Archive for May 2016

A recent Iowa rail safety study says Dubuque County remains vulnerable to crude oil or biofuels spills more than a year after several railcars carrying ethanol derailed along the Mississippi River. The state’s Department of Transportation and Homeland Security and … Source: Claims Journal

Insurers that lead in digital shopping channels also lead in premium growth, according to the newly released J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study. Now in its 10th year, the study measures auto insurance shopping, purchase behavior and purchase experience … Source: Claims Journal

Washington’s subway system did not make meaningful safety improvements between a deadly collision in 2009 and a fatal fire in 2015, and some of the safety problems date back to the system’s first fatal accident in 1982, federal investigators said … Source: Claims Journal

After warning for days about violent storms that could rake the central U.S. with huge hail, high winds and strong tornadoes, forecasters will review whether the messages they sent were appropriate for severe weather that some considered a “bust” because … Source: Claims Journal

Analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year period, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error in the U.S. Their figure, published May 3 in The BMJ, surpasses … Source: Claims Journal

Johnson & Johnson must pay $55 million to a 62-year-old South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the company’s talcum powder in the second such trial loss this year. J&J is accused in more than 1,000 lawsuits in … Source: Claims Journal

As weather conditions improve, motorcyclists will soon be out in force to enjoy riding during the spring and summer months. With an estimated 8.4 million motorcycles on the road as of 2014, according to the Federal Highway Administration, safety is … Source: Claims Journal

A fire that forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, destroyed 80 percent of the homes in one neighborhood and extensively damaged property in a number of others, and officials warned it could get … Source: Claims Journal

Road crashes are the world’s leading cause of preventable death and injury in people under 35, accounting for around 5 million casualties every year. Repeat offenders make a disproportionate contribution to these statistics – and are known for their poor … Source: Claims Journal

U.S. commercial auto insurance has evolved into a chronically underperforming product segment for U.S. property/casualty insurers, according to Fitch Ratings. While the P/C industry has reported three consecutive years of significant underwriting profits, the commercial auto market as a whole … Source: Claims Journal