Monthly Archives: <span>April 2008</span>

West has Highest Vehicle Theft Rates

Along Lake Champlain in Vermont, Homeowners Eye Rising Waters

On the shoreline at Keeler Bay in South Hero, Vermont, spring has sprung. Swollen by runoff from snowmelt, the blue water of Lake Champlain laps at the boulders and brick pavers, washes up under the house and covers the boat …

La. Agent Accused of Premium Theft

The Louisiana State Police has served cease and desist orders, and fine notices, to a Metairie, La., insurance agent and his agency for alleged misappropriation of insurance premiums. The Louisiana Department of Insurance reported that Robert Emery and Student Insurance …

Connecticut Regulators Recovered $500K for Consumers Last Quarter

Complaining Connecticut consumers recovered more than $500,000 in claims in the first quarter of 2008, according to the state’s insurance department. Those recoveries came from over 1,400 complaints lodged with the Connecticut Insurance Department between January and March. That number, …

New York: Car Repair Shops Can Rebate Deductibles

Allowing car collision repair facilities to pay all or part of a deductible to an insured does not constitute a rebate prohibited under New York law, lawyers for the state’s insurance department have said. The reasoning? Repair shops have no …

Florida Attorney General Agrees to $1.6M Settlement with Construction Firm

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced that his office has reached a $1.6 million agreement with a Collier County construction company and its president, resolving complaints that more than 100 construction jobs were paid for but never completed. Although he …

Scientists Say Midwest Earthquakes Poorly Understood

Scientists say they know far too little about Midwestern seismic zones like the one that rumbled to life under southern Illinois Friday (April 18) morning, but some of what they do know is unnerving. The fault zones beneath the Mississippi …

South Carolina Gov. Signs Impaired Driving Bill into Law

South Carolina Gov.Mark Sanford signed a new law last week to toughen the state’s penalties for driving under the influence and to remove enforcement loopholes. The bill significantly strengthens the state’s DUI laws, toughening penalties for most first time offenses …

Mississippi Gov. Appeals Fed’s Decision to Deny Emergency Declaration

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said he will appeal the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of his request for federal disaster assistance in the wake of destructive tornadoes that struck the state’s capitol and Hinds County on April 4. “Having seen …

State Farm Nonrenewing Some Jersey Shore Policies

A major insurer is telling some Jersey shore customers that their home insurance policies will not be renewed. State Farm Insurance Company says it is trying to limit its exposure of catastrophic property loss. The company says it’s dropping 2 …