Monthly Archives: <span>July 2023</span>

California Aims to Tap Beavers, Once Viewed as a Nuisance, to Help with Water Issues and Wildfires

For years, beavers have been treated as an annoyance for chewing down trees and shrubs and blocking up streams, leading to flooding in neighborhoods and farms. But the animal is increasingly being seen as nature`s helper in the midst of …

Viewpoint: What Can Insurers Do About Extensive Attorney Involvement and High Settlement Costs?

Attorney involvement is one of the most critical determinants of ultimate claim costs. Significant costs include time from correspondence iterations, depositions, defense attorney costs, etc. These are present in determining whether the plaintiff’s attorney can negotiate a higher-than-usual settlement. Before …

Pa. Supreme Ct. Upholds Punitive Damage Award Against Insurance Agency for Poaching from Competitor

A jury’s $2.8 million punitive damage award against an insurance agency and broker that tried to poach a competitor’s staff and book of business was not excessive even though it was more than 10 times the total amount of compensatory …

NTSB Looking at Risk Parked Semis Posed to Greyhound Bus in Fatal Illinois Accident

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Big rig driver David Cherno was hauling Jimmy Dean sausages on Interstate 70 when he had to stop for the night or risk violating federal regulations limiting driving time for truckers. An Illinois rest area was …

Premiums Fail to Keep Pace with Auto Claims Inflation

Insurance claims inflation has risen faster than the underlying consumer price index, outpacing auto insurance premium increases, according to a new study by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA). The national trade association for home, auto and business insurers …

First Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Female Northwestern University Athlete as Hazing Scandal Widens

CHICAGO (AP) — The hazing scandal at Northwestern University has widened to include a volleyball player who on Monday became the first female athlete to sue the university over allegations she was retaliated against by the coach for reporting her …

4 Missing After Record-Breaking Downpours Along Canada’s Atlantic Coast Cause Flooding

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Four people are missing after intense thunderstorms dumped record amounts of rain across a wide swath of Canada’s Atlantic-coast province of Nova Scotia over the past two days, causing flash flooding, road washouts and power …

Bodies of 4 Killed in Alaska Helicopter Crash Are Recovered from Lake

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska search and rescue divers recovered the bodies of a helicopter pilot and three scientists on Sunday from the sunken wreckage of their aircraft, which went down in a shallow lake last week on the remote …

New Evacuations Ordered in Greece as High Winds and Heat Fuel Wildfires

RHODES, Greece (AP) — A weeklong wildfire on the Greek resort island of Rhodes tore past defenses Monday, forcing more evacuations, as three major fires raged elsewhere in the country fueled by strong winds and successive heat waves that left …

After Decades of Delays, Broken Promises, Coal Miners Hail Rule to Slow Rise of Black Lung

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A half-century ago, the nation`s top health experts urged the federal agency in charge of mine safety to adopt strict rules protecting miners from poisonous rock dust. The inaction since — fueled by denials and lobbying …