Daily Headlines: Tuesday, May 22, 2012

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May 22, 2012 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Safety Report Cites Lack of Progress in Reducing Motorcyclist Deaths Last year saw little to no progress in reducing the number of fatal motorcycle crashes around the country, making this one of the few areas ... Gucci Wins Fraction of Damages Sought in Trademark Claim Against Guess A U.S. judge said Gucci may recover just $4.66 million in its lawsuit accusing apparel retailer Guess Inc. of copying its trademarked ... Senate Passes Tougher Iran Sanctions The U.S. Senate unanimously approved on Monday a package of new economic sanctions on Iran's oil sector just days ahead of a meeting in ... Ratings Recap: Sublimity, USPlate Glass, Cameron Mutual A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to 'A-' (Excellent) from 'B++' (Good) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to ... XL Group, ABA Insurance Enhance EPLI Coverage for Commercial Businesses The insurance operations of XL Group and ABA Insurance Services Inc., a managing general underwriter, have expanded their employment ... W. R. Berkley Corp. Forms Marine Division of Berkley Offshore Underwriting Managers W. R. Berkley Corp. has formed a new marine division of its Berkley Offshore Underwriting Managers operating unit. Through its New York ... Zurich, SWBC to Offer Excess Flood Insurance Zurich has announced that SWBC, a diversified financial services company, will be a program administer writing excess flood policies for ... Home Insurance Rates Rose 19% Nationwide in 2011: Report Homeowners insurance premiums went up 19 percent on average nationwide, according to a report from an online insurance... More National News East Allied World Assurance Company Opens Philadelphia Office Allied World Assurance Company Holdings announced the opening of Allied World U.S.'s new office in Philadelphia. The company also said Mike ... FCCI Insurance Expands to Maryland, Hires New Marketing Underwriter Sarasota, Fla.-headquartered property/casualty insurer FCCI Insurance Group (FCCI) recently expanded into Maryland and has hired Jeanine ... Vt. Police to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoints, Identify Impaired Drivers Vermont State Police and other law enforcement agencies have begun conducting sobriety and vehicle safety checkpoints within Caledonia and ... Country Singer Alan Jackson Raises $150K for Quake-Damaged Va. County Country singer Alan Jackson has raised more than $150,000 to help a Virginia county rebuild schools damaged by last year's earthquake. A ... More East News Midwest After Joplin Tornado, Town Looked Like a War Zone, Adjusters Say "One of the eeriest things was … the lack of noise. There were no birds. There was no sound. There was no vegetation. There was ... Utah Insurance Agent Barred from Business in North Dakota A Utah insurance agent has been ordered to stop doing business in North Dakota. State Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm says Bart Winterton ... Weather, Safety Concerns Pull Plug on Bloomington, Indiana July 4 Show Concerns about weather, costs and new regulations on temporary stages sparked by last year's deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State ... No Changes Made for Missouri Injured Worker Fund Missouri's financially troubled fund for injured workers will get no relief from the state Legislature for at least another year. The state ... More Midwest News Southeast Mississippi Pathologist Settles with Innocence Project Over Defamation Claim A forensic pathologist who sued the Innocence Project for defamation has accepted a $100,000 judgment to end the suit. The Clarion-Ledger ... Coal Firm Alpha Cites Safety Steps on Coal-Dust Coal producer Alpha Natural Resources says it has taken steps to avoid coal-dust violations of the kind that investigators say caused the ... More Southeast News South Central Saints’ Vilma Sues NFL Commissioner Goodell for Defamation Suspended New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has filed a defamation lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The suit in ... False Damage Claims Lead to Jail Time for Texas Couple A North Texas couple have been sentenced to prison for their part in a conspiracy to defraud the city of Garland, Texas, of nearly $2 ... Oklahoma Workers' Comp Judge Vacates Order After Ethics Rule Cited An Oklahoma workers' compensation court judge has vacated an order he signed in favor of an attorney he plans to work for after leaving the ... More South Central News West Contractor Sues Retailer Over Remodeling Project An Idaho-based general contractor is suing Fred Meyer Inc. and its parent, Kroger Co., claiming the retail chain improperly dumped the ... Denver May Settle Lawsuit Over