Articles by Ezra Amacher

Liberty Mutual Owes $4M Refund After Overcharging Louisiana Citizens Assessments

Liberty Mutual owes approximately $4 million to about 138,000 Louisiana policyholders after overcharging the Louisiana Property Insurance Corporation Emergency Assessment for the past four years, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said. Temple said the Louisiana Department of Insurance received a consumer …

Texas Lawsuit Alleges GEICO Raises Premiums Despite Accident Forgiveness Promise

A class action lawsuit filed in Texas alleges GEICO doesn’t abide by its Accident Forgiveness program when a driver with an unblemished record gets into a first, at-fault accident. Texas resident Christopher Cude sued GEICO on Feb. 25, alleging the …

Lawsuit Alleges GM Illegally Sold Arkansans’ Driving Data to Insurance Companies

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar this week, alleging the car manufacturer deceived Arkansans by collecting and selling driver information to third parties, who then sold the data to insurance companies. The lawsuit alleges …

Oklahoma High Court Claims Ruling: Insurer Must Provide Direct Renewal Notice to Named Insured

After a fire broke out at an Oklahoma motel in June 2020, the property owner submitted a loss claim to its surplus lines insurer—only to find the insurer denied the claim on the assertion that a commercial lines policy insuring …

Texas Lawsuit Alleges Allstate Illegally Collects Driver Data

The state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against Allstate, alleging the insurance company illegally collects driver data through secretly embedded software in mobile apps and then uses the data to justify raising Texans’ insurance rates. Texas Attorney General Ken …

Texas Accuses Allstate-Owned Arity of Data Privacy Violations

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a notice of violation against Allstate-owned Arity, a mobile data company that collects drivers’ information, for breaching the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The Nov. 29 notice alleges Arity fails to …

Changing the Focus of Claims, Data When Talking About Nuclear Verdicts

The topic of nuclear verdicts took center stage at this year’s Target Markets Annual Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, where a panel of carriers and reinsurers discussed rising settlement costs amidst an uncertain litigation environment. Panelists representing Lloyd’s, Markel, MunichRe and …

Louisiana Contractor Charged for Allegedly Damaging Homeowners’ Roof

On an early August morning, a roofing contractor arrived at a Lafayette, Louisiana couple’s house and requested permission to inspect the home’s roof. The roofer’s arrival wasn’t unexpected. The couple, who go by Jordan and Sarah, had been approached days …

More Than 250,000 U.S. Properties Reported to Have Repeated NFIP Claims

More than a quarter million U.S. properties have repeated claims for federal flood insurance, costing the National Flood Insurance Program billions of dollars in claims, according to new federal data compiled by the National Resources Defense Council. Four states account …

Atlantic Hurricane Season Could Intensify in Coming Weeks, Meteorologists Say

AccuWeather meteorologists are warning that the Atlantic hurricane season could intensify in the coming weeks as less wind shear and less dry air create conducive conditions for storm development. AccuWeather is forecasting six to 10 named storms to form in …