Latest Contractors Headlines

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

Unlicensed Massachusetts Contractor Pleads Guilty to Dozens of Charges

Nov 28 2017 // An unlicensed home improvement contractor who left an elderly woman’s home in ruins has pleaded guilty.The Salem News reports that 49-year-old Jaime Ford’s guilty pleas Monday to 42 charges including larceny,...

BHSI Introduces Contractors Plant & Equipment Cover in Australia

Nov 22 2017 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. (BHSI) announced it has introduced a new Contractors Plant & Equipment (CP&E) policy for customers in Australia.“With this new policy, contractors can easily and...

How Surety Bonds Impact Contractor and Agent Relationships

Nov 20 2017 // Even though the surety industry is only a fraction of the total property/casualty marketplace, the importance of surety bonds to contractors and their impact on their relationship with insurance brokers is significant.A...

BHSI Creates Excess Integrated Follow Form for Contractors

Nov 6 2017 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has unveiled the Excess Integrated Follow Form, a single excess policy that sits atop multiple first- and third-party insurance policies, for contractors in the U.S. and...

Louisiana Ramps Up Effort to Stop Worker Misclassification

Nov 6 2017 // State and federal government entities that have been partnering since 2013 on a Louisiana task force targeting employers who misclassify workers plan to increase their efforts next year, according to the Louisiana...

Malaysia, Australia Investigate Massive Commercial, Governmental Data Breaches

Nov 2 2017 // Malaysia is investigating the theft of mobile-phone records for 46.2 million customers, while an online security lapse in Australia exposed personal details of almost 50,000 employees.The Malaysian government is working...

Contractor Fraud Leaves Some Rebuilding Five Years After Sandy

Nov 1 2017 // After Superstorm Sandy flooded the first floor of his New Jersey home with 4 feet of water, Rich Bindell shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to a contractor he knew was approved by the state and had done other work in...

Louisiana Ramps Up Effort to Prevent Employers from Misclassifying Workers

Oct 27 2017 // Several state and federal government entities partnering on a Louisiana task force to target employers who misclassify workers plan increased activity in 2018, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC).The...

Unlicensed Contractor Arrested by Florida Disaster Fraud Strike Team

Oct 24 2017 // An unlicensed contractor from Fort Myers, Fla., has been arrested after he was found to be conducting subpar roof repairs and operating without insurance in the wake of Hurricane Irma.Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis...

Compensation for London’s Grenfell Fire Victims May Be Capped at $5M: Reuters

Oct 18 2017 // The bill for compensating families of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London may be as low as 4 million pounds ($5 million), according to several lawyers and a Reuters analysis of how damages laws apply in...

Indiana Fines Kansas Contractor $24.5K After Worker Dies in Fall

Oct 16 2017 // A contractor was fined $24,500 for safety violations after a worker died from a fall at a Richmond, Ind., factory.The Richmond Palladium-Item reports 23-year-old Jacob Bugg died June 27 after falling about 40 feet at a...

Blue River Underwriters Launches Free Online Fire Sprinkler Contractor Safety Portal

Sep 25 2017 // Atlanta, GA, September 25, 2017 — The Blue River Underwriters’ Fire Sprinkler Elite program launched a free online safety portal to provide risk management resources for its fire sprinkler contractors’...

New Online Tool From Travelers Helps Contractors Spot Vibration Damage Potential

Sep 25 2017 // Travelers has introduced a new online tool, ZoneCheck, to help contractors identify areas surrounding a jobsite that could be affected by vibrations from heavy equipment – a common cause of construction-related damage...

Florida on Alert for AOB Abuse as Irma Recovery Begins

Sep 13 2017 // As Florida residents return home after being evacuated by Hurricane Irma, the pressure is on the insurance industry to keep a bad situation regarding assignment of benefits abuse in the state from getting worse.Florida...

2 Nebraska Contractors Have Sued Insurers More than 100 Times

Sep 4 2017 // Two Omaha contractors are expanding a legal strategy they say forces insurance companies to pay for storm damage, but industry officials say the practice leads to exaggerated claims and may drive away insurers.Home repair...

Texas Regulators Offer Guidance to Insurers on Harvey Response

Aug 29 2017 // The Texas Department of Insurance has issued several bulletins offering guidance to insurers related to Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall near Rockport, Texas, late on Aug. 25.The bulletins are in response to the...

2 Nebraska Contractors Routinely Sue Insurers for Not Paying Storm Damage

Aug 21 2017 // Two Omaha contractors are expanding a legal strategy they say forces insurance companies to pay for storm damage, but industry officials say the practice leads to exaggerated claims and may drive away insurers.Home repair...

Fraud Following Catastrophes an Unwelcome Trend, Oklahoma’s Doak Says

Aug 21 2017 // In testimony on Capitol Hill in early August, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak told federal lawmakers that fraud across all lines of insurance costs the industry an estimated $80 million to $100 million...

Insurance Fraud Following Catastrophes an Unwelcome Trend, Oklahoma’s Doak Tells U.S. Senators

Aug 21 2017 // In testimony on Capitol Hill in early August, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak told federal lawmakers that fraud across all lines of insurance costs the industry an estimated $80 million to $100 million...

Pioneer Special Risk to Offer CPL Coverage Expansion For Specialty Contractors

Aug 17 2017 // Pioneer Special Risk has launched a new optional coverage expansion for specialty contractors that offers them the option of including incidental contractors pollution coverage, traditionally required as part of their...