Author: completebodyneeds

The Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in a lawsuit filed against State Farm by homeowners who lost their homes in the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The case, Ferrier v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, is pending in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. It was brought by 60 homeowners who lost their homes in the wildfires. They allege that the defendants, which include 16 homeowners insurance companies, conspired to cancel their fire insurance policies in the years leading up to the fires. The homeowners say they were forced to obtain insurance from the California…

Air and wastewater may help spread bird flu on California dairy farms, according to a study that points to more transmission routes than previously understood. Researchers sampling 14 infected farms found the H5N1 virus in the air during milking, in cows’ breath and in farm wastewater, pointing to multiple possible routes of transmission beyond contact with contaminated milk. The findings, published Tuesday in PLOS Biology, add to concerns that the outbreak in U.S. cattle could expose farm workers and other animals. H5N1 is spreading globally in birds and spilling into mammals including cattle, elephant seals and sea lions. Human cases…

Ten people were hospitalized after a valve malfunction led to a chemical leak at a Louisiana business on Tuesday, May 5. The Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit responded to a hazardous materials incident in Duson at approximately 7 a.m. An initial investigation found a valve malfunction involving Boron Trifluoride resulted in the chemical leak at the facility. The name of the business hasn’t been released. Three first responders, six employees of the affected business and one employee business were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment, the Louisiana State Police said. All reported injuries are believed to be…

Specialty insurance market rates declined in 2025 and during the January 1, 2026 renewals, with the pace of change exceeding expectations, according to WTW’s Specialty Insurance Marketplace Survey (SIMS). Data from the January 1 renewals and new business point to continued rate softening, with a 10-point decline in the insurance rate index, back to 2020 levels, WTW added. The findings also highlight the speed of recent market movements. An approximate 45% cumulative rate increase was achieved between 2017 and the market peak in 2023, with around half of that increase eroded over the past two years. “Substantial concerns relate to…

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple on Tuesday issued a directive to residential property and personal auto insurers for mandatory annual reporting of policies. Beginning in 2026, data submissions are required on an annual basis, replacing the previous quarterly reporting requirement. Directive 204 requires insurers to submit the following data through the Louisiana Department of Insurance’s Industry Access Portal by February 28, 2027: Number of policies written Number of policies canceled Number of policies nonrenewed Total dollar amount of premiums written Total amount of insurance coverage in force All data must be categorized by policy type and coverage type and reported…

New offering helps brokers meet market demand for railroad contractors with broader account solutions and added flexibility SAN DIEGO, May 6, 2026 — Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc., an Arrowhead Programs company, today announced the expansion of its Railroad Program to include workers’ compensation coverage for railroad contractors. The enhancement is designed to help brokers respond to evolving market conditions and client needs with a stronger all-lines solution for this class of business. The workers’ compensation line is available to eligible railroad contractors, subject to favorable experience and minimum premium requirements. It also provides added flexibility through return-to-work programs and…

This article is part of a sponsored series by Amwins. Recent media coverage of the alleged Stryker cyber incident has renewed attention on cyber risk across healthcare, life sciences and medical device manufacturing. While headlines often focus on attribution or worst‑case scenarios, events like this are not unfamiliar territory for cyber and healthcare risk professionals. Rather than signaling a new or unprecedented exposure, incidents like this highlight why cyber risk management, cybersecurity controls and cyber insurance structures already exist, and why they have been refined over time. For organizations watching this situation unfold, the takeaway is not alarm, but preparedness.…

Volkswagen’s Brazilian unit announced on Monday [May 4] a recall of five models manufactured up to five years ago for a software inspection and potential update to fix a malfunction in the instrument cluster. The recall includes the Polo, Virtus, Nivus, T-Cross and Tera models. The instrument cluster may not function properly when the vehicle is started due to a software fault, the company said in a statement. The component may display unexpected behavior or remain inoperative, it added, increasing accident risks with potential physical harm to occupants and third parties. Owners of the models recalled must visit a Volkswagen…

The China Eastern Airlines Corp. jetliner that plummeted into a hillside in 2022, killing all 132 people on board, had its fuel supply cut during the flight, newly released investigative material shows, supporting the theory that the aircraft was intentionally brought down. While China still has yet to release a final report on the accident, findings released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board this month show that levers controlling the flow of fuel to the jet’s engines were switched to the “cutoff” position while the Boeing Co. 737 aircraft was at a cruising altitude of 29,000 feet. The movement…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would briefly pause an operation to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran. Hours earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had outlined the effort that began on Monday to escort stranded tankers out of the Gulf. The strait has been virtually shut since the conflict began, blocking some 20% of world oil supplies and igniting a global energy crisis. “We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom … will be paused for…