Monthly Archives: <span>January 2018</span>

Federal Report Reveals Extent of Hurricane Harvey

The official numbers for last year’s Hurricane Harvey are in, and they go beyond the 68 dead and $125 billion in damage. Two locations in southeast Texas got more than 5 feet of rain and 18 different parts of Texas …

Federal Agencies Send Teams to Probe Tesla Freeway Crash

Two federal agencies have dispatched teams to investigate the California crash of a Tesla Model S electric car that may have been operating under its semi-autonomous “Autopilot” system. It’s the second time the National Transportation Safety Board and the National …

Arizona House Panel OKs Ban on Photo Red Light, Speed Enforcement

Opponents of photo speed and red light enforcement in Arizona aren’t taking no for an answer as they try to ban the devices in cities statewide. The proposal is championed in the state House again this year by Republican Rep. …

Using Microsoft Word’s Comment Feature to Point Out Issues in Letters

Microsoft Word allows you to comment on another person’s document. I find it helpful to point out mistakes or comment on the structure and phraseology of some of the claims letters I am shown during a webinar or seminar. The …

North Dakota DOT Only Using Salt for Some Icy Road Conditions

North Dakota’s Transportation Department is altering its recipe for icy roads to cut costs, taking sand out of the mix and relying solely on salt to treat highways when the temperature remains just below freezing. The same amount of salt …

Colorado Man Becomes Accidental Apostle Among Climate Researchers

He didn’t mean for it to happen this way. He simply wanted to be alone. “If I had any social skills at all I wouldn’t be here,” says the reclusive 67-year-old Billy Barr, who has spent the last 46 years …

Allaying Consumer Concern Over Cyber Risk

Consumers continue to report concern during online transactions and social media use but don’t always maintain safeguards to protect themselves, according to Prashant Pai, vice president of cyber offerings strategy at Verisk Analytics. In a recent interview with Claims Journal, …

Florida Hotel Valet Gave $300,000 Ferrari to Wrong Person

The owner of a $300,000 Ferrari is suing Marriott International, saying a hotel valet gave his keys to a young man who was trying to impress a woman he just met. The Tampa Bay Times reports that 73-year-old attorney James …

People News: Auto-Owners, IBHS, Kemper

Jeff Harrold, current chairman & chief executive officer announced his retirement from Auto-Owners Insurance and its affiliates effective December 31, 2017. He does so after serving more than 40 years for the company. Jeffrey (Jeff) S. Tagsold has been elected …

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Seeks More Power Over Wind Pool

Mississippi’s insurance commissioner is pushing a bill to strip a tax subsidy and authority from the state’s insurer of last resort for hurricane-prone coastal residents. Commissioner Mike Chaney says the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association, known as the “wind pool,” spends …