Monthly Archives: <span>December 2016</span>

Michigan Enacts First Law for Testing, Sale of Driverless Cars

Michigan, in a race with Silicon Valley for supremacy in autonomous autos, enacted legislation that it said is the first in the U.S. to establish comprehensive regulations for testing, use and eventual sale of self-driving cars. Governor Rick Snyder signed …

Polar Vortex Won’t Last Due to Dueling Weather Patterns

A polar vortex is blasting cold air across the northern half of the U.S. this week – and by Christmas, it’ll be warm enough to barbecue in Washington. Just last week, models had this polar vortex – a term loosely …

QBE Reports on Using Social Media to Boost Service, Fight Insurance Fraud

Social media data mining offers insurers an opportunity to combat fraud and improve underwriting, according to a recently issued white paper by QBE North America, an operating division of global insurer QBE Insurance Group Limited. The white paper titled “Innovations …

Appeals Court Allows Lawsuit Against Engineering Firm in Pittsburgh Flood Deaths

An appeals court has cleared the way for refiling of a lawsuit against an engineering firm in the deaths of four people killed in flash flooding in Pittsburgh, Pa., more than five years ago. Judge R. Stanton Wettick Jr. earlier …

Massive Youth Athlete Concussion Study Launched in Texas

This week, Texas will launch what state officials say is the nation’s largest effort to track brain injuries among young athletes. The University Interscholastic League, Texas’ governing body for public high school sports, is partnering with the O’Donnell Brain Institute …

New High-Tech Ways to Catch Burglars

It’s burglar catnip: a large, unoccupied home late at night, with iPads and laptops strewn temptingly around. Sure enough, one man did break in—exactly as the police had planned. Arrested, he protested his innocence, at least until law enforcement shined …

California Warehouse Involved in Deadly Fire Missing From Fire Inspection Records

The illegally occupied Oakland, Calif., warehouse where dozens of partygoers perished in a blaze does not appear in a database fire inspectors use to schedule inspections and may never have been checked for fire hazards, a firefighter with knowledge of …

Senator Says Transit Employees Should be Checked Against Terror Watch Lists

Federal homeland security officials should move faster to require rail and transit agencies across the nation to screen their employees using federal terrorism watch lists, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said. The New York Democrat told The Associated Press on Saturday …

Poor Headlight Performance Reduces List of Cars With Highest Safety Ratings

To help avoid deadly accidents, an insurance industry group raised standards for headlight performance, reducing the number of vehicles that earned its highest safety rating. Only 38 models were awarded the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s designation of Top Safety …

Set-up on Failure to Defend Rejected in Florida

In a surprising decision, a Federal District Court, applying Florida law, granted summary judgment to an insurance company on a “failure to settle” claim because the insured’s liability was not clear. Florida is a testing ground for creative lawyering designed …