Author: completebodyneeds

California workers’ compensation premium growth leveled off as rates stabilize, but rising cumulative trauma claims continue to drive claim frequency higher, a new report shows. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California released its 2026 State of the System report, examining premium levels, claim activity, system costs and market conditions. Related: WCIRB: 2025 California Workers’ Losses and Expenses 102% of Earned Premium Average charged rates reached the lowest level in more than 50 years in 2025 but are plateauing. In 2025, advisory pure premium rates increased for the first time in a decade, with a further 6.6% increase approved…

A Florida teen dropped his lawsuit on Wednesday against Meta Platforms META.O, canceling a Los Angeles trial over claims the social media company’s apps caused his depression and anxiety. The trial, which had been slated to begin on Monday, was expected to be the second trial in thousands of lawsuits that have been consolidated in California state court over claims social media companies designed their platforms to be addictive to children, spurring a youth mental health crisis. The lawsuit, brought by a 15-year-old boy known as R.K.C. who started using social media when he was 8, originally named four defendants:…

For almost eight years now, South Carolina bars, restaurants and music venues have faced a sobering situation brought on by a 2018 state law that requires at least $1 million in liquor liability coverage: Pay unaffordable premiums or shut their doors altogether. Multiple establishments, including some favorite watering holes and concert arenas across the state, have chosen the latter route and have closed down permanently. An investment manager-turned-insurance executive and a group of like-minded people in the hospitality industry believe they’ve finally come up with at least a partial solution: A captive insurance company that can provide coverage at one-third…

Liberty Mutual Insurance has introduced its first new brand character in eight years: Liberty Biberty, the embodiment of the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you have great coverage at a great price. Liberty Mutual first introduced the phrase “Liberty Biberty” in a 2019 ad in which an actor struggles to pronounce the insurer’s name. The new character was developed and designed by Liberty Mutual and its creative agency Bandits & Friends and crafted by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The campaign is being rolled out across television, streaming, social media, media integrations and creator collaborations as part of Liberty Mutual’s…

Safety Insurance Group Inc,, a property/casualty insurer in Massachusetts and New England, has agreed to be acquired by Span’s Mapfre S.A. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.54 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, a subsidiary of Mapfre U.S.A. Corp. will merge with and into Safety, following which Safety will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mapfre U.S.A. Corp., and thus a sister company to Mapfre U.S.A. Corp’s other U.S. subsidiaries. Safety shareholders will receive $105 for each Safety common share in cash, which represents a substantial premium of 44% on Safety’s stock price as of July 23, 2026.…

Michigan health officials reported 7,171 cases linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis on Wednesday, up 600 cases since its last update on Tuesday. The outbreak of the intestinal infection in Michigan has resulted in 102 hospitalizations, according to the state health department’s latest update. No deaths have been reported. Here are some details: The CDC said on Tuesday 4,173 people across 41 states had contracted the parasite, and 308 of them had been hospitalized. The agency said it is aware of at least 7,400 more cases reported by state and local health departments that are not yet laboratory confirmed and…

Insurance broker Gallagher has relaunched its aviation insurance web portal — Jacinth — which provides clients with an interconnected insurance management system. The new enhanced digital platform is designed to help clients drive efficiency and offers analytical insights on their risk profile. The functionality includes the ability to track aircraft fleets in real time; detailed claim information and analysis; dynamic premium feedback based on exposures; documents and insurance certificates (which can be downloaded instantly), and comprehensive reporting tools to support risk assessments and insurance program adjustments. At the core of the updated Jacinth platform is its new, smart-capture technology which…

Eight people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a $1.2 million travel insurance fraud kickback scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana announced. According to court documents, Jennifer Fleener devised a scheme in 2016 to submit and approve fraudulent travel‑insurance claims through her employer, “T.M,” headquartered in Houston. T.M. has a travel division in Indianapolis that sells short‑term travel medical insurance to individuals traveling outside the United States. Jennifer Fleener received money from the fraudulent claims. Jennifer Fleener worked at T.M. from 2012 to 2021 as a case‑management supervisor and claims handler. In this role,…

One of Florida’s largest property insurers won a major victory Wednesday from an appeals court, which found that a jury’s $335,000 award in a claims dispute over plumbing damages was far out of line with the evidence. “The verdict was several times higher than the only admitted valuation evidence, so it does not bear a reasonable relation to the damages proved,” Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeals wrote in Karmo vs. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance. “And because the amounts awarded cannot be logically derived from the evidence, the verdict is not supported by it.” The appellate court sent the…

Brown & Riding to announced that Abe Kane has joined its National Casualty Practice. With over 20 years of industry experience, Kane specializes in casualty solutions for public entities and higher education institutions. His background spans underwriting, reinsurance, and specialty brokerage, providing him with a comprehensive and deep understanding of the unique risks in this sector and the insurance challenges these organizations face. Kane has extensive experience structuring complex insurance programs across a broad spectrum of coverages, including property, equipment breakdown, general liability, commercial auto liability and physical damage, excess and umbrella liability, workers’ compensation, and management and professional liability…