Latest Illinois Headlines

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

Central Illinois Church Suffers Extensive Smoke Damage from Fire

Apr 29 2021 // A fire early on April 28 caused extensive smoke damage to a central Illinois church, authorities said.Crews were called to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lexington after a passerby discovered smoke coming from the...

Illinois Lighting Company Faces $85K in OSHA Penalties for Worker Injuries

Apr 21 2021 // Federal workplace safety officials have cited an Illinois lighting manufacturer with workplace safety violations and imposed $85,000 in penalties after an employee suffered severe facial burns.The Occupational Safety and...

Governor Vetoes Illinois Personal Injury Prejudgment Interest Legislation

Apr 19 2021 // Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in late March vetoed a bill that would have provided for prejudgment interest in the recovery of damages from personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.House Bill 3360 “provides for the...

Kemper Completes Acquisition of Illinois’ American Access Casualty

Apr 5 2021 // Kemper Corp. has closed its previously announced acquisition of Downers Grove, Illinois-based American Access Casualty Co. and its related captive insurance agency, Newins Insurance Agency Holdings LLC, and its...

Illinois Governor Vetoes Personal Injury Prejudgment Interest Legislation

Mar 30 2021 // Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has vetoed a bill that would have provided for prejudgment interest in the recovery of damages in personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.House Bill 3360 “provides for the recovery of...

Illinois Court: Suit Against MLB over Wrigley Field Foul Ball Injury Can Proceed

Mar 18 2021 // An Illinois appellate court has ruled a woman struck by a foul ball at Wrigley Field can move ahead with a lawsuit she filed against Major League Baseball.In upholding a lower court ruling, the appellate court said the...

Illinois Shipping Firm Cited, Fined $156K after Worker Suffers Severe Injuries

Mar 15 2021 // An Illinois-based container shipping company faces proposed penalties of $156,038 after an employee suffered a leg amputation and crushed pelvis when he fell off and was then run over by a powered heavy-lift vehicle used...

Illinois Specialty Insurer, RLI, Makes Leadership Promotions, Changes

Mar 8 2021 // Peoria, Illinois-based specialty insurer serving niche property, casualty and surety markets, RLI Corp., has promoted or named several leaders to new roles.Kevin Horwitz, vice president, Claim, has assumed the role of vice...

Southern Illinois Mayor, an Insurance Agent, Quits Amid Corruption Charges

Mar 3 2021 // The longtime mayor of the southern Illinois city of Columbia has resigned in the wake a federal indictment accusing him of public corruption, a city official announced.Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Mayor Kevin...

GCG Financial Promotes DeMello, Levitz in Illinois

Mar 2 2021 // Deerfield, Illinois-based GCG Financial, a full-service financial services firm and part of the Alera Group, has promoted David Levitz to managing partner and Carla DeMello to president, Employee Benefits.Levitz, who...

3 Vehicles Stolen in Attack on Illinois Luxury Car Delivery Driver

Mar 1 2021 // Four men attacked a luxury car delivery driver in suburban Chicago and took off with three high-end vehicles, authorities said.The attack, which was captured on video, took place early in the morning on Feb. 25 at Jidd...

Illinois Bill Would Move Workers’ Comp Fraud Probes to Insurance Department

Feb 26 2021 // A bill filed in the Illinois General Assembly would transfer the responsibilities for investigating workers’ compensation fraud to the state insurance department.Under HB 2947, the pending business of the Illinois...

USDA Says Tainted Nebraska Beef Sold in Illinois; Consumers Warned

Feb 4 2021 // Health officials are warning consumers in Illinois that they may have bought beef tainted with E. coli bacteria that was produced at a Nebraska plant last month.The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and...

‘A-‘ Rating Assigned to Illinois Workers’ Comp Carrier Pekin Select Insurance

Feb 3 2021 // AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” to Pekin Select Insurance Co. (PSIC), headquartered in Pekin, Ill., a subsidiary of Pekin...

Illinois Bill Adds Prejudgment Interest to Recoveries in Personal Injury Cases

Jan 29 2021 // The Illinois General Assembly has passed a bill that includes prejudgment interest in the recovery of damages in personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.HB 3360 specifies “that in all actions brought to recover...

Bluefire Now Offering Auto Insurance in Illinois

Jan 27 2021 // Automobile insurance provider, Bluefire Insurance, has expanded its presence into Illinois.With the addition of Illinois, Bluefire, an Irving, Texas-based managing general agency, now offers coverage in eight states, with...

Hillebrandt Named Principal at Illinois’ Pinnacle Actuarial Resources

Jan 12 2021 // Pinnacle Actuarial Resources Inc. (Pinnacle), a Bloomington, Ill.-based actuarial consulting firm, has named Aaron Hillebrandt a principal and consulting actuary.Hillebrandt is one of the firm’s leaders in the...

Former Allstate Counsel Picked to Lead Illinois Insurance Department

Jan 7 2021 // Dana Popish Severinghaus, formerly Legislative and Regulatory Counsel at Allstate Insurance Co., has been named director of the Illinois Department of Insurance.Popish Severinghaus has extensive legal, policy, government...

Illinois Harley-Davidson Dealer to Pay $193.75K to Settle Harassment, Retaliation Suit

Dec 22 2020 // Three companies operating a now-closed Harley-Davidson dealership in Glenview, Ill., have agreed to pay a former employee $193,750 and furnish other relief under a consent decree to settle a federal sex harassment and...

J.M. Wilson Hires Cella, Tokarz as Assistant Underwriters in Illinois

Dec 21 2020 // Managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson has added Scott Cella as assistant property/casualty underwriter and Ryan Tokarz as assistant transportation underwriter in its Arlington Heights, Ill.,...