Daily Headlines: Monday, April 30, 2012

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April 30, 2012 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National As America’s Waistline Expands, Costs Soar U.S. hospitals are ripping out wall-mounted toilets and replacing them with floor models to better support obese patients. The Federal ... Victims of Cyberbullying Fighting Back in Libel Suits When a Georgia middle school student reported to police and school officials that she had been bullied on Facebook, they told her there was ... Consumer Rebates Under Medical Loss Ratio Estimated to Be $1.3 Billion More than 3 million health insurance policyholders and thousands of employers will share $1.3 billion in rebates this year, thanks to ... U.S. E&S Market Premiums Increase in 2011: SNL Financial U.S. excess and surplus market is seeing a slight uptick in premiums, a new report reveals. After several years of declines, U.S. E&S ... Regulation, Reputational Risk Top Concerns of Risk Managers: Lloyd’s A heightened focus on insurance regulation as well as exposures related to reputational risk are top concerns for insurance executives ... Best Affirms Horace Mann Educators and Subs ‘A-’ Ratings A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of 'A-' (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of "a-" of the ... Big ‘I’ Chairman Donohoe Extols Association’s Value in Fast-Changing Times Speaking at the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) conference, IIABA Chairman Mike Donohoe said the association is ... OneBeacon Forms New Specialty Program Group OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd. has formed its newest specialty business, OneBeacon Program Group (OBPG), which will be led by President Dan... Business Income Demystified At Last – A Training Series Few insurance coverages illicit such fear or visceral reactions as does business income coverage (aka time element coverage). Without being too glib, business income concepts are... More National News East 58 Massachusetts Workers Were Killed on Job in 2011: Report A new report says 58 Massachusetts workers were killed on the job in 2011, at an average of 1.1 worker death each week. The report, titled ... Best Downgrades Interstate Auto’s Ratings to ‘C+’; Outlook Negative A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to 'C+' (Marginal) from 'C++' (Marginal) and issuer credit rating to "b-" ... Insurance Company Balks at Claims in Fatal Conn. Fire An insurance company said it should not have to pay claims or lawsuits stemming from a Christmas morning fire that killed five people ... The McGowan Cos. Purchases Md.-Based Allied Insurance Brokers The McGowan Companies (McGowan), based in Fairview Park, Ohio, purchased the assets of Allied Insurance Brokers Inc. (Allied). Allied, ... N.J. Gov. Christie Undecided on Health Insurance Bill New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he wants the state to spend as little as possible implementing new federal health insurance ... Former N.Y. Agents Sentenced to Jail for Swindling Elderly Clients New York regulators said two former insurance agents who pled guilty to swindling $400,000 from elderly clients by fraudulently changing ... More East News Sponsored Podcast Learn more about Applied Systems® Epic In this podcast Applied Systems CEO Reid Frenchtalks about the future of insurance technology and Applied Systems® Epic, the fastest-growing agency management system in the insurance industry today. Listen now. Midwest Missouri House Passes Whistleblower, Work Comp Bills The Missouri House passed two pieces of business legislation aimed at overcoming vetoes by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon earlier this year. ... Missouri Woman Wins $5.8M in ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Case A company that makes "Girls Gone Wild" DVDs is seeking to overturn a verdict awarding nearly $6 million to a St. Louis-area woman who ... Insurer Says It’s Not Liable for Drug-Related Fire in Michigan An insurance company claims it should be reimbursed after a fire linked to drugs badly damaged a house in Bay City, Mich. Nationwide Mutual ... Kansas Senate Panel Considers Disaster Funding Kansas legislators have begun work on a bill that would create a special fund to cover the state's share of disaster assistance. Maj. Gen. ... More Midwest News Southeast Citizens Delays Rate Hike for New Business The governing board for Florida's state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has at least temporarily backed off a proposal to begin ... Alabama Lawmakers Pass Ban on Texting While Driving State lawmakers have voted unanimously to make Alabama the 38th state to ban texting while driving. A compromise version of the bill by ... More Southeast News South Central Louisiana Senate Rejects Bill Removing Smoker Protection Louisiana senators refused on April 26 to repeal a law that bans employers from discriminating against smokers, after opponents said the ... Disaster Assistance Approved for Oklahoma Woodward County Gov. Mary Fallin says the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved disaster assistance for Woodward County following a deadly ... Louisiana’s Sen. Vitter Pushes to Extend Flood Insurance Program U.S. Sen. David Vitter is pushing for a long-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program. The Louisiana Republican wants to stop ... More South Central News West Mercury: First Quarter Income Rose on Lower Losses Mercury General Corp. reported on Monday that net income in the first quarter rose to $73.4 million from $58.2 million during the same time ... Judge: Montana City Must Pay $3M Judgment To Insurance Company In Lawsuit A state judge has ruled the city of Bozeman in Montana must repay its insurance company the $3 million it paid after the city lost a ... Report: Deadly Reno Fire Likely Accidental Reno investigators say a deadly blaze in January that burned 3,100 acres and killed an elderly woman was caused by improper disposal of ... Idaho City Police Department Settles Lawsuit A federal lawsuit against the Nampa Police Department in Idaho by three officers has been dismissed following a $189,000 settlement. The ... BNSF Railway Company Plume Trial To Begin A trial to determine BNSF Railway Company's responsibilities for cleaning up plumes of fuel and toxic solvents beneath Livingston starts ... 18 Olympians Sue Over Alleged Misuse Of Names Eighteen Olympians, including swimming greats Mark Spitz and Janet Evans, and diver Greg Louganis, have sued Samsung Corp. over a Facebook ... More West News International UK Terrorism Reinsurer Pool Re Has over $7 Billion for Olympic Games Coverage Pool Re, the state-backed British reinsurer that covers terror attack-related commercial property losses, has £4.5 billion ($7.327 ... Earnings Reports: Validus Holdings, AXIS Capital Selected earnings highlights from Validus Holdings for the first quarter of 2012 are as follows: ... CNA Announces Approval from Hardy Shareholders for Acquisition CNA Financial Corporation announced that Hardy Underwriting Bermuda Limited shareholders have voted to approve CNA's proposed acquisition ... Best Affirms Ratings Samsung Fire & Marine (Europe) Ratings A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of 'A' (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of ... More International News Sponsored Content Resource Edge Consults With Hundreds of Insurance Professionals to Help Build the Perfect Insurance Recruiting Tool Las Vegas, NV, 04/30/12 - Resource Edge, a software development company with over 20 years of experience in custom software solutions ... More Sponsored Content 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 New Venture - Non-Emergency transporation Posted: Sat Apr 28 -- I am looking to insure the same risk. Any luck meytai? marmar 1-800-Car-Insurance Posted: Fri Apr 27 -- While words in phone numbers may be catchy... they drive me nuts. I try not to use them. FurriePrincess Online Insurance and Leads Posted: Fri Apr 27 -- Auds I am curious which lead firms you are referring to. nhagent NEEDED:History and Current Trends of the Independent Agent Posted: Fri Apr 27 -- The state to the north of you has a resource as well. PIA (Professional Insurance Agents Association). They can be a vast resource &... dm307799 How do you ask for a referral? Posted: Thu Apr 26 -- Instead of referrals, have you tried using any lead services? Auds Is it possible to get insurer appointments just starting out Posted: Thu Apr 26 -- This kind of post and topic question is generally exhausting...BiggBoy, you imply that you're new to the biz with a lot of ambition and... d's insurance store looking for feedback/advice please.... Posted: Wed Apr 25 -- My suggestion is to work with an independent agent as a producer. The KEY is to negotiate a good commission split and that YOU OWN YOUR BOOK... NYagent301 What are your thoughts on the insurance industry Posted: Tue Apr 24 -- The key question for anyone thinking that the road to riches is paved with personal lines insurance policies is to ask 'what can I do... d's insurance store Go to Forums Reader Comments Illinois Man Sues Nestle, Wal-Mart Over Dog's Death from 'Wholesome' Treat Posted: Tue Apr 24 -- Need to recall all dog treats made in China NOW, not wait until who knows how long an investigation takes. Well over 600 deaths have been... Jane Dough Solution for Disaster Recovery? House in a Box, Maybe Posted: Mon Apr 23 -- I wish there were a photo Roy Former N.J. School Chief in Insurance Bribery Scheme Drops Suit Posted: Thu Apr 26 -- Dear Mr. Ritacco: You broke the law in the performance of your duties. Sorry but we don't feel obligated to live up to the terms of your... reality bites Alligator Visits Louisiana Motel, Bites Guest Posted: Wed Apr 25 -- Damn the torpedoes and pass the hot sauce! I'm goin back for seconds! Al E. Gator Returning Soldiers Involved in More Car Crashes: Study Posted: Tue Apr 24 -- God bless our men and women in uniform, and those who wore it proudly. I suppose we should be grateful that they're not driving armored... reality bites Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue April 16, 2012 Big "I" Issue with Young Agents Survey; Medical Professional Liability; Business Interruption / Business Income; Bonus: Education & Training Directory More Newsletters Choose Newsletters Daily Headlines Weekly Reader Picks Magazine Update Insurance Journal TV Classifieds Breaking News MyNewMarkets Daily Claims Daily Enter Your E-mail Market Directories Excess & Surplus Markets Programs Workers' Comp Markets New Insurance Jobs Workers' Compensation Adjuster Marketing Representative Vice President of Claims Management Trainee Have a job opening? List it on our Web site. 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