Latest Virginia Headlines

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

Federal Judge Tentatively Approves West Virginia Chemical Spill Settlement

Sep 25 2017 // A federal judge has tentatively approved a revised settlement to a class-action lawsuit over a West Virginia chemical spill that left up to 300,000 people without tap water for up to nine days.U.S. District Judge John...

States Need Better Protections for Insurance Consumers in Natural Disasters: Rutgers Report

Sep 21 2017 // As homeowners continue to file insurance claims in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, a research report released by the Rutgers Center for Risk and Responsibility at the Rutgers Law School in Camden, N.J., suggests...

High Levels of Mold, Carbon Dioxide Close West Virginia High School

Sep 21 2017 // A West Virginia high school will close for the rest of the week after high levels of mold and carbon dioxide were found inside nearly a third of its buildings. News outlets report Capital High School in Charleston...

Ex-Coal CEO Asks Supreme Court to Toss West Virginia Mine Blast Conviction

Sep 18 2017 // Attorneys for former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship have made a last pitch to the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out his conviction connected to a 2010 West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 miners. Attorneys for Don...

NCCI Files 10% Reduction in Workers’ Comp Loss Costs for West Virginia

Sep 18 2017 // West Virginia employers will see a projected $21 million reduction in workers’ compensation premiums in the coming year, according to a recent statement from Gov. Jim Justice.The National Council on Compensation...

Virginia Man Who Stole $19M from IT Firm Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

Sep 12 2017 // A corporate controller who stole more than $19 million from the information technology firm that employed him has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.Forty-eight-year-old Jon Frank of Nokesville, Virginia, pleaded...

Element Risk Finalizes Acquisition of Virginia’s Russell Insurance Agency

Aug 30 2017 // Element Risk Management, a West Chester, Penn.-headquartered, privately held insurance firm, has finalized the acquisition of Russell Insurance Agency Inc., based in Front Royal, Va.The acquisition will be Element...

West Virginia Doctor Gets 20 Years in Prison for Illegally Distributing Painkillers

Aug 30 2017 // A West Virginia doctor accused of illegally distributing painkillers to three patients who later died has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Dr. Michael Kostenko, who faced 22 charges, admitted at the second day...

NCCI Files 10% Reduction in Workers’ Comp Loss Costs for West Virginia

Aug 29 2017 // West Virginia employers will see a projected $21 million reduction in workers’ compensation premiums in the coming year, according to a recent statement from Gov. Jim Justice.The National Council on Compensation...

West Virginia Miner Who Survived 2006 Sago Blast Dies on Job

Aug 28 2017 // A coal miner who died on the job in West Virginia was the brother of one of the 12 killed in the Sago Mine disaster of 2006.The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that authorities identified the miner found dead Friday as...

IIAV ‘Redoubling’ Hurricane Preparedness Efforts Since Following Harvey’s Texas Impact

Aug 28 2017 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia (IIAV) is motivated to “redouble its efforts” around hurricane preparedness, particularly as it relates to flood damage, since following Hurricane Harvey’s...

Family Settles Suit Against Perdue, Trucking Firm Over Virginia Crash

Aug 24 2017 // A family has settled a lawsuit against Perdue Farms and a trucking company over the death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy whose tractor was struck by a semi-truck carrying chicken.The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday...

West Virginia to Use $22M from Drug Distributor Suit for Addiction Treatment

Aug 24 2017 // West Virginia’s Department of Health and Human Resources says it will use $22 million in settlement money from drug distributors to help address the addiction epidemic in the state. Legislation passed this year...

How Civil Immunity Lawsuit Led to Limits on Taser Use: Reuters Report

Aug 23 2017 // One of the biggest commercial threats to Taser International’s signature weapon could come from a lawsuit the company won.Across the United States, wrongful death lawsuits involving Tasers have created a body of case...

Gas Leak at West Virginia Restaurant Sends 7 to Hospital

Aug 23 2017 // A fire official says seven people have were sent to the hospital after a suspected gas leak at a West Virginia restaurant.Media outlets report the incident happened Monday at a Buffalo Wild Wings outside the Huntington...

Federal Funding Available to West Virginia Flood Victims

Aug 22 2017 // President Donald Trump has made federal funding available residents in four West Virginia counties dealing with severe flooding, landslides and mudslides.The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced the money is...

People – East

Aug 21 2017 // Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc., headquartered in East Providence, R.I., has promoted Sean Cottrell and Elizabeth Lowe to senior vice presidents.Cottrell is the practice leader for the Human Service...

GOP Facing Resistance to State Bills Shielding Drivers Who Hit Protesters

Aug 18 2017 // Republican lawmakers in six states have pushed this year for legal protections for motorists who hit protesters blocking traffic. Fairly or not, they’re facing an intense backlash now that violent images of a car...

Drug Company Deflects Blame in Lawsuit Over West Virginia Opioid Crisis

Aug 18 2017 // A West Virginia city’s lawsuit against a drug company has led to a dispute over which is at fault in the opioid epidemic.The Charleston Gazette-Mail reported last week that one of the nation’s largest drug...

A.M. Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for West Virginia National Auto Insurance Co.

Aug 17 2017 // A.M. Besthas revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bb” of West Virginia National Auto Insurance Co.,...