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

A Refresher on the Named Storm Deductible

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused massive devastation to Texas and Florida and now frustration for policyholders, their attorneys and public adjusters due to the named storm deductible on some policies. This week Cozen O’Connor hosted a webinar to provide a …

Many Hurricane Issues for Florida Legislature to Consider

Storms are a major priority on the Florida Legislature’s agenda this year following Hurricane Irma‘s rampage across most of the state. Lawmakers will consider proposals ranging from making evacuations more efficient to helping the devastated citrus industry. The 60-day session …

California Town Will Most Likely Consider Future Floods When it Rebuilds

After power and drinking water return, and cleanup crews haul away the last of the boulders and muck that splintered homes like a battering ram, the wealthy seaside hideaway of Montecito, California, will start rebuilding with the possibility of another …

Ex-California Hospital Owner Sentenced for $500M Workers’ Comp Fraud

The former owner of Pacific Hospital in Long Beach was sentenced to federal prison on Friday for running a giant workers’ compensation fraud scheme. Michael Drobot, 73, was sentenced Friday to 63 months in prison and fined $500,000. Earlier this …

More Settlements Reached in West, Texas, Plant Explosion

The town of West, Texas, and several other plaintiffs have reached settlements and partial settlements of claims stemming from a deadly explosion in the central Texas town. On April 13, 2013, a blaze heated up 30 tons of ammonium nitrate. …

Workplace Rights Lawyers Race Against Trump Clock

While employers across America paid a record amount in settlements for workplace violations last year, don’t expect it to be the beginning of a trend. Think of it more as the storm before the calm, as labor lawyers rush to …

California Driver Shares Terrifying Ride on Muddy Wave

A driver who rode a wave of muddy water down a twisting street in his car during a Southern California flood said he is lucky to be alive. “I just got pushed down the side of a hill by a …

GM Drops Steering Wheel, Gives Robot Driver Control

Next year, General Motors Co. will no longer need an engineer in the front seat babysitting the robot brain that controls its self-driving Chevrolet Bolt. The steering wheel and pedals will be gone, giving total control to the machine. When …

Autonomous Vehicles: Shifting Landscape of Contractual Liabilities Between OEMs and Tech Companies

Times are changing for the automotive industry. The introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is changing the players involved in the development of vehicles. What once was a relationship between automakers and hardware component suppliers, now also includes technology companies. Automakers …

December Cold Snap Considered a Freak of Nature

Consider this cold comfort: A quick study of the brutal American cold snap found that the Arctic blast really wasn’t global warming but a freak of nature. Frigid weather like the two-week cold spell that began around Christmas is 15 …