Articles by John Dicken

The Rising Insurance Costs of Electric Vehicles: A Specialized Challenge

Electric vehicles are quickly becoming a mainstay in the automotive industry. However, as their adoption grows, so too does the scrutiny around the cost of insuring them. While EVs bring advantages in environmental impact and efficiency, they present unique challenges …

NHC: Rafael is West of Florida Keys and Weakened as it Heads to Southern Gulf

Hurricane Rafael, which struck Cuba with heavy rainfall and flooding as well as gusts and rain in the Florida Keys on Wednesday, is now just over 200 miles to the West of Keys, according to the National Hurricane Center. The …

Slithery Snakes, Gravesites and Other Spooky Claims Tales

A slip and fall into an open grave, melted Lamborghinis, imploding wine vats, snakes on an ambulance—a claims department can be a scary place to be sometimes. With a tip of the hat to Farmers’ Hall of Claims, Claims Journal …

CoreLogic: Insured Wind and Flood Losses from Milton $17B to $28B, Property Restoration Difficult

Estimates released on Wednesday from CoreLogic show that insured wind and flood losses from Hurricane Milton are expected to be between $17 billion and $28 billion. CoreLogic’s estimate comes as Moody’s RMS Event response updated its estimate, which shows total …

Tesla Sued by Family of Electrician Who Died at Austin Facility

The family of a Texas man who died while working at Tesla’s Austin-area facility last week is suing the electric vehicle company and his employer. The lawsuit said the worker, Victor Joe Gomez Sr., was at the facility on Aug. …

How California’s Homeowners Insurance Crisis is Affecting Brokers

A growing homeowners insurance crisis for Californians is straining brokers who must work harder to get increasingly expensive and more frequently unavailable coverage for their clients, a crisis many of them blame on regulations and wildfires. Wildfires have made the …

California Wildfire Outlook: ‘A Challenging Season for Firefighters’

While the official start to California’s wildfire season is still a ways off, the best forecast of what’s ahead may be to look back on the year so far, and so far it’s been far busier for firefighters than last …

Experts: Atlantic Hurricane Season Potential on Par with 2005, 1995

Atlantic hurricane risk in the U.S. continues to increase “substantially as oceanic and atmospheric conditions reach a point where tropical cyclone formation” is becoming increasingly favorable, putting the season’s outlook on par with some past massive and destructive seasons, storm …

Business Liability Claims Litigation Jumped in 2023: Lex Machina

After holding relatively steady for nearly a decade, the number of business liability policy claims cases jumped 28% in 2023, according to a litigation report from Lex Machina. The report found that 3,596 business liability cases covering third-party claims regarding …

Potent Hurricane Weather Pattern Continues to Take Shape, Forecaster Says

The hurricane season continues to look like it will be a highly active one, as a potent and portentous weather pattern continues to take shape, an AccuWeather meteorologist told Claims Journal on Friday. “It certainly looks like it’s going to …