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Some Troublesome Words, Part 1

What’s the difference between “insure” and ensure”? And can you differentiate among “to,” “two,” and “too”? One claims adjuster told me this insure/ensure mix-up was one of his major pet peeves: “Ensure! Please don’t tell me you can ‘insure a …

U.S. Regulators Working on New Policy for Autonomous Trucks, Trains

Federal regulators are taking the first step toward creating a policy guiding the development of autonomous transportation beyond self-driving cars to include trucks, buses and other ground-based modes. The U.S. Transportation Department will soon publish four requests for public comment …

Malpractice Damages Law Ruled Unconstitutional in North Dakota

A state district judge has ruled that North Dakota’s law limiting damages in medical malpractice cases is unconstitutional. The case involved a 35-year-old Fort Yates woman who suffered a disabling stroke in 2012 due to a botched surgery at CHI …

North Dakota Medical Marijuana Rules Poised for Approval

North Dakota’s State Health Council is poised to sign off on administrative rules for medical marijuana amid uncertainty over whether the federal government might crack down on state marijuana operations. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week rescinded an Obama …

La Nina to Last Through Winter, Just Don’t Tell Chilly Houston

La Nina is likely to persist through the winter, though you wouldn’t know it if you lived in Houston. The weather phenomenon that has historically delivered warmer winters across the southern U.S. is being challenged by another force known as …

Washington Contractor Charged With Felony for Trench Collapse Death

A Seattle contractor has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of an employee who was killed when a sewer trench collapsed in 2016. The Seattle Times reports Philip Numrich, the owner of Alki Construction, allegedly violated and ignored …

Delaware High Court Upholds Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit Dismissal

The Delaware Supreme Court issued an opinion this week upholding the dismissal of a lawsuit filed over a slip-and-fall accident at a gas station during freezing rain four years ago. On January 10, 2014, Michael Laine, slipped and fell on …

Malaysia Says it Will Pay Firm up to $70M if it Can Find Missing Jet

Malaysia’s government said Wednesday it will pay U.S. company Ocean Infinity up to $70 million if it can find the wreckage or black boxes of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 within three months, in a renewed bid to solve the plane’s …

Medical Billing, Insurance Write-Offs and the Collateral Source Rule

Recovery of Medical Expenses in Personal Injury Actions Generally To recover damages for past medical expenses in a personal injury lawsuit, a plaintiff must present evidence and prove that the medical expenses incurred were both “reasonable” and “necessary.” For more …

Florida Bill Potentially Repealing No Fault Insurance Advances

Florida legislators revived a bill, SB 150, that could potentially end the requirement that drivers in the state obtain $10,000 mandatory personal injury protection coverage. The bill, sponsored by Senator Tom Lee, passed its first committee of reference and will …

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