Police Shooting The Denver City Council is expected to consider paying $40,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a bystander who was injured in a police ... Southern California Industrial Fire Causes $2.5 Million Damage A fire at a 10-acre industrial area in San Bernardino County has caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage. Authorities say the fire ... More West News International OECD Sees Euro Zone Crisis Threatening Global Economic Recovery The United States and Japan are leading a fragile economic recovery among developed countries that could yet be blown off course if the ... EU Trade Credit Insurers Considering Restrictions on Greek Coverage Euler Hermes, the world's No. 1 trade credit insurer, said it might restrict the cover it provides to exporters doing business with Greece, ... Tropical Depression Alberto is Atlantic’s First Named Storm It may not be much of a storm compared to what may follow, but Alberto, which formed off the coast of North Carolina, has become the first ... RSA Reorganizes Global Specialty Businesses into ’3 Key Divisions’ The UK's RSA announced that it has re-organized its specialty businesses around the world into three key divisions, as it seeks to join up ... McGill to Assume New Role as Aon Group President Aon plc announced that Steve McGill has been appointed group president of Aon, responsible for overseeing the "development and execution of ... Best Upgrades DaVinci Re Credit Rating; Affirms RenRe’s ‘A+’ Ratings A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of 'A+' (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of "aa-" of Dublin, ... Ratings Roundup: Top Layer Re, Ardellis, BEST RE A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of 'A+' (Superior) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of "aa-" of ... More International News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Annual Live Training Burn Educates Adjusters Pat Andler, a certified fire investigator and owner of Andler & Associates discusses the... Watch Now What D&O Buyers Look For In a Carrier What do insureds look for when shopping for a carrier to provide director and officers... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Licensing Outsourcing? Viable? Posted: Tue May 22 -- So I hear a lot from agents about the time they spend on licensing, completing CE, keeping licenses renewed. Then, when things don't happen,... OpXGuy Brokerage and investment firm Posted: Tue May 22 -- Are you asking what the process is to register as an insurance agent/broker, and also as an investment (i.e. securities broker/dealer)? Your... Big Dog New GA getting appointments Posted: Mon May 21 -- Hi Nick, We are in California. It would be a huge help if you had any further info about this venture, specifically the capital... paulbennings Calling all experienced MGAs...is this a fair deal? Posted: Mon May 21 -- I have an opportunity to enter into a marketing agreement with an established independent agency. I am going to list as follows the... youngun58 SEO and buying back links Posted: Mon May 21 -- I wouldn't recommend it. First off you don't know where they are going to put your link at and you may not approve. Google doesn't give that... johnsharp Farmers vs. Independent Posted: Sat May 19 -- I left Allstate and went Independent. The contract with Allstate is similar to Farmers. Farmers actually approached me after I sold my book... johnsharp CA Electrical Contractor BOP/GL Posted: Fri May 18 -- Moving a policy from preferred lines to Surplus lines is not illegal, IF you do it for Forms or Coverages, and not for price. If Farmers... LadyBroker Go to Forums Reader Comments Healthcare Costs for Insured American Family Top $20K in 2012: Milliman Posted: Wed May 16 -- Planet, I am glad you agree that Tort Reform should be a part of the bill. I had to laugh when I saw your second sentence. The President... First Agent Consumer-Directed Health Plans Show Mixed Results Posted: Tue May 15 -- "Canada's doesn't work very well and has rationed care where people wait for a year to get surgery, that is if they live that long." Do... DS Vermont Becomes First State in U.S. to Ban Hydraulic Fracturing Posted: Fri May 18 -- Fracking can be done safely and regulations could be put into place to address individual state concerns. Bans like this are just... Pat Allstate Looks to Grow Florida Agency Force Again Posted: Wed May 16 -- OK, they turn all of their employees into sueto-independent contractors and have been in litigation with them for quite some time, oh! but... Sarah Ohio's New 'Vicious Dog' Liability Law Becomes Effective May 22 Posted: Tue May 22 -- Common sense, perhaps... Unfortunately, the majority of dogs that attack are owned by individual who lack common sense! 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