Monthly Archives: <span>September 2017</span>

Car-Dependent Houston Struggles Amid Harvey Losses

Bryan Harvey is frequently reminded that he shares a name with the hurricane that dumped 50 inches of rain on metropolitan Houston, Texas, and unleashed the floods that have him working 14-hour days towing water-logged cars. Even in their despair, …

Pro-No Fault Group Says Auto Insurers Illegally Charge Women More in Michigan

A group defending Michigan’s auto insurance system says it has uncovered instances of insurers illegally selling more expensive policies to women and widowed drivers, raising questions about state oversight of rating practices as the industry pushes lawmakers to contain high …

Most Florida Flood Zone Property Uninsured

An Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge. In just five years, the state’s total number of federal flood insurance policies …

Engineers Warned of Houston Flood Risk 20 Years Ago

A report released two decades ago on the Harris County reservoir system predicted with alarming accuracy the catastrophic flooding that would besiege the Houston, Texas, area if changes weren’t made in the face of rapid development. The report released in …

Many Americans Wary of Self-Driving Tech, Don’t Want Robo Cars

Fully self-driving cars are set the hit the road within four years, but most Americans aren’t ready to buy them. The majority of U.S. consumers remain wary of the developing technology, with 55 percent of drivers surveyed by consultant AlixPartners …

Investigation of Property Loss Doesn’t Establish Estoppel in Oregon

Under Oregon statute O.R.S. §742.056, an insurance company’s investigation of a loss or claim under the policy does not estop the insurance company from asserting any provision of the policy or any defense that the insurer may have under the …

Hazardous Waste Illegally Stored in Missouri

Thirteen million pounds of hazardous waste has been illegally stored in a building in an eastern Missouri flood plain for nearly four years, according to federal and state documents obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . The newspaper reports that …

House Passes Bill to Speed Introduction of Self-Driving Cars

U.S. House lawmakers passed a wide-ranging bill to speed the introduction of self-driving vehicles championed by tech and auto companies racing to develop and deploy the technology. “With this legislation, innovation can flourish without the heavy hand of government,” Ohio …

Citizens Braces for Irma’s Wrath, Could Lead to Higher Premiums

A decade-long lucky streak of decent weather that helped rescue one of Florida’s biggest home insurers from collapse could come to a wet, violent end if predictions about Hurricane Irma prove true. The state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is strong …

10 Tips on Responding to Claimant Complaints

Although insurance carriers care deeply about the approval ratings from their policyholders, claims responses to claimant complaints are often stodgy, mistake-ridden and vague. The following 10 brief tips will help you catch and correct problems before sending out these important …