10,000 full‑time equivalents up 62%. Health care and social assistance dominated the trend, reporting roughly 18,860 assaults in 2023‑24—about ten times more...
One Broker Shows What It Takes to Insure Hard-to-Place Risks
Broker Jimmishea O’Lee of Aon has successfully placed insurance for a Bitcoin‑mining operation that other underwriters rejected. By immersing herself in crypto technology, she crafted bespoke property coverage that addressed non‑sprinkler data centers, high electricity usage, and elevated fire risk....
Cyber Claims Frequency Rises but Severity Falls as Businesses Improve Defensive Posture
Coalition’s 2026 Cyber Claims Report shows claim frequency rose to 1.54% in 2025 while average loss dropped 19% to $116,000. Business email compromise (BEC) and funds‑transfer fraud (FTF) together made up 58% of claims, with BEC frequency up 15% but...
How Can We Insure Against Political Volatility?
The article highlights the surge in geopolitical volatility—exemplified by the war with Iran—and its ripple effects on supply chains, tariffs, and cyber‑terrorism. Surveys from Aon and Willis Towers Watson show that 74% of global firms now rank political risk among...
The Resilience Opportunity: Building on Strong Foundations
A new International Insurance Society survey shows insurers are increasingly focused on resilience, with more than half prioritizing disaster and digital resilience and 47% emphasizing climate adaptation. Yet only one in four firms have fully embedded resilience into strategic objectives,...
MGA Deals Surge as Scale and Specialization Drive Growth
Managing General Agency (MGA) mergers and acquisitions have accelerated, with carriers and private‑equity firms seeking scale and specialized technology. K2, backed by Warburg Pincus, now runs about 40 MGAs, wrote $1.9 billion in premiums in 2025 and targets $2.3 billion in 2026,...
AI Adoption in Property Claims Remains Fragmented Despite Rapid Growth
A Sedgwick report finds that while 82% of property insurers have deployed AI tools, only 7% have succeeded in scaling them enterprise‑wide. Investments are set to surge from roughly $10 billion in 2025 to $80 billion by 2032, yet legacy platforms, data...
How the Care Gap Fuels Claims and Costs in Long-Term Care
The long‑term care (LTC) sector faces a deepening staffing shortage that is now a balance‑sheet liability, driving higher claim frequencies and premium increases for insurers. Demographic trends predict that 20% of Americans will be 65 or older by 2030, while...
AI Training Surges Across Organizations, but Governance Frameworks Lag Behind
Organizations are rapidly scaling AI adoption, with 62% of global firms delivering AI training and 55% hiring AI‑focused talent, according to Gallagher’s 2026 AI Adoption and Risk Survey. Productivity gains are evident—86% of respondents say AI has boosted employee efficiency....
US Cyber Breach Costs Hit Record $10.2 Million as AI Accelerates Attack Timelines
The 2026 Chubb Cyber Claims Report shows U.S. data‑breach costs soaring to $10.2 million on average in 2025, more than twice the global figure. AI‑powered malware now compromises networks in minutes, while AI‑driven defenses have kept incident frequency steady in some...
Nick Abraham of Amwins Global Risks Talks to Risk & Insurance
Nick Abraham, CEO of Amwins Global Risks, said North American property insurance rates are dropping 15%‑20% after five years of gains, prompting clients to revisit coverage limits. He highlighted the London market’s syndicated capacity as a cost‑effective option for large,...
AI and the Adjuster: Driving Efficiency Without Losing the Human Touch
AI is becoming entrenched in workers’ compensation claims, with carriers such as Liberty Mutual and MSIG deploying predictive models that flag severe or fraudulent cases. The technology automates routine tasks, freeing adjusters to focus on complex claims and relationship building....
Extreme Weather Disrupts Workers’ Lives, Posing Underestimated Risk to Business Continuity
Deloitte’s Sustainability Signals survey shows extreme weather now disrupts workers daily, with 66% of respondents across 20 countries experiencing a significant event in the past six months and over half facing extreme heat. Absenteeism is rising—22% missed work, climbing to...
Frontline Workers See MSD Prevention Tech as Beneficial, but Participation in Adoption Is Key
Musculoskeletal disorders cost U.S. employers about $1 billion each week, and 70% of frontline workers surveyed report MSD symptoms. Workers using prevention technologies—exoskeletons, cobots, wearables, computer vision, XR, and digital twins—generally view them as beneficial, with exoskeleton and robot users reporting...
Corporate Class Action Spending Projected to Hit $4.8 Billion as Nearly All Large Companies Face Regular Claims
Corporate legal spending on class‑action defense is projected to reach $4.8 billion in 2026, marking the 11th straight record year and a 5.9% rise from 2025. The Carlton Fields survey of over 300 Fortune‑1000 executives shows 91.7% of large firms now...
