Articles by L.S. Howard

U.S. Nuclear Verdicts Break Records and Drive Social Inflation to 7% in 2023, Report Shows

U.S. nuclear verdicts are breaking records with 27 court cases each awarding compensation of more than $100 million during 2023, according to Swiss Re executives. Social inflation in U.S. rose to 7% in 2023 – a 20 year high – …

Few Households Opt Out of $600M Ohio Train Derailment Settlement

Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement despite residents’ reservations about whether the deal offers enough, so lawyers argue the agreement should be approved later this …

Venbrook Opens West Coast Office, Strengthens Private Risk Practice

Venbrook Group LLC is expanding its private risk practice by opening of a new West Coast office. Venbrook has also named Christina Oakes executive vice president of the division. She will be based in Los Angeles. Oakes has more than …

TD to Pay $28 Million for Sharing Inaccurate U.S. Consumer Data

Toronto-Dominion Bank will pay almost $28 million in fines and restitution after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the lender shared inaccurate information about tens of thousands of U.S. customers with consumer reporting companies. A CFPB investigation found the information …

Cyberattacks on U.S. Utilities Surged 70% This Year, Says Check Point

U.S. utilities faced a near 70% jump in cyberattacks this year over the same period in 2023, according to data from Check Point Research, underlining the escalating threat to a critical infrastructure. The utilities and power infrastructure across the U.S. …

Hurricane Debby Florida Losses Top $121M; 60% of Claims Closed

A month after Hurricane Debby made landfall in northern Florida, the number of property insurance claims has reached almost 20,000, and total estimated insured losses are more than $121.5 million, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reported this week. The …

Baltimore Latest to Settle With Teva, Walgreens Ahead of Opioid Trial

Baltimore said on Tuesday that it has settled with Walgreens over claims that the pharmacy operator fueled opioid addiction in the Maryland city, the latest in a series of settlements totaling $402.5 million ahead of a trial scheduled to begin …

Volkswagen to Recall Nearly 99,000 EVs in U.S. Over Door Handle Issues

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday that Volkswagen would recall 98,806 electric SUVs to fix their door handles as they do not offer enough protection against water ingress. The NHTSA said the recall, which includes ID.4 …

Verisk Estimates Global Modeled Insured Average Annual Loss from Nat Cats at $151B

In the past five years, the annual insured losses from natural catastrophes averaged $106 billion, up from $83 billion in the preceeding five-year period, new data from Verisk shows. And with a noticible uptick in extreme weather in recent times, …

Nestle to Pay €2 Million to End French Mineral Water Case

A unit of Nestle SA agreed to pay €2 million ($2.2 million) to settle French criminal allegations focusing on its production of natural mineral water. The deal, which was approved on Tuesday by a judge in Epinal, east of France, …