Latest USA Headlines

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

California Arson Suspect Also Faces German Fire Probe

Jan 6 2012 // The man who allegedly ignited more than 50 fires that terrorized Los Angeles last week is also under investigation in Germany for a house fire near Frankfurt.U.S. investigators also disclosed that a search of Harry...

Australia’s Suncorp Updates Melbourne Storm, NZ Quake Loss Estimates

Jan 6 2012 // Australia’s Suncorp Group Limited’s preliminary estimates of the financial impacts of the recent Melbourne hailstorm and Christchurch earthquake are between A$200 and A$250 million [US$204.9 to US$256.1...

La Nina to Linger to Spring

Jan 5 2012 // La Nina, the weather phenomenon widely blamed for withering drought in the southwestern United States and South America, may last longer than expected, into the Northern Hemisphere spring, the U.S. Climate Prediction...

Oklahoma Commissioner Disappointed in Denial of MLR Waiver Request

Jan 5 2012 // Oklahoma’s top insurance regulator believes the medical insurance market is headed for “disruption” as a result of the medical loss ratio component of federal health insurance reformAfter Oklahoma’s...

Insurance Veterans’ Forecasts for 2012

Jan 5 2012 // Now that the year 2011 is behind us, let’s take a look at what might be ahead.Insurance Journal spoke with leading industry professionals and asked them what they are expecting this year. If their forecasts are any...

Ecuador Plaintiffs to Seek Damages from Chevron Abroad

Jan 5 2012 // Ecuadorean plaintiffs who won an $18 billion environmental case against Chevron Corp will pursue legal action against the company overseas in a bid to collect the damages, their lawyer said on Wednesday.An appeals court in...

On-Duty Firefighter Fatalities Decreased in 2011

Jan 4 2012 // There were 81 on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2011, a decrease from the 87 fatalities reported for 2010.The 81 fatalities occurred in 33 states, one U.S....

Earthquakes Prompt Record Insurance Claims in 2011

Jan 4 2012 // Insurance industry damage claims from natural disasters like the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand reached a record $105 billion in 2011, Munich Re , the world’s biggest reinsurer, said on Wednesday.The cost to...

AXA, Japan Post Top Best’s List of World’s Largest Insurers

Jan 4 2012 // France’s AXA S.A. has again topped the list of the world’s 25 largest insurance companies, based on premiums written, compiled by A.M. Best. The lists, which were compiled both on asset value and on net...

Ecuador Court Upholds $18 Billion Judgment against Chevron

Jan 4 2012 // An Ecuadorean appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that Chevron Corp should pay $18 billion in damages to plaintiffs who accused the U.S. oil giant of polluting the Amazon jungle and damaging their health.A local judge...

IAG Finalizes $4.86 Billion Reinsurance Program for 2012

Jan 4 2012 // Insurance Australia Group Limited announced that it has finalized its catastrophe reinsurance program for the period commencing January 1, 2012 with up to A$4.7 billion [US$4.86 billion] in coverage, compared to A$4.1...

Fatal Connecticut Fire Reminds Homeowners of Ash Dangers

Jan 3 2012 // Fire safety officials are warning homeowners about the dangers of fireplace ashes after a Christmas morning blaze that killed five people in Connecticut.Authorities say the fire in Stamford was caused by a bag of fireplace...

Connecticut Health Officials Urge Homeowners to Test for Radon

Jan 3 2012 // The Connecticut public health department is urging residents to test their homes for radon gas, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Health officials estimate that radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung...

Ground Shifting for Medical Liability Insurers: Moody’s

Jan 3 2012 // Although it comprises just over two percent of annual direct premiums for the U.S. property and casualty insurance industry, the medical professional liability (MPL) insurance business is integral to the U.S. healthcare...

Breast Implant Scandal Shows Regulators in Dark on Tracking Risks

Dec 30 2011 // Long before the latest global breast implant scare, American health officials were toying with the idea of building a registry that would track patients with implants.The registry would give a better idea of the number of...

Guy Carpenter Analyzes 2011 Catastrophes; $108 Billion in Losses

Dec 30 2011 // Reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter has examined the past year’s natural catastrophes, which it describes as “an unusually eventful year for the (re)insurance sector.” In addition to the ongoing financial...

Court Upholds Law Giving Telecom Firms Immunity for Surveillance

Dec 30 2011 // A U.S. appeals panel on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of a federal law that grants immunity to telecommunications companies that assist the U.S. government in conducting surveillance of American citizens.However,...

Insurance Adjusters Brace for Cold Weather Claims

Dec 29 2011 // Though summer weather is associated with devastating catastrophe losses, the winter holiday season can be equally busy for insurance adjusters.The third-largest cause of catastrophic losses behind hurricanes and tornadoes,...

November Storms in Southern Alberta Caused $195 Million Insured Loss

Dec 29 2011 // Windstorms that hit southern Alberta in November have caused at least C$200 million [US$195] in insured damage, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. However, the estimate is preliminary, based on data from Property...

WTO Risks its Future by Keeping Doha Talks Alive

Dec 28 2011 // The 153 members of the World Trade Organization agree on two things: We’re in a hole. And we must keep digging.The hole is the Doha Development Round, a decade-old negotiation that was billed as the next stage of...