Archive for February 2016

An inspection conducted on the boilers of a ship before it sank in a hurricane last fall found parts that had “deteriorated severely” or needed to be replaced, but company engineers believed it was still safe enough to set sail, … Source: Claims Journal

State Auto Financial Corp. ended 2015 with a steep drop in net income and a combined ratio that landed well above 100. Executives blamed a bad year for the insurer’s auto lines but added that they’ve taken corrective steps. Net … Source: Claims Journal

It appears Google Compare’s grand experiment in online comparison shopping for auto insurance is dead – for now at least. Insurance Journal has learned that two of Google Compare’s major partners were told yesterday that the giant tech firm is shutting … Source: Claims Journal

A new, first-of-its-kind study of claims made to asbestos bankruptcy trusts shows widespread inconsistencies in the information single asbestos plaintiffs provide to the different trusts. These trusts currently hold over $30 billion in assets. Despite these “red flags” and the … Source: Claims Journal

When it comes to getting people to participate in workplace weight loss programs, financial rewards may not be much of an incentive. Penalties, on the other hand, work great. For three months, 281 employees at the University of Pennsylvania participated in a step … Source: Claims Journal

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 2.87 million sport utility vehicles worldwide after rear seatbelts separated in one fatal accident in Canada and during a crash that injured a passenger in the U.S. The automaker has been unable to confirm … Source: Claims Journal

Thousands of students and residents in the Joplin area will have shelter during the upcoming severe weather season thanks to the construction of safe rooms that began after the deadly May 2011 tornado. The Joplin Globe reported local school districts … Source: Claims Journal

Slips, trips and falls are a leading cause of injury for businesses and workplaces, according to Travelers Insurance. Businesses with considerable foot traffic have a heightened concern, especially during the winter months. Some of the hazards associated with slip and … Source: Claims Journal

The trail to the Big Four Ice Caves, closed since a deadly collapse of the caves in July, is likely to reopen this spring with updated warning signs and a winter’s worth of new snow from which the caves could … Source: Claims Journal

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and lawmakers inadvertently gave auto insurers a tax break worth $80 million a year. Now, they want to end it – either to bail out Detroit’s state-managed school district or to address other priorities at a … Source: Claims Journal