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Waymo’s Trade Secret Case May Stall Uber Driverless Car Ambitions

Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick calls driverless cars an “existential” necessity for his company. If he’s right, Uber can’t afford to lose in its court fight with rival Waymo. The two titans are wrangling in San Francisco …

New Hampshire Bill Returns Power to Local Police to Share Crash Reports

Local police departments will likely continue to hand out vehicle accident reports after some confusion over whether they or New Hampshire’s Department of Motor Vehicles should have that power. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to back a bill clarifying …

Above Average Wildfire Risk Expected for Southwest, Florida

Wildfires this summer are expected to be most severe in southwestern U.S. states, Florida, Georgia and in some parts of California and Nevada, forecasters said Monday. The summer 2017 fire outlook issued by the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise …

Countermeasures to Drowsy Driving Can be Distracting

Conservative estimates show that 21 percent of fatal crashes involve drowsy driving. “Drowsy driving can be considered a form of distracted driving,” said Benjamin McManus, a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Lifespan Development Psychology graduate program …

Predictive Models Help Valen Analytics Workers’ Comp Clients Outperform Industry Average

A new study released by Colorado-based Valen Analytics, an Insurity company and provider of proprietary data, analytics and predictive modeling for P/C insurers, revealed that its workers’ compensation customers reported an average of 25 percent loss ratio improvement, nearly double …

Hospitals Rethink Use of Opioids

A car crash shattered Stuart Anders’ thigh, leaving pieces of bone sticking through his skin. Yet Anders begged emergency room doctors not to give him powerful opioid painkillers – he’d been addicted once before and panicked at the thought of …

South Carolina County Reports 18K Claims Filed After Hurricane Matthew

Insurance companies have closed 87 percent of the 18,193 insurance claims filed in Beaufort County in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, resulting in a payout of more than $159.3 million. News outlets report that South Carolina Department of Insurance Director …

Ohio Creates Database of Homes With Lead Paint Hazards

The state’s health department has created a list of homes that have serious lead paint problems, but health advocates say the registry represents just a sliver of the state’s hazardous properties. The database includes homes and apartments that have been …

Mexico Police Can’t Keep up With Surge in Car Thefts

Auto theft rates in Mexico are rising at the fastest pace ever, and authorities are getting worse at tracking down the stolen cars. In March, the number of auto thefts rose 21 percent from the same month a year earlier, …

Travelers’ Sees Reduced Costs, Earlier Return to Work With Early Severity Predictive Model

A growing economy coupled with an increase in inexperienced workers has the potential to contribute to higher severity in workplace injuries, according to Rich Ives, Travelers vice president of workers’ compensation claims. He explained that 27 percent of all workplace …

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