Monthly Archives: <span>June 2015</span>

HSB Study: 69% of Businesses Reported Being Hacked in the Last Year

Almost 70 percent of businesses experienced at least one hacking incident in the last year, according to a study of business risk managers released by The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB), part of Munich Re. Yet, more …

Prescribed Burns on the Decline

Forest managers would prefer to use prescribed burns every few years to help prevent costly wildfires and rebuild unhealthy ecosystems, but hurdles like staffing, budget, liability and new development hinder them, a new University of Florida study shows. Fighting wildfires …

New Product Gives Insurers Ability to Track Mileage with Policyholders’ Smartphones

Property/casualty insurance information company Verisk Insurance Solutions is teaming with a technology firm to provide insurance companies with the ability to collect automobile odometer readings for insurance rating and usage-based insurance (UBI) programs. The product, called OdometerConfirm, allows insurers to …

The Changing Landscape of Business Interruption Claims

The high costs related to business interruption should provide an impetus for companies to prep for them in advance, according to industry experts. During a webinar hosted by Marsh, insurance experts detailed the top five issues related to business interruption …

Iowa Homeowners Find it Hard to Sell Homes Dues to High Flood Insurance Rates

The high price of flood insurance can make it difficult for some Iowa residents to sell their homes. The Quad-City Times reports Duane Randleman has been trying to sell for a year-and-a-half and showed his house to more than 60 …

Water From Texas, Oklahoma Heading to Northwest Louisiana

High water is flooding farmland along the Red River in northwest Louisiana, and is likely to remain for months, the National Weather Service said Sunday. Sandbags are available for rural residents, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said in an email. …

Google Drone Crashes During New Mexico Test

A prototype of the massive solar-powered drone Google Inc. plans to build as a platform for delivering Internet service from the sky was destroyed in a crash at a New Mexico test site. The unmanned Solara 50 fell to the …

Automakers Add More Models to Takata Expanded Recall List

Five automakers on Thursday widened recalls of cars and trucks with Takata Corp airbags and the U.S. Congress set a hearing next week on the safety issue that has been linked to six deaths. Takata last week complied with demands …

FEMA Starts Review of Sandy Flood Insurance Claims

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has begun reviewing flood insurance claims of Superstorm Sandy victims, some of whom have said their damages were underestimated. FEMA said in a statement the agency is mailing letters to about 142,000 …

Water-Logged: Tips on Conducting Inventories of Water-Damaged Contents

Many will remember the epic winter of 2015 as one featuring ice dams and burst water pipes. But whether from snowstorm, flood or leaky plumbing fixture, water damage is an event that occurs throughout the year — accounting for a …