Latest Auto Headlines

All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Auto Insurance Claims Satisfaction Continued to Rise During Pandemic

Oct 22 2020 // Having fewer auto insurance claims during the coronavirus pandemic appears to have given insurers time to refine their customer experience and deliver higher higher quality claims service.According to the J.D. Power 2020...

Self-Driving’s Latest Turn: GM’s Cruise Seeks OK for Cars Without Steering Wheel, Pedals

Oct 22 2020 // Self-driving car maker Cruise said on Wednesday it and majority shareholder General Motors Co. would seek U.S. regulatory approval in coming months to deploy a limited number of Cruise Origin vehicles without steering...

Ratings of Texas’ Hallmark Financial No Longer Under Review with Negative Implications

Oct 20 2020 // AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb-” and the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR) of Hallmark...

Battery Fires Make Headlines as Electric Vehicle Sales Take Off

Oct 20 2020 // First, Hyundai Motor Co. made headlines about its electric cars catching fire. Five days later, it was General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. The next day, it was BMW AG.Vehicles going up in flames aren’t new to the...

How Many Screwdrivers Do You Need?

Oct 19 2020 // If you do not do much home or auto maintenance or build furniture, or in general, you just don’t do much with hand tools for any reason, then you probably only need two screwdrivers — a Phillips #2 and a...

Maryland Auto Insurance Launches New Auto Insurance Fraud Initiative

Oct 16 2020 // Maryland Auto Insurance has launched an initiative aimed at combatting auto insurance fraud in Maryland.This comes as the FBI projects insurance fraud accounts for more than $40 billion in costs annually, according to a...

California Permits GM’s Driverless Car to Cruise Streets of San Francisco

Oct 16 2020 // The race for driverless autonomous vehicles is heating up and on Thursday Cruise became the first to receive a permit to test cars without anyone in them on the streets of San Francisco from California’s Department...

Insurance Acquisition Completes Shift Auto Retailer Deal; IPO Launches

Oct 16 2020 // Shares of Shift Technologies Inc. fell 6.7% in their Nasdaq debut on Thursday after the online used-car seller went public through a reverse-merger deal with blank check firm Insurance Acquisition Corp.Shift shares were...

Top 10 Stolen Vehicles; Ford Beats Honda

Oct 15 2020 // Car thieves have a new favorite target: the Ford full-size pickup. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s latest “Hot Wheels” report, which includes crime data from across the country, Ford...

Indiana Court: Allstate Liable in Fatal Crash Because Victim Was a ‘Resident Relative’

Oct 14 2020 // The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that Allstate must pay $25,000 in uninsured motorist benefits to the estranged husband of a woman who died while riding as a passenger in a car crash after moving back in with her...

Fire Departments Need Training in Electric Vehicle Fires

Oct 13 2020 // Half of U.S. fire departments have no protocols in place to fight fires that break out in the growing number of battery-powered vehicles on the road, according to accident investigators.Only a quarter of fire departments...

Swiss Re and Daimler Launch Jointly Owned MGA to Offer Auto, Mobility Insurance

Oct 12 2020 // Swiss Re and Daimler Insurance Services have entered into a strategic partnership for automotive and mobility insurance and launched a new managing general agent called Movinx.The aim of the 50/50 joint venture is to...

Top 10 Reasons P/C Insurers Run Afoul of Regulators’ Market Conduct Exams

Oct 8 2020 // Claims errors continue to be the most frequent reason that property/casualty insurers are cited by regulators when responding to market conduct complaints or during routine examinations, according to a report by Wolters...

An Insurance Lyft: CSAA Forms Rideshare Carrier; Allstate, Liberty Mutual Offer Coverage

Oct 6 2020 // A new carrier has joined the rideshare insurance market, offering coverage to Lyft drivers in 11 states. At the same time, ridesharing firm Lyft’s drivers now also have access to coverage from Allstate and Liberty...

Feds Fault Operator, Regulators in New York Limo Crash That Killed 20

Oct 6 2020 // State regulators repeatedly failed to properly oversee a poorly maintained stretch limousine with corroded brakes that hurtled down a hill at more than 100 mph and crashed in a ravine, killing 20 people, federal...

Personal Lines Insurtech Root Files IPO Proposal with SEC

Oct 6 2020 // Root, Inc., the parent company of Root Insurance Co., has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock.The number of shares to be...

More Illinois Auto Crashes with Deer Expected as Mating Season Begins

Oct 5 2020 // Illinois motorists should beware of more deer activity this time of year, particularly at dawn and dusk.Officials from the Illinois Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation note that it’s deer mating...

Homeowners Coverage Gaps? Here Are Some ‘Mower’

Oct 5 2020 // In 2018, the Insurance Journal published an article titled “Lawnmower Injuries Remain Source of Serious Injury and High Costs.” A study cited in the article stated each day during the mowing season, about 30...

California Governor Planning to Ban Sale of New Gas Vehicles in 15 Years

Oct 5 2020 // California will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in 15 years, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in late September, establishing a timeline in the nation’s most populous state that could force...

Kansas Woman Didn’t Pose a Danger When Deputy Killed Her, Lawsuit States

Oct 1 2020 // A Kansas woman who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy after refusing to pull over was unarmed and posed no danger to him or the public, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.The court filing paints a...