The U.S. Coast Guard begins hearings on Tuesday to investigate whether misconduct or negligence were factors in the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro during a hurricane last fall, an accident that left the vessel’s 33 crew members dead. … Source: Claims Journal

Volkswagen resisted U.S. government efforts to recall more cars and trucks to fix potentially deadly Takata airbags – telling safety regulators that a recall isn’t necessary. But the German automaker, already in hot water with the government for cheating on … Source: Claims Journal

Holes in the floorboards. Cracks in fenders and bumpers. Metal that sticks out of torn seats and rips uniforms. Gas gauges that don’t work. Radio equipment that malfunctions. Occasional breakdowns. Peeling paint. And then there’s the time a detective heading … Source: Claims Journal

New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday were left scratching their heads wondering why the state got only $15 million in federal flood protection funding. Legislators on the Democrat-controlled Senate oversight committee said they’ll have to wait for the U.S. Housing and … Source: Claims Journal

A real estate agent waits to rebuild her home on the same lot she fled in September, mourning the animals she couldn’t save and the family heirlooms she left behind as one of the most devastating wildfires to hit California … Source: Claims Journal

How has new legislation affected marijuana use in the United States? The best available data suggest that marijuana use is increasing in adults but not teens, with a decrease in marijuana-related arrests but an increase in treatment admissions, according to … Source: Claims Journal

The insurance industry is becoming the latest casualty of the oil price slump, with postponements and cancellations of energy projects forcing down premium rates and income in a market that was already crowded. Insurers forecast income could dive by 20 … Source: Claims Journal

Nearly one in five vehicles on U.S. roads is in need of repair of a safety issue serious enough to be involved in a federal government recall, according to used-car history provider Carfax. There are more than 47 million cars … Source: Claims Journal

Man pleads guilty to $190K insurance fraud scheme, extortion A bookmaker has pleaded guilty to charges he shot a gambler with a stun gun and tried to burn down a restaurant in a $190,000 insurance fraud scheme in Hartford. The … Source: Claims Journal

On Tuesday, February 9, Safety National hosted a webinar on how the bureaucracy of workers’ compensation drives costs. The hosts of the Out Front Ideas webinar, Mark Walls, vice president of communications and strategic analysis at St. Louis-based Safety National, … Source: Claims Journal