Latest Washington Headlines

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

Wash. Contractor Cited for Fraudand Safety Violations

Oct 3 2005 // To combat fraud and protect workers from serious injury and death, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries has cited a Tacoma roofing contractor for workers’ compensation fraud and multiple safety...

Wash.’s L&I Proposes 3.8% Boost in Workers’ Comp Rates

Sep 19 2005 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries has proposed increasing hourly workers’ comp rates by an average of 3.8 percent in 2006. If adopted, the higher premiums would cover anticipated increases in the...

News Briefs

Sep 19 2005 // UTAHUTAH SUPREME COURT RULES WCF ASSETS NOT OWNED BY STATE: The Utah Supreme Court has declared that Workers Com-pensation Fund’s assets are owned by policyholders, not the state. The ruling in favor of WCF settles...

Lawyers Plead Guilty in Fraud Ring

Sep 19 2005 // Two attorneys pleaded guilty in connection with a Southern California insurance fraud ring that allegedly staged vehicle collisions and filed false insurance company claims, according to state officials.Curtis Mitchell...

New Mexico, Washington State Associations Honored with L.P. McCord Education Award

Sep 15 2005 // Independent Insurance Agents in New Mexico and Washington state were recognized for their outstanding commitment to education as the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America presented the three state...

Wash. Man Sentenced for Defrauding L&I in Workers’ Comp Scam

Sep 9 2005 // Tracy Lee Owens of Sedro Woolley, Wash., has been sentenced to state prison for illegally collecting workers’ compensation wage-replacement benefits while working at another job.Owens, 42, was caught by Department of...

Quirk & Co. Opens Pacific Northwest Branch in Washington

Sep 6 2005 // Quirk & Company announces the opening of a Pacific Northwest branch, with the addition of Robert Hope as senior vice president, and Merry Palmer as senior account executive. The physical office will be on Bainbridge...

Washington’s L&I Proposes 3.8 Percent Boost in 2006 Workers’ Comp Rates

Sep 1 2005 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries proposed increasing hourly workers’ compensation insurance rates by an average of 3.8 percent in 2006. If adopted, the higher premiums would cover anticipated...

Wash. Accepts Electronic Agent Appointments, Terminations Through National Database

Aug 24 2005 // Insurers may now reportedly save time by submitting new appointments and terminations for current Washington OIC agents through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) Gateway.To learn how NIPR works and to review...

N.J. Gubernatorial Hopeful Hit Over Out-of-State Insurer, Campaign Gifts

Aug 15 2005 // A public interest lawyer has charged Republican Douglas Forrester with intentionally skirting New Jersey law by licensing an insurance company out-of-state and using the shell operation to illegally funnel millions in...

Gov. Pataki Sent Bill to Repeal Drunk Drivers’ Insurance Exclusion

Aug 15 2005 // New York would join a growing list of states to repeal laws allowing insurance carriers to deny payment of medical bills for people injured while driving drunk under a measure sent to Gov. George Pataki.Under current state...

Wash. State Battles Blaze as More than 100 Homes Destroyed; Other Western States Face Fires

Aug 13 2005 // While temperatures fell Friday and the humidity rose, that was about the only good news for folks and firefighters in southeastern Washington State, as a nearly 50,000-acre wildfire continued to blaze. More than 100 homes...

Medical Treatment for Similar Auto Crash Injuries Varies from State to State, Industry Study Reports

Aug 8 2005 // Auto injury claimants from four states seek different types of medical treatment, even though they report similar injuries, according to a study of insurance claims by the Insurance Research Council. The study examined...

NCRIC Group Shareholders Back Merger into ProAssurance Corp.

Aug 2 2005 // NCRIC Group Inc. and ProAssurance Corporation jointly announced that NCRIC’s shareholders have approved NCRIC’s merger into ProAssurance. The approval came at Tuesday’s special meeting of shareholders in...

Health Plans Launch Ads to Show Med-Mal Crisis in D.C.

Jul 28 2005 // At a time when Washington, D.C. is grappling with rising health care costs and striving to further improve education and public safety, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is launching an ad campaign designed to...

Lawyers Plead Guilty in SoCal Car Insurance Fraud Ring

Jul 25 2005 // Two attorneys pleaded guilty Friday in connection with a Southern California insurance fraud ring that allegedly staged vehicle collisions and filed false insurance company claims, officials said.Curtis Mitchell Shaw, 61,...

Wash. Contractor Cited for Fraud and Safety Violations

Jul 20 2005 // In a combined effort to combat fraud and protect workers from serious injury and death, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has cited a Tacoma roofing contractor for workers’ compensation...

Mt. Washington Offers N.H. Agents ISO’s Home Valuation Program

Jul 19 2005 // Independent agents of Mt. Washington Assurance Corporation can now use the Web-based ISO HomeValue to estimate the costs associated with rebuilding structures in the event of a total loss.Developed by ISO subsidiary AIR...

News Briefs

Jul 18 2005 // WASH. WORK COMP BENEFITS SEE INCREASE OF 0.6%: Workers currently receiving Washington workers’ compensation time-loss or pension benefits will receive a 0.6 percent cost-of-living increase effective immediately....

No. Idaho Grass Growers Agree to Settle Field-Burning Lawsuit

Jul 18 2005 // Insurance companies for northern Idaho grass farmers have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by area residents over pollution from growers’ annual field burning.The amount of the settlement hasn’t...