Archive for December 2015

Of the 237 new laws taking effect in Illinois on January 1, 2016, several relate to improving safety within the state. These include: Amusement Ride Regulations (HB 3359/PA 99-0116): Provides that slides of all sizes operated by an amusement vendor … Source: Claims Journal

A U.S. judge on Wednesday rejected General Motors Co’s bid to dismiss the first so-called “bellwether” case over defective ignition switches in its vehicles, clearing the way for a Jan. 11 trial. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan said … Source: Claims Journal

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 1638 which amends a 1972 law requiring insurance appraisers to be present for all automotive inspections, according to Snapsheet, a provider of virtual auto claims settlement by photo. If the bill … Source: Claims Journal

The father of a film worker killed by a train during shooting of a movie about singer Gregg Allman said Tuesday that granting the film’s director early release from a two-year jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter would send a message … Source: Claims Journal

With marijuana legalization spreading state- by-state across America and the U.S. government backing away from aggressive enforcement of federal laws, employers in the Weed Belt have begun to reconsider their substance abuse policies. They’re making them tougher. In a first-of-its-kind … Source: Claims Journal

U.K. insurers may face claims totaling as much as 1.5 billion pounds ($2.2 billion) from businesses and homeowners for damage caused by two storms this month, according to consultant KPMG LLP. Heavy rain and flooding is estimated to have caused … Source: Claims Journal

Imagine a robot car with no one behind the wheel hitting another driverless car. Who’s at fault? The answer: No one knows. But plaintiff’s lawyers are salivating at the prospects for big paydays from such accidents. If computers routinely crash, … Source: Claims Journal

Following a national approach to adopting traffic safety laws is more cost effective than following a state-by-state approach, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Boosting traffic safety funding by 10 percent and allocating the funds to states where it … Source: Claims Journal

Healthcare fraud related financial losses amount to tens of billions of dollars each year, according to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. As medical claims fraud in the property/casualty sector has evolved so too has the process to uncover it, … Source: Claims Journal

Authorities said a Texas teenager serving probation for killing four people in a drunken-driving wreck after invoking an “affluenza” defense was in custody in Mexico, weeks after he and his mother disappeared. Mexico’s Jalisco state prosecutors’ office said in a … Source: Claims Journal