Monthly Archives: <span>January 2010</span>

U.S. Bans Texting by Drivers of Large Trucks, Buses

The U.S. government Tuesday banned hand-held “texting” by drivers of large commercial trucks and buses to avoid the danger of distracted driving. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement the prohibition takes effect immediately. It follows a similar ban …

ABI Estimates November UK Flood Losses Exceed $322 Million

A report from the Association of British Insurers estimates that the floods in Cumbria in the northwestern part of England and parts of Southern Scotland in November have exceeded £200 million ($322 million) [See IJ web site – https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2009/11/23/105496.htm]. The …

Staffing Services Inc. Reaches Plea Bargain in Workers’ Comp Insurance Fraud Case

Bellflower, Calif.-based Staffing Services Inc. has been ordered by the Los Angeles County Superior Court to pay $20 million in restitution after a plea bargain was reached Jan. 15 in a workers’ compensation insurance fraud case, the California Department of …

docSTAR Document Management Expands Insurance Software Line

Renewal marketing now delivered through streamlined submission packages. Schenectady, NY – January 26, 2010 – docSTAR, the leading provider of insurance document management software, has released a brand new module called SubmissionXpress. SubmissionXpress is a powerful addition to docSTAR’s core …

Midwest Cities Say New FEMA Flood Maps Are Full of Errors

More than a year and a half after a massive flood left a huge swath of eastern Iowa underwater, the tiny farming community of Oakville is clinging to survival. Many of the town’s 400-or-so residents moved on after the June …

Kentucky Court Curbs State Borrowing from Workers’ Compensation Fund

In a case involving two workers’ compensation funds, the Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that lawmakers and the governor cannot replenish the state’s general fund using monies from accounts with commingled public and private monies. However, the state can suspend …

York Specialized Loss Adjusting Acquires Daynard & Van Thunen Co.

York Specialized Loss Adjusting (York SLA), a division of New Jersey-based York Insurance Services Group Inc., has acquired the assets of Daynard & Van Thunen Co. Inc., a provider of specialized loss adjusting services focused on complex property, ocean and …

Auto Insurance Claims Could Be Opened to Family Members in Nebraska

Nebraska lawmakers may allow car passengers to make liability insurance claims when their family members cause car wrecks. The Nebraska Legislature on Jan. 22 narrowly gave first-round approval to a bill (LB216) that would repeal the state’s so-called guest statute. …

Helping People Be Quake-Ready Is Michigan Tech Program Goal

Big earthquakes are going to happen, so a program at Michigan Technological University aims to spread knowledge about how people can reduce the death and destruction. The danger of catastrophic quakes like the one that hit Haiti on Jan. 12 …

Federal Figures Show Reduction in Joblessness in Oklahoma

Oklahoma was one of only four states to show lower unemployment in December, compared with the month before, with a drop of half a percentage point to 6.6 percent, according to federal figures. That was the biggest improvement in joblessness …