losses News

The Problem(s) With Hail Claims – Part 2

Read the first part in this series, The Problem(s) With Hail Claims, Part 1: A Cautionary Tale for Insureds and Insurers. In last month’s column, we began our examination of hail and windstorm claims issues by focusing on the pervasive …

Report: 1K-Plus Properties Damaged, Destroyed in New Mexico Wildfires Could Cost $370M

More than 1,000 residential properties in New Mexico may have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires in New Mexico, according to property data firm CoreLogic. “Multiple, active wildfires in south-central New Mexico potentially impacted approximately 1,300 residential properties with a …

Floodwaters Inundate Midwest, Where Flood Insurance is Rarely in Force

Floodwaters damaged hundreds of properties this week across parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota as the Midwest recovers from days of intense rainfall. Three days of torrential downpours resulted in as much as 18 inches of rainfall in …

FEMA Ready for Extreme Hurricanes and Wildfires, But Money is a Concern

The head of the Homeland Security Department said that the agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country is prepared as it goes into what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season but he’s concerned about …

New Drivers and Electric-Vehicle Tech Bring New Risks to Auto Insurance Market

High claim severities, persistent risky driving behavior, electric vehicles and shop-and-swap consumers are challenging auto insurers to stay profitable. The challenges will continue through the end of the year and beyond, according to the 2024 U.S Auto Insurance Trends Report …

Viewpoint: AI’s Heroic Impact on Extreme Weather and NatCat Events

Hundred-year storms. Record wildfires. Unexpected tornados. These and other extreme weather and national catastrophe events are happening more often today due to climate change. While the impacts of climate change have been unfolding over the last several decades, they’ve intensified …

Allstate Reports May Pretax Catastrophe Losses of $1.4B

Allstate Corp. on Thursday reported May pretax catastrophe losses of about $1.4 billion. The Northbrook, Illinois-based insurer said 14 events contributed to nearly $1.5 billion in catastrophe losses for May, with 70% attributable to five wind and hail events mostly …

Farmers Adjusters Cry Foul Over Workloads, Claims Handling in Letter to Regulators

Farmers Insurance officials this week said they have spoken with employees after receiving an anonymous letter, apparently from a group of in-house adjusters, accusing the insurer of understaffing and overworking claims professionals. “Farmers Insurance has always been a leader in …

Tropical Storm Alberto to Bring Flooding to Coastal South Texas

Tropical storm Alberto has caused flooding and more than three feet of storm surge in parts of coastal south Texas but is not expected to strengthen to hurricane force, meteorologists say. Alberto is the first named storm of the 2024 …

Report Shows Trust Top Driver of Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction

High auto insurance premiums don’t necessarily erode customer satisfaction with auto insurers, according to the latest J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. The study, in its 25th year, has been redesigned to measure auto insurer customer satisfaction based on …