Latest Illinois Headlines

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

Outlooks Revised to Stable for Illinois’ Specialty Risk of America

May 16 2019 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” of Specialty Risk of America (SPRISKA) in...

Supreme Court Apple Ruling May Increase Liability Exposure for Digital Platforms

May 14 2019 // Consumers can press ahead with a lawsuit that accuses Apple Inc. of using its market dominance to artificially inflate prices at its App Store, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.The 5-4 decision Monday could add to pressure the...

Schmidt Named Director, Business Development at Illinois’ Associated Agencies

May 14 2019 // Associated Agencies Inc. in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has hired Jim Schmidt as director of business development. Most recently, Schmidt worked as commercial lines manager for USI Insurance Services since 2016. There, he...

Explosion at Illinois Plant Leaves 2 Confirmed Dead, 4 Injured, 2 Missing

May 6 2019 // An explosion and fire at an Illinois silicone factory claimed a second victim Saturday when an employee taken to a hospital after the blast died, a local coroner confirmed, and the official death toll is expected to rise...

Communities Along Mississippi River Prepare for Record Crest

May 2 2019 // Communities in several states along the Mississippi River are watching the skies this week as rainfall will likely determine whether the river reaches record crests and how much it will raise floodwaters.The National...

AAIS Adds Jonas as Commercial Lines Product Manager in Illinois

Apr 24 2019 // The Lisle, Illinois-based national not-for-profit insurance advisory organization, American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), has named Joseph Jonas as its new commercial lines product manager. Jonas is responsible...

Cops Draw Blood to Catch Impaired Drivers

Apr 23 2019 // It was about 6:30 on a Friday night in January when Phoenix Police Det. Kemp Layden pulled over a white Jeep Cherokee that was speeding and weaving in and out of its lane.The 47-year-old driver spoke slowly, his eyes were...

Car Sharing Lobbyists Battle Car Renting Lobbyists, Driving State Lawmakers Crazy

Apr 19 2019 // The bill that turned Illinois into the focal point of a bitter debate over car-sharing last year started as a proposal about what happens when a rental car is stolen. The legislation, which would allow rental companies to...

AAdvantage Insurance Group Adds Hutt, Reyes in Illinois

Apr 16 2019 // AAdvantage Insurance Group in Glen Carbon, Illinois, has hired Alexis Hutt as an account executive and Ana Reyes as a sales agent.Hutt will assist agents in procuring new business, as well as serving existing clients,...

Hub International Acquires Assets of Illinois’ Premiere Risk Management

Apr 4 2019 // Chicago-based global insurance broker, Hub International Limited (Hub), has acquired the assets of Premiere Risk Management (PRM). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Located in the Chicagoland area, PRM is a...

Agencies Looking for New Talent Have Their Work Cut Out for Them

Apr 1 2019 // Newsflash to insurance agency owners seeking to onboard new employees: Expect to have to pay more, offer more and train more.Those trying to hire probably know that already. “What we’re seeing in particular in...

14 Troopers Hit This Year in Illinois Despite ‘Move Over Law’

Mar 27 2019 // Fourteen Illinois State Police officers or their vehicles have been struck in roadside crashes this year. That’s double last year’s total of eight. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Police on Monday...

Universal Insurance Holdings Enters Illinois’ Homeowners Market

Mar 26 2019 // Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. (Universal Property), a subsidiary of Universal Insurance Holdings Inc., has entered the market for homeowners insurance in Illinois. The company is now offering homeowners...

Illinois’ SBJW Insurance Joins Valley Insurance Agency Alliance

Mar 26 2019 // SBJW Insurance in Quincy, Illinois, has joined Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of over 120 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. SBJW Insurance was founded in 2019 by owner...

Insurance Industry Has Major Impact on Illinois’ Economy, Study Shows

Mar 19 2019 // A new study shows that Illinois insurance companies, agents and brokers continue to fuel the economy with quality jobs, revenue and investments, the study’s sponsors say.The recently released study was conducted by...

State Farm: Illinois and Missouri Ranked 3rd and 5th for Hail Damage in 2018

Mar 19 2019 // A new report from State Farm says that Illinois and Missouri were among the top states in the nation for hail damage in 2018, according to a new report from State Farm.Illinois ranks third with $330 million in paid hail...

Fire Captain Dead, 3 Hurt in Collapse of Burning Illinois Home

Mar 7 2019 // Authorities say a fire captain has died and three other firefighters were injured following a partial collapse of a burning home in southern Illinois. The Godfrey Fire Protection District says Jacob “Jake”...

Muriel Appointed Director of Illinois Insurance Department

Mar 7 2019 // Robert Muriel has been appointed director of the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI).Muriel is a civil and commercial lawyer with more than 20 years of experience representing small businesses and professionals in...

Illinois’ Rush Health System Says Data Breach May Affect 45,000 Patients

Mar 6 2019 // Illinois-based Rush System for Health says personal information from about 45,000 patients may have been compromised in a data breach. The health system said in a recent financial filing that the exposed data may include...

Insurer Hit With $102K Fine for Selling Illegal NRA-Branded Policies

Mar 4 2019 // Illinois Union Insurance Co. has paid a $102,000 fine after Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler ordered the company to cease underwriting self-defense policies branded by the National Rifle Association.After an...