losses News

Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cybersecurity as Top Threat

The first quarter Small Business Index, which measures small business owner confidence, is 62.3—similar to last quarter’s score of 61.3—reflecting a stable business climate. More small businesses see an improving economy, which drove the headline score up one point. One …

CoreLogic Report Probes Evolving Severe Convective Storm Risk Landscape

There were 141 days with large hail that fell on more than 10 million single and multifamily homes in the contiguous U.S. in 2023, making it the highest number of days in 20 years, according to Corelogic’s 2024 Severe Convective …

Europe’s Wildfires in 2023 Were Among Worst This Century: Report

The 2023 wildfire season in the Europe was among the worst this century, according to a European Commission report published on Wednesday. Last year, more than half a million (504,002) hectares, an area twice the size of Luxembourg, was scorched …

Global Election Super-Cycle Raises Risk of Political Violence, Large Insurance Losses

Almost half the world’s population will go to the polls before the end of 2024, which raises the threat of political violence and possible large insurance losses, according to Allianz Commercial in a new report. An unprecedented “super-cycle” of elections …

Inflation Contributes to Rising Loss Costs for US Commercial P/C Insurers: Fitch

Inflation is bringing rising loss costs for US commercial property/casualty insurers, according to Fitch Ratings, which reviewed reports from three US insurers — Cincinnati Financial Corp., HCC Insurance Holdings Inc., and Selective Insurance Group Inc. — to gauge trends for …

Why Near-Miss Cyberattack Put US Officials and Tech Industry on Edge

German software developer Andres Freund was running some detailed performance tests last month when he noticed odd behavior in a little-known program. What he found when he investigated has sent shudders across the software world and drawn attention from tech …

Report: $2.1B Loss if Noneconomic Damage Caps Removed in Colorado

A report from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association estimates a proposal to remove the noneconomic damage caps in Colorado would result in a $2.1 billion annual loss in state GDP and 15,500 jobs. …

Property Restoration Industry: A Culture in Need of Repair?

Jatiek Smith, a Bloods gang member convicted on extortion and racketeering charges in New York, blamed ruthless competition and a culture of violence in the fire restoration industry for the accusations made against him by federal prosecutors. Smith was a …

Severe Weather Spawns Tornado, Damage and One Death in South, Midwest

Thousands of homes and businesses were without power this week as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes. Parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and Georgia were …

Baltimore Shipping Set to Resume by End of April With Full Capacity by End of May

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it expects to open a new channel to the Port of Baltimore by the end of April, freeing up commercial shipping blocked by a collapsed bridge, and then restore port access to …