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

Coast Guard Refers Missouri Duck Boat Case to Feds for Criminal Investigation

The U.S. Coast Guard has referred the investigation into last month’s deadly sinking of a Missouri tourist boat to federal prosecutors, officials said Tuesday. Coast Guard spokeswoman Lisa Novak confirmed a report first published by the Kansas City Star that …

Another Use for Drones: Investigating Car Wrecks

When police investigators tried to figure out what caused a multi-vehicle crash that killed an elderly woman in Morton, Illinois, last month, they looked to the sky for help. Like a growing number of police agencies throughout the country, the …

Weakening Hurricane Lane Still Threatens Hawaii With Damage

Hurricane Lane has lost some of its punch as it prepares to brush past Hawaii but still threatens to inflict “tens of millions of dollars” in damages on the islands. The storm weakened to Category 4 hurricane Wednesday – the …

Business News: AIR Worldwide, RGL, Encompass

AIR Worldwide Releases Updated Wildfire Model for the United States Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) released an updated Wildfire Model for the United States. The model is designed to provide a comprehensive view of the risk of wildfire …

FBI Focuses on Plethora of River-Related Cyber Threats

Giant cranes loading and unloading gargantuan barges. Oil tankers, supply vessels and pipelines serving a vital energy industry. Flood control structures. Chemical plants. Cruise ships. Drinking water sources. All computer-reliant and tied in some way to the internet. All of …

Consumers Increasingly Favor Digital Methods to Complete Key Insurance Tasks

A new survey from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) finds that while phone calls remain the most common method consumers use to manage their auto insurance, many consumers are eager to use digital methods to accomplish the same tasks. Sixty-nine …

Study Looks at Polypharmacy Claims in California Workers’ Comp

A study from the California Workers’ Compensation Institute shows the likelihood that indemnity was paid on a workers’ comp claim increased with the number of concurrent prescriptions the injured worker was on. Concurrent use of multiple medications to treat one …

3 Types of Workers’ Comp Insurance Fraud and How to Prevent Them

Workers’ compensation insurance is a safety net for employees who are injured on the job, as well as for their employers. It pays for lost wages, medical expenses and other expenses and benefits incurred by an injured worker. Sometimes, however, …

Forgoing Recalls, Med Device Firms Sometimes Use Doctors to Screen for Defects

Results of a new behavioral study into what influences the decision to recall a defective product found that medical device firm managers may rely on their physician-customers to screen out detectable defects, in lieu of issuing a recall. The study …

Recent Personal Lines Acquisitions Keep P/C Industry Busy

In the course of a week, two major property/casualty acquisitions were announced. The Hartford announced it intended to acquire Navigators and Safeco announced it would acquire the personal auto and personal property book of business from QBE North America. The …