losses News

U.S. Property Insurance Rates Fall for First Time Since 2017

U.S. property insurance rates are decreasing for the first time in almost seven years, after insurers returned to profitability amid lower losses tied to catastrophes. The average U.S. property insurance rate decreased 0.94% in the second quarter from a year …

Insurers Say Dark Fleet Oil Tankers Pose a Major Claims Risk

Marine insurance markets face significant risk from the growth of a shadow fleet of ships hauling oil from sanctioned producers like Russian and Iran, an industry group said. The opaque nature of the ownership of those vessels makes it hard …

Hawaii Probe Finds No Single Factor Led to Maui Wildfire Losses

No single factor led a fire in the seaside Hawaiian town of Lahaina last year to rage out of control and kill 102 people, according to a state report that assesses the government’s response to the disaster but not its …

A Continent Ablaze: South America Surpasses Record for Fires

South America is being ravaged by fire from Brazil’s Amazon rainforest through the world’s largest wetlands to dry forests in Bolivia, breaking a previous record for the number of blazes seen in a year up to Sept. 11. Satellite data …

Microsoft, Cyber Firms Pursue Changes After CrowdStrike Outage

Microsoft Corp. said it’s building an alternative for cybersecurity companies that now utilize the deepest layer of its operating system after a flawed update from CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. triggered a global IT meltdown. The Redmond, Washington-based technology giant announced Thursday …

How Big Was the Cat? Investigator Warns About Claims of Clogged Toilets

Did you hear the one about cat poop clogging a toilet, resulting in thousands of gallons of sewage water in the home and a big insurance claim? Lin Werkheiser, an insurance fraud investigator, has heard that one and many more …

Estimates Put U.S. Damage and Loss from Francine at $9B with $1.5B in Insured Losses

A preliminary estimate shows total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Francine in the U.S. is expected to be $9 billion. The storm effects are continuing to be felt, and some areas have yet to report complete information about damage, …

Francine Knocks Out Power to Hundreds of Thousands in South

Francine knocked out power to more than 400,000 homes and businesses and canceled hundreds of flights across the US South after coming ashore as a hurricane. The storm has weakened to a tropical depression with winds of 35 miles (55 …

U.S. Nuclear Verdicts Break Records and Drive Social Inflation to 7% in 2023, Report Shows

U.S. nuclear verdicts are breaking records with 27 court cases each awarding compensation of more than $100 million during 2023, according to Swiss Re executives. Social inflation in U.S. rose to 7% in 2023 – a 20 year high – …

Hurricane Debby Florida Losses Top $121M; 60% of Claims Closed

A month after Hurricane Debby made landfall in northern Florida, the number of property insurance claims has reached almost 20,000, and total estimated insured losses are more than $121.5 million, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reported this week. The …