Author: completebodyneeds

Two weeks after an unprecedented hacking attack shook the tiny Alpine principality of Liechtenstein and its outsize financial center, officials say they still don’t know who the perpetrators were or what they want. Yet one thing is clear according to its prime minister: the country won’t pay a ransom for the data. If a ransom demand were to be made, that simply “wouldn’t be an option,” Prime Minister Brigitte Haas said in an interview in Vaduz. The request for ransom is just one of many possibilities being evaluated by officials, she said. The attackers haven’t yet been identified and no…

The UK Ministry of Defense is stepping-up scrutiny of its supply chain after discovering some of its naval drones transmitted signals to China. The department revealed earlier this week that a routine cyber vulnerability assessment identified an issue affecting K3 Scout drones made by Kraken Technology Group and used by the Royal Navy. Officials are looking for other vulnerabilities in its defense industry, including if any other contractors use cameras made by the same supplier that Kraken sourced from, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. “Our assurance and testing processes…

This is the first in a series of three columns about exclusionary or limiting policy endorsements to be wary of. In this column, we’ll talk about several commercial liability forms to avoid or be wary of, followed in the next two months by examples of commercial property and auto forms, respectively. In my April 2019 column, I wrote about how to prevent your customers’ uncovered losses and, as a result, minimize your E&O exposure. This was the first in a series of a dozen articles based on my book “When Words Collide: Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes.” Prevention involves…

National The Automobile Insurance Plans Service Office (AIPSO) appointed Executive Vice President Les Willis as president and CEO. Willis succeeds President and CEO Charles Kwolek, who is retiring after a 32-year career with the organization. Prior to joining AIPSO, Willis …

Last year, a jury in Oregon awarded a $15.8 million verdict against Topgolf after the sports and entertainment complex was found negligent for a young child’s skull fracture and traumatic brain injury at its Hillsboro facility. It became one of the latest examples of how premises liability is becoming a significant driver of nuclear verdicts above $10 million and losses for businesses. From 2015 to 2020, in fact, the median cost of a jury award over $10 million increased from $20 million to $27 million, according to Advisen’s loss database. Even non-nuclear premises liability cases are stretching well into the…

AM Best upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B+ (Good) from B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “bbb-” (Good) from “bb+” (Fair) of The California Casualty Indemnity Exchange in Palo Alto, California. The upgrade includes its wholly owned subsidiaries: California Casualty General Insurance Company of Oregon, California Casualty & Fire Insurance Co. and California Casualty Insurance Co., all of which comprise California Casualty Group. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect California Casualty’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile…

Insurtech bolt launched an AI-powered insurance distribution platform the company says enables access across all lines for distribution partners. Connected Distribution is a new operating model that combines customer data, workflows and integrated market access into a single AI-powered connected system. The platform is designed to help distribution partners like independent agencies, brokerages, carriers and consumer reduce manual work, move faster and connect the distribution lifecycle. Conversational AI is designed to engage customers across voice, SMS, chat and email, capturing structured data from interactions, and combining it with customer, risk and account history. An AI-driven workflow execution enables customer conversations…

A federal jury in Maine has handed New Hampshire-based gun manufacturer Sig Sauer a victory over claims its P320 handgun is defective. The case involved a complaint by David Alan Cole, a detective with the Somerset County Sheriffs Department, who claimed he was injured when his Sig Sauer handgun unintentionally discharged a bullet into his thigh when his hands were not on the gun or the trigger. The bullet penetrated his right calf and reached his right ankle and had to be surgically removed. Cole was executing a search warrant at the time. Cole sued the gunmaker for product defect,…

Multiple individuals face federal and state indictments in connection with a multi-state organized retail-theft ring that impacted Prince George’s County and other areas in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office jointly announced, the indictments. Cyan Simone Rocke and Marco Pernell Morgan of Washington, D.C. and Daryl Michael-Lashon Jackson of Laurel, Maryland have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to violate federal law, namely, the interstate transportation of stolen goods. Additionally, Rocke; Tia Courtney, Chyna Parker, and Quasaan Parker of Capitol Heights, Maryland, are further…

For an establishment to be sued on liquor liability grounds in Florida, plaintiffs must show that the bartender knew the over-served, drunken driver was an addict. The plaintiffs also cannot expect to prevail if an amended complaint—naming a different driver—is substantially different from the initial lawsuit and was filed years later, a Florida appeals court said this week in a case that involved a Tampa bowling alley, a 2014 crash that killed a 27-year-old, and court proceedings that were complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and lost evidence. The plaintiffs were the father of victim Larry James Sillaway, who died in…