News

Macy's says hackers accessed online customers' credit card data

Lisa Wolfson and Hema Parmar | July 10, 2018

Hackers obtained names and passwords of online customers and potentially were able to access credit card numbers.

News

Amtrak rail cars in fatal crash didn't meet current standards

Alan Levin | July 10, 2018

The NTSB is conducting a two-day hearing on safety at Amtrak following a spate of deadly crashes.

Case Study

Insurer questions impact of athlete’s injuries

Steven A. Meyerowitz | July 09, 2018

An ex-pro football player who received workers’ comp benefits may have to return them after appearing on Survivor.

Analysis

Courts to determine allowable evidence for suits involving insurance claims

Matthew J. Smith, Esq. | July 06, 2018

Two cases on opposite coasts could dramatically affect person injury litigation.

News

Texas lawyer sentenced for insurance fraud involving roof claims

Steven A. Meyerowitz | July 03, 2018

Attorney gets 5 years in prison for a scheme involving fraudulent lawsuits filed after hail storms.

News

MetLife accused of defrauding investors over pension reserves

Katherine Chiglinsky and Neil Weinberg | June 25, 2018

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth claims MetLife’s public filings had 'material misstatements.'

Best Practices

Detecting and preventing fraudulent business interruption claims

Tiffany Couch | June 22, 2018

'Red flags' may indicate the need for a forensic accountant.

News

Former Brooklyn assemblywoman pleads guilty to Superstorm Sandy fraud

Steven A. Meyerowitz | June 22, 2018

Pamela Harris allegedly defrauded FEMA out of $25K by falsely claiming she had been forced out of her damaged residence.

Analysis

Insurance questions grow alongside mold, fungi and algae

FC & S Editors | June 20, 2018

Coverage Q&A: Whether or not a loss is covered may rest on the appearance of routine wear and tear.

Market Insights

Top causes of high-dollar workers' comp claims

Mark Walls and Stephen Peacock | June 19, 2018

Safety National recently completed a review of its largest workers' comp claims and uncovered certain trends employers should be aware of.

Case Study

Fraud of the month: Skydiving trip leads to attempted-murder

Dennis Jay | June 18, 2018

An army sergeant created an ‘accident’ to turn his wife into his ‘ex’.

News

Doctor & interpreter charged with defrauding workers' comp insurers

Steven A. Meyerowitz | June 18, 2018

The California pair allegedly billed insurers for translation services that were illegal or non-existent.

Analysis

When water destroys with a trickle instead of a flood

FC & S Editors | June 13, 2018

Coverage Q&A: It’s essential to know whether your homeowners’ policy includes an exclusion for leaks lasting more than a few days.

Analysis

Investigating fraudulent claims: Keep detailed records to recover costs

Steven A. Meyerowitz | June 12, 2018

A court suggests if insurers want to recover costs of investigating fraudulent claims, they need to maintain time logs.

Liability in the age of autonomous vehicles

Robert F. Tyson and Greta M. Schultz | June 06, 2018

Some auto risks will not change, but others will shift from drivers to manufacturers.

News

Hack of DNA website exposes data from 92 million user accounts

Kristen V. Brown | June 05, 2018

With the information exposed in the breach, a hacker could access personal info such as the identity of family members.

News

U.S. Army officer arrested & charged with defrauding insurance providers

Steven A. Meyerowitz | June 05, 2018

A Lieutenant Colonel received $183,339 from claims he filed related to a purported U-Haul burglary, prosecutors allege.

News

Family arson ring gets burned for insurance fraud

Denny Jacob | June 01, 2018

The Chens allegedly orchestrated the entire situation to make it appear as though the fire was the result of a careless cooking.

Analysis

When an intentional act results in an unintended outcome

FC & S Editors | May 30, 2018

Coverage Q&A: The expected or intended injury exclusion can be difficult to apply. Here's why...

News

Harvard: Death toll from Hurricane Maria much higher than previously reported

Jonathan Levin | May 29, 2018

Hurricane Maria probably killed about 5,000 people in Puerto Rico last year even though the official count remains at 64.

Analysis

Can behavior-based cyber insurance improve cybersecurity?

Jack Kudale | May 25, 2018

The concept of rewarding insureds for good behavior could extend to mitigating cyber risks.

Analysis

Active shooter tragedies spur insurance questions

FC & S Editors | May 23, 2018

Coverage Q&A: Insurance issues are becoming increasingly relevant as more tragic shootings occur.

Ranking

10 most common agribusiness insurance claims

Jayleen R. Heft | May 21, 2018

To help educate us about costly trends, Nationwide has released its 2017 most common commercial agribusiness claims.

News

N.Y. construction company schemed $1.8M from workers, investigation finds

Denny Jacob | May 18, 2018

Six individuals have been arrested and charged with several counts of grand larceny, scheme to defraud and insurance fraud.

News

Electric-car era threatens firefighters with new risks

Alan Levin | May 15, 2018

Fires on electric vehicles are rare, but the volatile chemistry of their batteries raises new safety questions.

News

Fla. man gets 9 years for filing $1.2M in fraudulent insurance claims

Steven A. Meyerowitz | May 10, 2018

The trucker filed false claims for refrigerated cargo purportedly spoiled in transport by his trucking companies.

News

House Committee on Education & the Workforce discusses opioids and federal employees

Denny Jacob | May 09, 2018

The opioid crisis that currently exists in the U.S. has been fermenting since the 1990s.

