Monthly Archives: <span>April 2020</span>

Insurers Warn on Forced Payouts for Uncovered Coronavirus Losses

LONDON — World insurers told governments on Monday that making them pay out on losses suffered due to the coronavirus that were not covered by policies risked destabilizing the insurance industry. With the global economy hammered by measures to halt …

PG&E Plan Has Broad Support From Fire Victims, Lawyers Say

Lawyers for more than half the wildfire victims who negotiated a $13.5 billion settlement with PG&E Corp. say their clients plan to vote overwhelmingly in favor of the bankrupt utility’s reorganization plan. The attorneys represent about 40,300 of the estimated …

Auto Insurers Return Money to Customers During ‘Unprecedented’ Driving Slump

Auto insurers Allstate Corp. and American Family Insurance are returning some money to customers as widespread shutdowns across the U.S. from the coronavirus cut down on driving. Allstate expects to give back more than $600 million, with personal auto customers …

Bayer Effort to Settle Roundup Cancer Cases Slowed By COVID-19

Bayer AG is blaming the spread of the coronavirus for slowing negotiations aimed at resolving lawsuits that claim its controversial Roundup weedkiller causes cancer and is asking consumers to settle for less, according to people familiar with the talks. The …

Pandemic Data-Sharing Puts New Pressure on Privacy Protections

Data sharing by technology companies is helping government officials fight the dizzying spread of the coronavirus by monitoring compliance with social distancing and stay-at-home orders. It’s also putting privacy experts on edge. Companies including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc. …

Appellate Court Revives Lawsuit Against National Claims Negotiators

A decision by a Texas appellate court last week breathed new life into litigation against a public adjuster that is accused of conspiring with a roofing contractor and attorneys to scam homeowners by charging exorbitant and unnecessary fees. The 5th …

China Wildfire Provokes Public Anger as 19 Emergency Workers Die

Eighteen firefighters and a forest guide died this week battling a wildfire in southwest China that has spread over more than 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres), prompting criticism on social media that the government isn’t doing enough to protect the lives …

The Natural Gas Glut Moves Offshore

Liquefied natural gas traders are following the latest trend in the oil market by storing huge amounts of the commodity on tankers, hoping prices will rise before the ship docks. But while crude can sit for months or even years …

Double Strike: Tornado, Virus Push Tennesseans to the Limit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Jose Cojom’s house collapsed around his family in a tornado that struck after midnight, he knew his life was going to get much harder. But that was just the beginning. A few weeks later, the restaurant …

West Virginia Governor’s Coal Companies to Pay $5 Million In Fines

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Billionaire West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies have agreed to pay more than $5 million for thousands of mine safety violations, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The civil case brought by prosecutors in Virginia last year on …