Fake Buffett, Real Reputation Risk: How Deepfakes Are Reshaping the Cyber Landscape
In November 2025 a TikTok video featuring a hyper‑realistic deepfake of Warren Buffett promoted crypto giveaways, exposing how synthetic media can be weaponized for fraud. The clip amassed over 17,000 subscribers before the deception was uncovered, highlighting the speed at...
US Excess and Surplus Market Growth Slows to Single Digits as Commercial Property Premiums Decline
The U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines market surpassed $100 billion in direct premiums for the first time, reaching $105.31 billion in 2025, but growth decelerated to a single‑digit 7.8% increase. Commercial property premiums, once a growth engine, fell 2.8% to $27.69 billion...
Workers’ Comp Provider Networks Cut Total Claim Costs by 26%, Drive Faster Access to Care
A Workers’ Compensation Research Institute study of over seven thousand lost‑time claims across 34 states finds that provider networks lower total claim costs by 26%, saving roughly $11,820 per claim at 36 months. Medical payments drop 27%, about $3,500 per...
How Interconnected Risk Is Reshaping the Insurance Landscape
Interconnected risk is reshaping insurance as a single operational error can trigger global disruptions, illustrated by CrowdStrike's 2024 patch that halted airports, banks and transport across continents. Recent cyber incidents—CDK Global’s breach costing auto dealers nearly $1 billion and the Jaguar Land Rover...
Court Allows Insurers’ Contract Claims to Proceed in Cybersecurity Dispute
The Delaware Supreme Court reversed lower‑court dismissals, allowing insurers to pursue breach‑of‑contract claims against Blackbaud over its 2020 ransomware breach. Blackbaud, a nonprofit software provider, previously paid a $3 million SEC fine and $49 million to state attorneys general for misleading breach...
Court Sides With Insurers in Fight Over Captive Insurance Settlement Costs
In 2014 Chemical Solvents faced a bodily‑injury lawsuit and delegated its defense to insurers Greenwich Insurance and Illinois National. The insurers settled for $2.9 million, invoicing the company’s captive Alembic Inc. for $2.7 million, which depleted Chemical Solvents’ redemption account and left...
Court: Broken Glass Could Be a ‘Pollutant’ Under School’s Insurance Policy
A New Jersey federal court ruled that broken glass embedded in Oak Knoll School’s sports field qualifies as a “pollutant” under the school’s insurance policy, rejecting Utica National’s denial of coverage. The insurer had argued that only traditional environmental hazards trigger...
Pam Rushing Named Chief Operating Officer, Neil Ziegler Named Chief Underwriting Officer at Church Mutual
Church Mutual announced new leadership, naming Pam Rushing as Chief Operating Officer and Neil Ziegler as Chief Underwriting Officer. Both bring deep insurance expertise and will guide the carrier’s strategy to improve workers’ compensation outcomes. Their appointments align with industry...
Beyond the Surface: How Video Analysis Is Transforming Workplace Ergonomic Risk Management
Musculoskeletal disorders remain a major cost driver for U.S. employers, prompting a shift toward data‑driven ergonomic risk management. The Hartford leverages AI‑powered video analysis to generate numeric, color‑coded risk scores from short workplace recordings, offering a diagnostic tool that visualizes...
Drivers Report Worsening Road Conditions as Distraction, Aggression and Recklessness Climb
Nationwide’s 2026 Driving Behaviors Survey reveals a sharp rise in driver distraction, aggression and recklessness. Nine‑in‑ten consumers say motorists are more likely to use phones, while 90% label fellow drivers as more aggressive and 87% as more reckless. Commercial drivers...
Severe Convective Storm Losses Hit $208 Billion Over Three Years as Hail Emerges as Top Claims Driver
Global insured losses from severe convective storms (SCS) reached $208 billion over the 2023‑2025 period, with 85% of that exposure concentrated in the United States. In 2025 alone, SCS events accounted for nearly half of all natural catastrophe losses, totaling $60 billion,...
AI Tops Insurance Executive Priorities as Regulatory Concerns and Market Volatility Reshape the Risk Landscape
The International Insurance Society’s 2026 Global Priorities Report shows artificial intelligence has become the top strategic focus for insurers, with 71% of executives naming it the leading issue across all business categories. Regulation now eclipses cybersecurity as the primary political‑legal...
Michelle Quintero Named Executive Vice President with Alliant Private Client at Alliant Insurance Services
Insurance carriers are confronting a surge in acute mental‑health cases that demand intensive crisis care, driving higher underwriting and claims exposure. Societal stressors, pandemic fallout, and workforce shortages have shifted demand from routine outpatient therapy to emergency stabilization. Emerging psychedelic...
Litigation Finance Capital Commitments Rebound 23% After Two-Year Contraction
New capital commitments in U.S. litigation finance jumped about 23% in 2025, ending a two‑year contraction. The increase stemmed mainly from existing funders deploying more capital rather than fresh investor inflows, with only one new firm entering the market. Portfolio...