News

NRA-branded insurance program is unlawful, N.Y. regulators say

Polly Mosendz | May 02, 2018

A National Rifle Association-branded insurance program unlawfully provided liability coverage to gun owners in the event they were charged with a crime involving their firearms, according to New York state regulators.

Analysis

When claims arise from relocated homeowners

FC & S Editors | May 02, 2018

Coverage Q&A: Most homeowners' policies provide coverage for the named insured who resides at the named risk — not for tenants.

Analysis

Looking abroad for autonomous vehicle crash liability insight

Christine G. Barlow | May 01, 2018

A key liability question revolves around the 'third level of automation' in which a vehicle is capable of operating on its own but a driver is present.

News

Amtrak failed to heed work-zone speed advice before fatal crash

Alan Levin | May 01, 2018

The latest Amtrak accident is one of a string of at least four fatal incidents since December involving the U.S. passenger rail carrier.

Best Practices

5 tips for tackling the risk of embezzlement

Tamara L. Hajjar, CFE | May 01, 2018

Embezzlement can affect any kind of organization of any size. Here are five things you can do to protect your business.

Expert Opinion

'Petya' will make you 'WannaCry' if your company’s data is compromised

Simon White | April 30, 2018

Cyber insurance is an effective way to manage the risk of cyberattack, but it’s surprisingly underused.

Research

Hit-and-run crashes & fatalities on the rise

Jayleen R. Heft | April 27, 2018

More than one hit-and-run crash happens somewhere in the U.S. every minute. The 2,049 fatalities that resulted from hit-and-run crashes in 2016 were the highest number ever recorded.

Expert Opinion

Shooting frauds: A workers’ comp risk for insurers

Dennis Jay | April 25, 2018

Some employees are willing to endure serious pain to collect undeserved workers’ compensation payments.

News

Don't eat romaine lettuce, U.S. says, as E. coli outbreak widens

Craig Giammona and Megan Durisin | April 20, 2018

The outbreak has sickened 53 people in 16 states, including 31 who were hospitalized, according to the agency. The CDC said five victims have developed kidney failure.

News

Violent winds, flying debris: What happens when a plane ruptures

Alan Levin and Ryan Beene | April 20, 2018

There will no doubt be P&C insurance claims following this week's Southwest Airlines' passenger fatality. Liability, commercial business and worker's comp claims along with debates over causation and fault are sure to arise.

News

Salmonella outbreak forces recall of 207 million eggs

Megan Durisin | April 16, 2018

The recall is equivalent to about 90 days production at the farm, which produces 2.3 million eggs a day.

Expert Opinion

After the driverless fatality, insurance and litigation will be forever changed

Randy Maniloff | April 13, 2018

Unlike an inconsequential glitch with your office computer, in the case of driverless cars it's control, alt and someone’s life is deleted.

News

Uber's 2016 breach affected more than 20 million U.S. users

Todd Shields and Eric Newcomer | April 12, 2018

Uber could be subject to civil penalties if it fails to notify the FTC of future incidents, and it must submit audits of its data security.

Analysis

The importance of sewer and drain endorsements

FC & S Editors | April 11, 2018

Coverage Q&A: Traditional insurance policies exclude coverage for water that backs up through sewers or drains as well as flooding.

Commentary

Investigating the claims adjuster's investigation in workers' comp matters

Andrew F. Ruder | April 11, 2018

There is a growing concern that claims adjusters too commonly deny claims without performing a reasonable investigation of the injury and ignore pertinent information they do have in their possession at the time a denial is issued.

News

Liability questions loom in Delta vendor data breach

Gabrielle Orum Hernández | April 06, 2018

In the event of a third-party breach, multinational corporations such as Delta potentially face breach notification requirements in multiple states.

Analysis

Copper pipe, wiring thefts trigger tricky coverage issues

FC & S Editors | April 04, 2018

Coverage Q&A: When it comes to insurance claims, this type of loss is neither vandalism nor traditional property damage.

News

Fire safety tips for glamping trailers and retro RVs

Joseph Bloom | April 03, 2018

Today’s campers have put a new spin on an old pastime. However, the growing popularity of glamorous camping for folks who don’t want to forgo the amenities of home, also comes with some unknown risks if the trailers do not meet current fire code regulations.

News

Tesla reveals details in driverless-vehicle death

Dana Hull and Tim Smith | April 02, 2018

Tesla Inc. confirmed the Model X driver who died in a gruesome crash a week ago was using Autopilot and defended the safety record of its driver-assistance system.

Expert Opinion Analysis

Can data management technology help insurers reduce defense costs?

Gloria Camacho | March 30, 2018

E-Discovery: Digitized files present an opportunity for insurers to get in front of pending legal actions, but the industry needs guidance regarding the collection and use of personal data.

Best Practices News

Anticipating GDPR's significant impact on insurance

Lisa Loftis | March 30, 2018

The Global Data Protection Regulation will force insurers to re-evaluate both analysis and data collection practices, and customer communications.

News

Flying high after catastrophes — drones provide critical 'eyes' to assess property damage

Karen L. Edwards | March 29, 2018

Insurance carriers and public safety officials learn how to work together at UAS event.

News

Cyber threat looms as unknown March Madness insurance risk

Hannah Smith | March 29, 2018

The annual NCAA tournament brings in the usual risks associated with college-level sporting events — with one exception.