Latest Policyholder Headlines

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

Florida Extends State Insurer’s Rate Freeze for Another Year

Jun 16 2008 // When the dust settled at the end of the 2008 legislative session, Florida lawmakers had presented their governor with a full plate of insurance issues, the most significant of which is a bill including a rate-freeze...

Mercury Provides California Policyholders $61 Million Rate Reduction

Jun 12 2008 // George Joseph, founder and chairman of Mercury General Corp. announced the company has filed for and was approved for a 33 percent rate reduction for homeowners and 10 percent rate reduction for renters insurance...

State Farm to Drop Coastal Policies, Raise Rates in Mississippi

Jun 12 2008 // The State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. filed intentions with the Mississippi Insurance Department to non-renew all Mississippi homeowners policies for customers living within 1,000 feet of the Gulf of Mexico.State Farm...

Case Watch

Jun 2 2008 // United Fire & Casualty Co. v. Keely & Sons, Inc. Ill. App. May 2, 2008 Commercial policy does not provide coverage to policyholder for claims of spoliation of evidence. A policyholder was sued when employees were...

More Catastrophe Fund Surcharges Likely for Florida Policyholders

Jun 2 2008 // Florida residents could soon be faced with increased surcharges on their home, auto and other insurance policies because the state’s catastrophe fund needs more money to pay claims from past hurricanes.The Florida...

Claims of Agent’s Professional Negligence Can Be Assigned To Third Party

Jun 2 2008 // The Supreme Court of Arizona ruled that an insurance agent’s clients may assert claims for professional negligence against the client and may assign such claims to third parties.According to D. Jere’ Webb v....

Insurance Companies Face Global Warming Claims

Jun 2 2008 // The industry is about to enter an era of global warming insurance claims. Scientists have been warning about the impact global warming could have if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. Because of a sense of urgency...

Universal Underwriters to Refund $2.4M to Texas Policyholders

May 29 2008 // Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott reached a settlement with an automobile credit insurance company that unlawfully withheld insurance premiums from than 12,000 Texans who paid off their vehicle loans early. The Office of...

Florida Commissioner Approves More Policy Removals from Citizens

May 21 2008 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty approved the plans of six insurance companies to remove another 100,000 policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. in June.Some of the companies already began taking out...

Allstate to Begin Homeowners Rate Reductions, Refunds in Texas

May 19 2008 // As a result of an agreement reached by the Texas Department of Insurance, the Office of Public Insurance Counsel and Allstate Texas Lloyd’s, the company will soon begin reducing its homeowners rates and provide...

State Farm Faces Class Action Lawsuit

May 15 2008 // A class action lawsuit was filed in U.S. Federal Court, Central District, alleging that State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. is enriching itself with payments rightfully belonging to its insureds in violation of...

Texas, Allstate Reach Agreement on Homeowners Reductions, Refunds

May 12 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) and Allstate Texas Lloyd’s (Allstate) have reached agreement to settle all outstanding litigation with respect to homeowners...

Pinnacol Distributing $55 Million to Colorado Businesses

May 8 2008 // For the fourth year in a row, Denver-based Pinnacol Assurance, a workers’ compensation insurance carrier, will issue a general dividend to its policyholders. In mid-May, eligible Colorado businesses will receive...

Motorists Mutual Announces 2007 Financial Results

Apr 29 2008 // Columbus, Ohio-based Motorists Mutual Insurance Company recently posted financial results for 2007.Chairman, President and CEO John J. Bishop presented the state of the organization during the annual policyholder meeting...

La. Supreme Court: Flood Exclusion in Insurance Policy is Not Ambiguous

Apr 21 2008 // Finding the flood exclusion in an insurance policy sold by Lafayette Insurance Company to a New Orleans policyholder is unambiguous, the Louisiana Supreme Court reversed, in part, a previous ruling by a state appeals court...

Connecticut Supreme Court Allows State’s Damages Suit against Marsh

Apr 10 2008 // Connecticut’s Attorney General Richard Blumenthal can attempt to recover damages from Marsh & McLennan Inc. for harming the economy of the entire state, the state’s Supreme Court ruled.The ruling stems...

Insurers Urge California Policyholders to Oppose Vehicle Repair Bill

Apr 7 2008 // Three insurance associations are urging Californians to contact their legislators to oppose a bill that they say would influence where consumers get their vehicles repaired following an accident. The bill, SB 1167 by Sen....

Louisiana AG’s Suit Against Insurers Over Katrina Stays in U.S. Court

Apr 4 2008 // Policyholders may not be entitled to recover any money from a sweeping antitrust lawsuit that former Attorney General Charles Foti filed against some of the nation’s largest insurers after Hurricane Katrina, a...

South La. Lawmakers Seek Rate Cut for Citizens Policyholders

Mar 31 2008 // South Louisiana lawmakers are pushing to give some homeowners a 10 percent break on their property insurance, though the legislation faces firm opposition from state Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon.The bill could erase...

LWCC to Pay $45.5 Million in Dividends

Mar 27 2008 // Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC) announced it will pay a $45.5 million dividend to qualifying policyholders in April.LWCC’s board of directors declared the dividend for the calendar year 2007,...