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Change in Irma’s Course Reduced Economic Loss by $150B

Twenty miles may have made a $150 billion difference. Estimates for the damage Hurricane Irma would inflict on Florida kept mounting as it made its devastating sweep across the Caribbean. It was poised to be the costliest U.S. storm on …

Majority of Drivers Say Distracted Driving Should Be Illegal, Yet Still Do it

A new Progressive Insurance study shows about one third of drivers feel confident in their own ability to text and drive, yet the majority believe distracted driving is the biggest cause of auto accidents and more than 90 percent say …

Auto-Animal Collisions Higher in Northern California

If you are a commuter, Southern California freeways are your nightmare. If you happen to be a deer, coyote or raccoon, the highways of Northern California are a lot worse. A study released Thursday by the University of California Davis …

Is Maryland Ready for the Next Big Storm?

In Maryland, which historically has ducked many of the worst storms of the last 50 years, the question is increasingly not if, but when the next big one will strike. And while some believe the state has often been spared …

Car-Dependent Houston Struggles Amid Harvey Losses

Bryan Harvey is frequently reminded that he shares a name with the hurricane that dumped 50 inches of rain on metropolitan Houston, Texas, and unleashed the floods that have him working 14-hour days towing water-logged cars. Even in their despair, …

Pro-No Fault Group Says Auto Insurers Illegally Charge Women More in Michigan

A group defending Michigan’s auto insurance system says it has uncovered instances of insurers illegally selling more expensive policies to women and widowed drivers, raising questions about state oversight of rating practices as the industry pushes lawmakers to contain high …

Most Florida Flood Zone Property Uninsured

An Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge. In just five years, the state’s total number of federal flood insurance policies …

Engineers Warned of Houston Flood Risk 20 Years Ago

A report released two decades ago on the Harris County reservoir system predicted with alarming accuracy the catastrophic flooding that would besiege the Houston, Texas, area if changes weren’t made in the face of rapid development. The report released in …

Many Americans Wary of Self-Driving Tech, Don’t Want Robo Cars

Fully self-driving cars are set the hit the road within four years, but most Americans aren’t ready to buy them. The majority of U.S. consumers remain wary of the developing technology, with 55 percent of drivers surveyed by consultant AlixPartners …

Investigation of Property Loss Doesn’t Establish Estoppel in Oregon

Under Oregon statute O.R.S. §742.056, an insurance company’s investigation of a loss or claim under the policy does not estop the insurance company from asserting any provision of the policy or any defense that the insurer may have under the …

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