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

California Firefighters Battle Wildfires in Extreme Heat

LOS ANGELES — California firefighters battled destructive wildfires Monday as a lengthening heat wave roasted the state. Thousands of homes were at risk and air quality deteriorated in areas affected by smoke. The National Weather Service blanketed the state in …

Strong Quake In Philippines Kills 1, Damages Houses, Roads

MANILA, Philippines — A strong earthquake jolted the central Philippines on Tuesday, killing at least one person, injuring dozens, and damaging houses, two buildings used for coronavirus quarantine, bridges and a port. A three-story house collapsed in the coastal town …

7th Circuit Lays Obstacle For Litigation Funders With False Claims Act Suits

A federal appellate court dealt a blow against litigation funding companies by ruling that the U.S. Justice Department can dismiss any False Claims Act lawsuits that it deems meritless without first proving that dismissal is justified. The 7th Circuit Court …

Mauritius Arrests Captain of Japanese Oil Spill Ship

Mauritius has arrested the captain of a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground off its coast, causing a devastating oil spill in one of the world’s most pristine maritime environments, police said on Tuesday. The MV Wakashio struck a coral …

States Seek $2.2 Trillion From Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma

NEW YORK — U.S. states claimed they are owed $2.2 trillion to address harm from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP’s alleged role in America’s opioid epidemic, accusing the drugmaker in new filings of pushing prescription painkillers on doctors and patients …

U.S. Sues Teva Over Alleged Kickbacks For Multiple Sclerosis Drug

The U.S. government sued Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd on Tuesday, accusing the drugmaker of causing the submission of false claims to Medicare by using kickbacks to boost sales of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone. In a complaint filed in Boston …

From Africa to America, Businesses and Insurers Face Survival Showdowns

PILANESBERG NATIONAL PARK, South Africa — W ynand du Toit’s safari camp in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park lies abandoned, its tents ripped open by baboons and its survival in the balance after his insurer rejected his COVID-19 claim. In …

Lightning Sparks New Wildfires Across California

LOS ANGELES — A rare summer thunderstorm brought lightning that sparked several small blazes in Northern California on Sunday and stoked a huge wildfire that has forced hundreds of people from their homes north of Los Angeles. More than 4,500 …

Federal Judge Denies Bid to Remove COVID-19 Business Interruption Suit

A federal judge in California disappointed a law firm suing Travelers Insurance over coronavirus lockdown related business interruption claims in refusing to remove its case to state court and denying its request for a dismissal or stay of a countersuit …

Analysts Predict Trouble Ahead for Personal Auto as Claims Volume Returns to Normal

Insurers are making a bundle on personal auto because claims have plummeted, but the long-term outlook for the line isn’t so rosy, analysts say. Fitch Ratings last week reported that the short-term performance for auto insurers is “unsustainable, and we …