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

Washington Schools Get Tested on Seismic Safety With Students’ Help

On the count of three, a scrum of Washington sixth graders flung themselves in the air, landing with a thud that vibrated the ground under their feet. Nearby, their classmates huddled around a computer, watching jagged tracings scroll across the …

Arkansas High Court Rules No Depreciation of Labor in ACV Claim

An insurer can’t depreciate labor in calculating the actual cash value (ACV) of an insured property in the event of a covered loss, Arkansas high court justices have determined. In an opinion delivered on Dec. 10, 2015, the Arkansas Supreme …

Property Damage Appraisers Reveal PDA Xpress Results

One year after the launch of Property Damage Appraisers’ virtual, web-based estimating tool PDA Xpress, the results are in – nearly 50 percent of PDA Xpress estimates are completed in 45 minutes or less. The tool is performing so well …

Study Reveals That Sand Piles Used to Restore Coast Also Contributed to Subsidence

A new study underscores the unique difficulties Louisiana faces in maintaining its fragile delta and keeping the sea at bay: Researchers found work to replenish an eroding shoreline by pumping onto it massive amounts of sand itself caused the land …

Big Business Thwarts Another Class Action Attempt

The U.S. Supreme Court fairly predictably sides with corporations in their clashes with consumers, but the business-friendly rulings often come in unpredictable packages. Consider the latest high court decision reinforcing the ability of companies to fend off class-action lawsuits and …

Ex-NY Senate Leader, Son Convicted on Extortion Charges

The former state Senate leader and his son were convicted Friday of federal extortion charges, the second time in a month that one of New York’s most powerful politicians was run out of office by a prosecution that put the …

New U.S. State Laws Could Back Uber’s Stance of Drivers as Contractors

State legislators in Ohio and Florida are moving ahead with regulations governing Uber and other ride services that would designate all drivers as independent contractors, bolstering a critical but much-disputed aspect of Uber’s business model. The states would join North …

Allstate Ranks Safest Driving Cities

As Americans get ready to embark on holiday road trips to visit friends and family, scientists are warning that one of the strongest El Niños on record could bring unusually wet conditions to roads in much of the country. And …

Pantex Workers See Increase in Medical Care and Workers’ Compensation

The past few years have seen an increase in the number of workers at a Panhandle nuclear weapons plant who have been compensated and given medical care for conditions caused by exposure to plant hazards. Those hazards include chemicals in …

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Names Steiner as Head of Property, Canada

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions names Yvonne Steiner as head of Property, Canada. Steiner will lead property underwriting operations for the region, with teams based in Toronto and Vancouver. She will be based in Toronto and succeeds Claudio Totino who is …