Public Entity Insurance Market Holds Steady but Faces Pressure From Legal Trends and FEMA Reforms
Amwins reports that the public‑entity property insurance market stays favorable for buyers, with strong carrier competition, ample capacity and innovative pricing. However, casualty coverage is under pressure from rising nuclear verdicts, reviver statutes and aggressive litigation funding. Proposed FEMA Public...
Heat Exposure, Workplace Violence and Systemic Reforms Emerge as Key Workers’ Comp Legislative Trends
Heat-related injuries are surging, with roughly 34,000 incidents and 479 fatalities between 2011 and 2022, prompting a wave of legislative activity. States such as Arizona, New Hampshire and California are introducing or revisiting bills that require written heat‑illness mitigation plans...
Why Insurers Must Own Their View of Risk. And How to Build It
Life‑science firms face volatile valuations that can trigger securities lawsuits whenever clinical data or regulatory decisions diverge from investor expectations. Shareholder litigation often begins with books‑and‑records demands after sharp stock declines, exposing directors and officers to costly D&O claims. Berkshire...
Driver Behavior, Not Mileage or Road Conditions, Emerges as Dominant Factor in Commercial Vehicle Collisions
Motive’s 2026 AI Road Safety Report, analyzing 1.2 billion hours of dash‑cam video across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, finds driver behavior—not mileage, road conditions, or external factors—to be the chief predictor of commercial‑vehicle collisions. The data shows a 9.5% year‑over‑year...
Liability Insurers Face Unexpected Reserve Headwinds in Recent Years
U.S. property‑casualty insurers reported $7.3 billion of adverse one‑year reserve development in other‑liability lines for 2025, with nearly $3 billion concentrated in the 2022‑23 accident years. The shift indicates that loss estimates for recent underwriting periods are being revised upward, driven by...
Three Forces Poised to Reshape Workers’ Comp Claims Management in 2026
MedRisk’s 2026 trends report identifies three forces—artificial intelligence, accelerated care pathways, and research‑based insights—that are reshaping workers’ compensation claims management. Claim complexity is rising as the workforce ages, while severity and financial exposure increase despite lower claim frequency. AI is...
15 Questions for Optum’s Dr. Robert Hall
Optum’s medical director Dr. Robert Hall warned that age‑related muscle loss and chronic comorbidities dramatically complicate workers’ compensation injury recovery. He highlighted how common medications such as NSAIDs can be dangerous for older claimants with heart, kidney or blood‑pressure issues,...
Will the Clairton Coke Plant Explosion Spark Industry and Risk Management Reforms?
On August 11, 2025, an explosion ripped through U.S. Steel’s Clairion coke plant in Pennsylvania, killing two workers and injuring eleven. The blast occurred just weeks after Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, thrusting the new owner into liability...
Everything You Need to Know About The Institutes’ Associate in Insurance AI Designation
The Institutes launched the Associate in Insurance AI (AIAI) designation to equip risk and insurance professionals with AI literacy and ethical decision‑making skills. The program comprises three self‑paced online courses—AI Fundamentals, AI in the insurance value chain, and leading an...
Nick Studer Named Marsh Risk CEO, Martin South Appointed Chief Client Officer of Marsh
Life‑science firms confront heightened directors‑and‑officers (D&O) exposure as clinical data, regulatory outcomes, and market volatility drive shareholder litigation. Shareholders increasingly use books‑and‑records demands to probe internal communications after adverse stock moves, turning disclosure gaps into costly lawsuits. The article stresses...
Westfield Specialty’s Kevin Koehler on Financial Sector Risk
Kevin Koehler, SVP of Financial Institutions at Westfield Specialty, emphasized that brokers who deeply understand their financial‑services clients and act additively secure better pricing and coverage. He warned that AI usage and model risk are top emerging concerns, with regulators...
Business Leaders Face Major Blindspot on Risks That Could End Their Companies
U.S. executives enter 2026 optimistic, yet a stark gap exists between perceived threats and risks that could shut down their firms, according to Sentry Insurance’s 2026 C‑Suite Stress Index. While 54% expect growth, only 17% rank lawsuits—a danger that 93%...
The Shifting Landscape of Workers’ Compensation Pain Management
The National Council on Compensation Insurance reports that opioid costs in workers’ compensation fell an average 2.8% annually from 2012 to 2023, dropping median claim expenses from $188 to $105. Meanwhile, topical medication spend rose from $38 to $62 per...
Employee Crime Poses Growing Threat to Large Enterprises
A QBE Insurance survey finds 80% of risk managers at large U.S. firms faced employee crime in the past year, with billing fraud leading at 36%. Incidents often involve multiple perpetrators and senior staff, while 41% of managers express very...
Insurance Industry Takes Strategic Stand on Resilience, but Adoption Lags
A new International Insurance Society survey shows resilience is now a core strategic priority for insurers, yet fewer than one‑in‑four have woven it into daily operations. Executives cite disaster (52%), digital (50%) and climate (47%) resilience as top focuses, with...