Monthly Archives: <span>August 2009</span>

Massachusetts Court: Homeowner’s Policy Won’t Cover Overdose Death

A homeowner’s policy will not pay damages to the mother of a teenager who died after overdosing on painkillers he stole from the man with whom he and his mother lived, a panel of justices from the Massachusetts Appeals Court …

Delaware City Bans Phones while Driving

The Wilmington, Delaware City Council has passed a ban on talking on cell phones while driving unless the phones are used with a handsfree device. The ban begins Jan. 1. All text messaging is banned, as is talking on the …

Father, Son Charged with Insurance Fraud in North Carolina

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin reported the arrests of Travis Lamond Draughn, 21, of Tarboro and Noah Freeman, 55, of Norfolk, Va. on charges of insurance fraud, obtaining property by false pretense and felony conspiracy. According to the arrest …

Private Forecaster Still Sees Quiet Hurricane Season

Private weather forecaster WSI Corp. said on Monday it still sees a quiet 2009 Atlantic hurricane season with conditions not conducive to an active year for violent storms. WSI’s updated forecast predicted a season of 10 named storms, five hurricanes …

Atlantic Tropical Wave Could Become Cyclone, Warns U.S. Hurricane Center

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tuesday a tropical wave in the western Atlantic Ocean northeast of Puerto Rico had a high chance — greater than 50 percent — of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours. NHC …

RMS Reports on Hurricane Bill

The latest bulletin from Risk Management Solutions describes Hurricane Bill making landfall in southeast Newfoundland as a weak category 1 hurricane. As of a few hours ago the storm was approximately 90 miles (145 kms) north-northwest of Cape Race Newfoundland …

UPDATE – Thousands Flee Raging Wildfires in Greece

An overnight drop in gale-force winds offered hard-pressed Greek firefighters a brief respite Monday after wildfires raged unchecked for two days north of Athens, burning houses and swathes of forest while forcing thousands to flee their homes. But the winds …

Michigan High Court to Reconsider Auto Accidents Victims’ Right to Sue

The Michigan Supreme Court has set the stage for reversing a 2004 precedent that restricts when people injured in auto accidents can sue for pain and suffering. In a 4-3 order, the court decided to reconsider the case of man …

Hacking Case Shows Company, Consumer Vulnerability to ID Theft

Consumers and companies are vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves even after U.S. authorities arrested a man they said was a master hacker who stole 170 million credit and debit card numbers. Estimates on the total financial impact of breaches …

Wolters Kluwer Financial Acquires Stormwater Research Group

Wolters Kluwer Financial Services, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., announced it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Austin, Texas-based Stormwater Research Group (Stormwater). Stormwater provides flood compliance solutions to the banking and mortgage industries, real estate development companies, insurance …