Author: completebodyneeds

I had a conversation the other day that brought an Idaho Supreme Court decision from 2022 to my attention. If you’re interested, it’s Pena v. Viking Insurance Company of Wisconsin. This is a case about an injury sustained in an auto accident and it speaks to an issue in some states the centers on how Underinsured Motorists coverage is applied. Since Uninsured Motorists and Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM) coverage varies so wildly from state to state, we can’t deal with coverage from a countrywide perspective. This case is specific to Idaho. Rules, laws, and policies in your state are probably different.…

New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for an independent review of Cornell University’s handling of a 2024 incident at a fraternity that resulted in new allegations of rape and sexual assault this month. Hochul weighed in Tuesday on a case that has drawn mounting scrutiny, backing a decision by local prosecutors to reopen the criminal probe and present it to a grand jury. In a civil suit filed in New York Supreme Court this month, an unidentified former Cornell student alleged she was drugged at the Chi Phi fraternity house and raped by seven students in 2024. The lawsuit named…

In another indicator of Florida moving back to a mostly market-based property insurance system, the number of insurance agents and agencies appointed with Citizens Property Insurance has dropped in the last year. “It’s a sign of the healthy marketplace: The requests for new agents to be appointed with Citizens has continued to decrease,” Dave Newell, chairman of Citizens’ Market Accountability Advisory Committee, said at last week’s Citizens Board of Governors’ meeting. “There’s less reliance on Citizens, which is good for the market.” Newell (FAIA) Citizens’ data show that the number of appointed agents and agents has fluctuated through the years.…

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman warned banks on Sept. 29 to buffer their systems against artificial intelligence threats while emphasizing the technology can benefit lenders. “AI offers great potential — both to threat actors and those buttressing their defenses to those threats,” Bowman said in prepared remarks for an event in Colorado. “AI is becoming a critical component of these security measures as both a defensive tool and an evolving risk.” Bowman previously said the Fed should “not micromanage” banks on issues like AI as US officials weigh the impact of the rapidly evolving technology. Bloomberg reported…

Ascot Group Limited, a global specialty (re)insurance company, made several executive leadership appointments and organizational updates. Mark Pepper Mark “Sarge” Pepper has been appointed president, global underwriting, effective October 1. In this expanded executive role, Pepper will lead Ascot’s efforts to elevate its underwriting capabilities and position the company for long-term success. He will work closely with Jonathan Zaffino, group chief executive officer and president, and Ascot’s segment CEOs to develop growth strategies, pursue business development opportunities and strengthen coordination across the company’s UK, U.S. and Bermuda businesses. Pepper has nearly four decades of industry experience and joined Ascot at…

A US appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling for information services company Thomson Reuters in its copyright dispute with former legal-research rival Ross Intelligence over Ross’ alleged misuse of copyrighted material to train an AI-powered legal search engine. The Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Ross’ argument that its search engine made fair use of material from Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw platform, a first-of-its-kind ruling by a US appeals court in a wave of high-stakes copyright cases over AI training. The appeals court’s reasoning for its decision is currently sealed. Spokespeople and an attorney for Ross did not…

A Barnhart, Missouri man pleaded guilty to destroying property at a Telsa dealership in Kansas City, Missouri and to unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device. Kevin Harkins, 28, entered a guilty plea today in federal court to one count of malicious destruction of property related to arson and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device. Harkins was initially charged by complaint on Sept. 12, 2025. According to court documents, on Feb. 13, 2025, at approximately 9:25 p.m., Kansas City, Missouri Police officers were dispatched in the vicinity of the Kansas City Tesla Center to investigate reports of…

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummon announced that the state’s lawsuit against NextEra Energy Marketing for allegedly violating Oklahoma law by charging excessive prices for natural gas during Winter Storm Uri will proceed to trial. An Osage County court granted Drummond’s motion for partial summary judgment and found NextEra liable under both the Oklahoma Emergency Price Stabilization Act and the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act. The amount of damages, including overcharges, restitution and disgorgement, will be determined at trial. “This ruling marks an important victory in our fight to hold NextEra accountable for the staggering prices Oklahomans were forced to pay during…

U.S. homeowners multiperil insurers reversed a $1.3 billion underwriting loss in 2024 to post an underwriting profit of $16.5 billion in 2025 – the line’s first underwriting gain since 2019, said AM Best. In fact, seven of eight years from 2017 to 2024 saw homeowners insurers book underwriting losses. A recent report on the homeowners segment from the industry rating firm said insurers looked to improve in recent years by increasing premiums to more appropriately match risk. AM Best said insurers are “doing a much better job of matching rate to risk.” That, and a relatively calm 2025 hurricane season,…

Advantage Capital Holdings, parent of Atlantic Coast Life Insurance and Southern Atlantic Re, has dropped its lawsuit against the South Carolina insurance department director and has agreed to mediation instead. “The department welcomes the insurers’ decision to put this distraction aside,” SCDOI Director Michael Wise said in a statement released Monday. The move is the latest in a regulatory disagreement that began almost three years ago. Wise earlier this month petitioned a court to place the two A-Cap insurance companies into rehabilitation, citing questionable investments and links to 777 Partners, a now-bankrupt investment firm. New York-based A-Cap, led by CEO…