Articles by Chad Hemenway

Hemenway is national editor for the Insurance Journal, a sister publication also owned by Wells Media Group.

Allstate Records $2.7B Net Catastrophe Hit on Way to Q2 Loss of $1.4B

Allstate Corp. reported net catastrophe losses of $2.7 billion in the second quarter, resulting in a net loss for the period of $1.4 billion as catastrophe and underwriting losses offset other favorable factors. President and CEO Tom Wilson said the …

Judge Denies Insurers’ Appeal in Boy Scouts Reorganization Plan

A federal judge on March 28 denied an appeal, largely made by insurers, to strike down the Boy Scouts of America’s nearly $2.5 billion reorganization plan approved last year to allow the organization to settle tens of thousands of sexual …

Lawsuit Against State Farm Alleges Racial Discrimination in Claims Handling

State Farm’s claims handling process is the subject of a new lawsuit alleging disparities between the insurer’s treatment of claims from Black policyholders versus claims from white policyholders. The suit filed Dec. 14 against State Farm Fire & Casualty Company …

Insurers Say ‘Bazooka’ of Bogus Boys Scouts Claims is Abuse of Bankruptcy System

A group of insurers – including subsidiaries of AIG, Liberty Mutual, Allianz, Sompo International, and Travelers – are challenging an approval of the Boy Scouts of America’s $2.46 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan to allow the organization to settle tens of …

State Farm to Pay $100 Million to Federal Government for Hurricane Katrina Claims

State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. and two former claims-adjuster sisters, who more than 16 years ago filed a lawsuit claiming the insurer committed fraud against the government’s National Flood Insurance Program following Hurricane Katrina, have settled. According to documents …

Sunoco Subsidiary Sues AIG’s National Union Over Climate Change Lawsuit Coverage

Sunoco subsidiary Aloha Petroleum has filed a federal lawsuit in Hawaii against AIG’s National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, saying the insurer has breached its duty to defend Aloha against climate change lawsuits brought by local governments in Honolulu …

Judge Approves $85M Settlement in ‘Zoombombing’ Case

A federal judge in California approved an $85 million settlement between Zoom Video Communications and millions of users who said the teleconference meeting application violated their privacy rights by sharing personal data to companies such as Facebook and Google, and …

PFAS, Microplastics, Baby Food: Emerging Casualty Risks Keep Coming

There is no longer a need to ponder the “next asbestos” because the current litigation environment and the recent pace of additions to the list of emerging risks and trends in casualty insurance is enough to keep the industry on …

APCIA Joins Group Pushing for Reforms on Litigation Funding

A new advocate group in New York that counts the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) as a member is looking to crack down on the practice of litigation funding. The Consumers for Fair Legal Funding (CFLF) said it is …

N.J. Court: Insurer Cannot Cite War Exclusion to Deny Coverage for NotPetya Attack

Last month the Superior Court of New Jersey ruled insurers cannot use a policy exclusion to avoid covering about $1.4 billion in damages Merck & Co. said it suffered from a spring 2017 cyber attack known as NotPetya. The court …