Latest Legislation Headlines

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

European Insurance Regulation Threatens U.S. System, Connecticut Regulator Warns

Aug 17 2011 // Adoption of European regulatory changes known as “Solvency II” as currently proposed could weaken U.S. consumer protections and stability of insurers, a state insurance commissioner has warned.Connecticut...

Court Questions Handling of White Firefighters’ Reverse Bias Case

Aug 17 2011 // Reviving a lawsuit brought by a black firefighter, a federal appeals court in New York on Monday raised new questions about the impact of a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the reverse-discrimination lawsuit brought by 17...

Judge Blocks New York City From Removing Fire Alarm Boxes

Aug 17 2011 // A federal judge has ruled against a New York City plan to deactivate 15,000 fire alarm boxes, saying that doing so would discriminate against the deaf and hearing-impaired.The fire department last year said the move would...

New Workers’ Comp Reform Linked to Illinois Trooper Crash

Aug 16 2011 // A new law inspired by a former Illinois State Police trooper’s high-speed freeway wreck that killed two sisters bars state employees injured while committing crimes from getting workers’ compensation.The...

Big Insurers May Escape Capital Surcharges Under Global Regulations

Aug 16 2011 // New rules to ensure no insurance company is too big to fail are set to be drawn up in time for the 2012 meeting of G20 leaders, although unlike banks they may not include capital surcharges, according to industry...

Judge Weighs Damages Against Indiana School Over MySpace Photos

Aug 16 2011 // An Indiana school district violated the First Amendment rights of two teenage girls who were punished for posting sexually suggestive photos on MySpace during their summer vacation, a federal judge ruled.The case involving...

U.S. Court Rules Against Obama Healthcare Mandate

Aug 15 2011 // President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law suffered a setback Friday when a U.S. appeals court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require all Americans to buy insurance or face a penalty.The U.S. Appeals...

N.C. Trial Lawyers Seek Malpractice Cap

Aug 15 2011 // North Carolina trial attorneys are upset with rising legal malpractice insurance rates and want lawmakers to act.The North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers wants lawmakers to place a cap on the awards that plaintiffs can...

California Supreme Court Rules on Workers’ Comp Payment Increases

Aug 12 2011 // The California Supreme Court has ruled that cost of living adjustments in total permanent disability cases are to be calculated starting the January 1 after the injured worker started collecting his or her payments.The...

First Responder Fees: Insurers Should Expect to Pay More

Aug 12 2011 // While fee recovery by fire departments is nothing new, an increasing number of local municipalities have begun to charge for first responder, primarily fire department, services.Though the types of fees and rates vary...

Judge Likely to Give French Shoemaker’s ‘Red’ Trademark Claim the Boot

Aug 12 2011 // In a court case that has all sides seeing red, a judge said this week that a French maker of luxury shoes worn by stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johansson and Halle Berry will likely fail in its effort to...

Judge Tosses Coffee Shop Defamation Claim Against N.Y. Times

Aug 12 2011 // A Brooklyn judge has tossed out a defamation lawsuit against New York Times Co. brought by Gorilla Coffee, a coffee shop that has become a fixture in the borough’s Park Slope neighborhood.The suit stemmed from an...

Florida Court Rules Illegal Workers Entitled to Workers’ Compensation

Aug 11 2011 // Florida employers may be under more pressure to document the status of their workers after a panel of state judges ruled that illegal residents who are injured on the job are eligible for workers’ compensation...

Illinois Bars Workers’ Compensation for State Employees Involved in Crimes

Aug 11 2011 // A new law inspired by a former Illinois State Police trooper’s high-speed freeway wreck that killed two sisters bars state employees injured while committing crimes from getting workers’ compensation.The...

Judge Nixes Suit over Pennsylvania Officer’s Crash Death

Aug 11 2011 // A federal judge has dismissed a police widow’s lawsuit against a suburban Philadelphia township over its insurance coverage.Middletown Township Officer Chris Jones was killed by an intoxicated driver during a 2009...

Florida Eases Surplus Lines ‘Due Diligence’ Rule for Agents

Aug 10 2011 // Florida insurance agents should have an easier time placing commercial policies with surplus lines carriers under a new law that allows them to offer the coverage without first scouring the admitted market for the...

Judge May Allow Soldier’s Claim Against ‘Hurt Locker’ Movie to Go Forward

Aug 10 2011 // A federal judge in Los Angeles has indicated she is leaning toward dismissing most of an Iraq war veteran’s lawsuit against the makers of “The Hurt Locker” but may allow him to pursue his key claim that...

What New Car Insurance Rules Mean for New Jersey

Aug 9 2011 // New Jersey proposed a sweeping overhaul last week to its regulations for the personal injury protection component of auto insurance, hoping to curb rising premiums. The changes affect how and what doctors can bill for...

Pinnacol Stops Administering Colorado State Claims

Aug 8 2011 // A Colorado-chartered workers’ compensation insurer will no longer administer the claims of state employees following disagreements with state officials over lavish trips, compensation and golden parachutes for key...

Judge Dismisses Dallas National Suit Vs. Florida Insurance Chief

Aug 8 2011 // A federal judge last week threw out a lawsuit against Florida’s insurance commissioner even though the official had opposed dismissing the case.Commissioner Kevin McCarty argued that keeping the litigation alive...