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

12 Los Angeles Firefighters Recovering After Explosion

LOS ANGELES — Eight firefighters remained hospitalized Sunday after being hurt in an explosion at a hash oil manufacturer in downtown Los Angeles that sent crews running for their lives when a ball of flames shot out of the building …

More States Push COVID-19 Claims to Work Comp; Potential Cost Anyone’s Guess

Regulators and lawmakers in more states are demanding that workers who claim they were sickened by COVID-19 get a fair hearing, if not an outright presumption in their favor. The Wyoming House of Representatives and Senate both passed a bill …

Pandemic Stands to Complicate Potentially Bad Fire Season

DURANGO, Colo. — As if Southwest Colorado’s extreme drought wasn’t enough to raise concerns about a potentially destructive wildfire season, the added complications of the coronavirus have only fueled that anxiety. The COVID-19 outbreak demands people isolate as much as …

Nevada Highway Damaged by Largest Area Quake in 65 Years

LAS VEGAS — The cracked main highway between Las Vegas and Reno reopened Friday, 10 hours after a predawn magnitude 6.5 earthquake that a researcher called the largest to strike the remote area of western Nevada in 65 years. No …

PG&E Judge Rejects Bid to Throw Out Victims’ Bankruptcy Vote

The judge overseeing PG&E Corp.’s bankruptcy rejected an effort by dissident fire victims to upend voting on the California utility’s reorganization plan. Judge Dennis Montali said during a hearing Friday that he planned to deny a motion asking to throw …

Purell’s Claim to Combat Disease Spurs Demand — and Lawsuits

Everyone’s favorite hand sanitizer may have to stand trial for claiming it can stop you from getting sick. A trio of lawsuits has hit Purell’s maker, Gojo Industries Inc., since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public …

Talc Miner Imerys Strikes Deal to Resolve 14,000 Cancer Lawsuits

Imerys SA, which mines talc used in Johnson & Johnson’s iconic Baby Powder and other products, agreed to turn over its North American operations to resolve more than 14,000 lawsuits claiming the mineral caused cancer in some consumers. Imerys Talc …

A.M. Best: Global Insurance Market Is Well Capitalized in the Face of COVID-19

Global insurers are well capitalized to absorb the hit from rising claims and costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, ratings agency AM Best said on Monday, citing a stress test it conducted to gauge the immediate impact of outbreak on …

Viewpoint: Pa. Supreme Court Hands Insurers ‘Small Victory’ on COVID-19 Litigation

Key Takeaways The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to exercise jurisdiction over all COVID-19 insurance coverage litigation. The decision relates to an application for extraordinary relief from a Pittsburgh-based restaurant seeking coverage for business income losses allegedly triggered by the COVID-19 …

Zesty.ai Refines Fire Risk Model by Adding IBHS Data on Building Materials

Zesty.ai, a California insurtech start-up, is hoping to fine-tune fire-risk scores that sometimes can make it challenging for homeowners to find coverage. Marketing Director Nick Allain said the company wants to help insurers who might otherwise overlook fire-resistant structures that …