A Year after Joplin Tornadoes, $2.16B in Insurance Claims Paid

The tornado that swept through Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011, has generated $2.16 billion in insurance claims payouts to Missouri policyholders, according to an Insurance Information Institute analysis of data from ISO’s Property Claims Service (PCS) and other sources. “The people of Joplin, Missouri, endured a great tragedy on May 22, 2011, as the site of a tornado that resulted in the greatest single loss of life since such records began being kept in the United States,” said Dr. Robert Hartwig, president of the I.I.I

Dean, Hanner, Richardson Named Corporate VPs at Arthur J. Gallagher

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Court: Louisiana Cab Company President not Liable in Death Case

A court has ruled that the head of a Bossier City, La., taxi cab business cannot be held personally liable in a lawsuit over the death of a 12-year-old boy. The victim in the case was Justin Bloxom, whose body was found two years ago in DeSoto Parish. Cab driver Brian Horn was charged with first-degree murder in the case.

N.Y. Compensation Insurance Rating Board Seeks 11.5% Rate Hike

The New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board (NYCIRB) has submitted to the Department of Financial Services on Thursday a loss-cost filing for an overall average loss cost change of +11.5 percent. The change in loss cost represents the anticipated cost of losses and loss adjustment expenses to be incurred on policies incepting on or after October 1, 2012. The NYCIRB stated that the proposed change is the result of continued adverse experience of the New York workers’ compensation carriers and is attributable to the following factors: • While the 2007 reform has been fully implemented with respect to the increase in maximum weekly benefits, sections of the reform which were expected to result in significant savings have been implemented at a slower pace.

Safety Inspections Don’t Hurt Businesses; Do Lower Workers’ Comp Costs: Study

Random inspections of U.S. industrial workplaces lower the risk of workers being injured on the job and have no measurable negative effect on the companies inspected, according to a study in the journal Science

Group Urges N.Y. to Overhaul Regulation of Force-Placed Insurance

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA), a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, today called on New York regulators to become a national leader in overhauling regulation of force-placed insurance (FPI) for homeowners.

SaveOurSeafarers Organization Lauds EU Air Strike on Somali Pirate Bases

SaveOurSeafarers, the organization that supports anti-piracy measures and aids the crews who are taken by pirates, has expressed its approval of the air strikes carried out by the naval forces of the European Union on Tuesday. Alastair Evitt, chairman of the anti-piracy campaign, stated: “We applaud yesterday’s EUNAVFOR airborne operation to destroy pirate equipment on the Somali coastline. This disruptive action against known pirate supply bases on the shore will disrupt Somali pirates’ efforts to launch attacks on merchant ships, dhows and fishing vessels.

Woof! California Top Dog In Bites

California is the top dog in State Farm’s annual list of dog bite claims, and the state’s reported 527 dog bite claims and more than $20 million paid out in 2011 by the Bloomington, Ill.-based carrier represents an increase of more than 30 percent from last  year. This year’s figure represents an increase in bite claims

Demand High in Joplin Region for Storm Shelters

Carter Henson uses an overhead crane to position a bucket containing one yard of cement over a metal form that, when removed, will create a new safe room. With the release of a lever, the cement pours from the bucket and fills the form. It takes four buckets

Allstate Looks to Grow Florida Agency Force Again

Allstate’s Florida says it wants to add dozens of new agencies along with support staff jobs across the state, mostly in north and central Florida. Allstate said its 2012 agency strategy should create approximately 100 new jobs in Florida. “We expect to appoint at least a couple dozen new agencies,” said Bob Jackson, regional sales manager for Allstate’s Florida operations

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