Latest Contractors Headlines

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

Unions, Gig-Economy Firms Prepare for New York Benefits Battle

Nov 28 2016 // Faced with a barrage of lawsuits from workers demanding benefits and recognition as employees, some companies in the fast-growing ‘gig economy’ are looking to settle the issues through legislation.Joseph...

Louisiana Contractor Fined More than $152K for Federal Safety Violations

Nov 23 2016 // A construction contractor in Louisiana has been cited and fined over what federal safety officials say are hazardous workplace conditions. Proposed penalties total $152,147.Don M. Barron Contractor Inc. in Baton Rouge was...

Great American, Hub International to Offer Program for Elevator Contractors

Nov 23 2016 // Great American Insurance Group’s Alternative Markets Division has entered into an agreement with JM Associates/Burnham + Company, a division of HUB International Northeast, to be the insurance carrier for The...

How Smart Building is Changing Construction

Nov 21 2016 // With “smart” building becoming the gold standard in today’s commercial construction world, builders, building owners, workers and insurers are dealing with new technologies and risks. These smart...

Amazon Drivers Deliver ‘Joint Employer’ Claims Against E-commerce Giant

Nov 4 2016 // Amazon.com was sued by Illinois delivery drivers who say the company failed to pay them overtime for hauling its goods. Among the questions the judge will have to answer? Whether they actually worked for...

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Warns Flood Victims About Repair Scams

Oct 27 2016 // Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller is urging homeowners whose properties suffered damage in the recent flooding that hit several North Central Pennsylvania counties to be cautious of scams when seeking...

Ironshore Expands Liability Coverages for Designers, Contractors

Oct 26 2016 // Ironshore’s Construction Industry Vertical, in conjunction with Ironshore Specialty Casualty, has expanded its coverage for the designers and contractors sector with a new combination policy covering contractors...

Couple Wanted in Louisiana Flood Contractor Fraud Scheme

Oct 26 2016 // Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, sheriff’s deputies say a man and a woman with numerous aliases are wanted in a flood contractor scheme that has taken more than $35,000 from two victims already in the Ponchatoula and...

National E&S in California Names Skiles Account Manager

Oct 21 2016 // National E&S Insurance Brokers in Palmdale, Calif. has named Brittany Skiles an Account Manager. Skiles works with all lines of insurance including general liability, contractor pollution, professional liability,...

Washington Employer Fined for Asbestos Violations

Oct 19 2016 // A Kirkland, Wash. asbestos removal contractor has been cited for several workplace health violations that reportedly put workers, contractors and homeowners at risk.The Department of Labor & Industries cited American...

Contractor’s Insurance to Pay for Repairs to Kansas Supreme Court Building

Oct 17 2016 // Rainwater has seeped into the building that houses the Kansas Supreme Court, causing extensive damage and forcing some employees to temporarily relocate.The Kansas Judicial Center’s leaking roof, which was in the...

Illinois Plumbing Contractor Fined $275.7K for Trenching Hazards

Oct 14 2016 // Federal safety officials say that less than three weeks after being cited for exposing workers to unsafe trenches, investigators saw a Chicago plumbing contractor exposing the same four-man crew to trenching hazards as...

Red Wings Arena Contractors Fined for Lack of Detroit Workers

Oct 13 2016 // Detroit officials say an estimated half-million dollars in fines have been levied on contractors working on the new Red Wings arena because the companies haven’t hired enough Detroit residents. Little Caesars...

Contractor Lacked Safety Permit Before Pennsylvania Bridge Fire

Oct 10 2016 // A contractor didn’t obtain a key safety permit before welding caused plastic pipe and a construction tarp to burn on the Liberty Bridge last month, resulting in a 24-day shutdown of a primary artery into downtown...

Citizens Warns Florida Policyholders of AOB Scams in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

Oct 10 2016 // Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is urging its policyholders to call Citizens first to report losses following Hurricane Matthew in order to protect themselves from assignment of benefit (AOB) scams, according to a...

Insurers Hiscox, American Family Back Bunker, a Startup Broker for Gig Economy

Oct 4 2016 // Bunker, a Hiscox and American Family-backed startup billing itself as the first contract-related insurance marketplace, has officially left startup mode and unveiled its first product. The target audience: independent...

Builders of New Orleans Jail Sued by Sheriff

Sep 30 2016 // The man under fire for his management of the new jail in New Orleans has filed a lawsuit against the general contractors who built the facility.Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s suit seeks approximately $3 million for missed...

New Jersey Rules in Favor of CGL Coverage for Faulty Subcontractor Work

Sep 19 2016 // New Jersey has joined several other U.S. states in deciding that if a subcontractor’s defective work damages parts of a general contractor’s project, the damages are covered under the general contractor’s...

QBE Approved by Treasury for $73.5 Million in Surety Bond Capacity

Sep 16 2016 // QBE Insurance Corp. (QBEIC) has been approved by the United States Department of Treasury as a Certified Company with an underwriting limitation (also referred to as a Treasury Listing) of $73.5 million per bond. This...

Trench Safety Hazards Lead to $121K in Fines for Austin Contractors

Sep 14 2016 // Two Austin, Texas, construction contracting firms are facing more than $121,000 in combined fines for workplace safety violations involving trenching hazards.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Sept. 6...