Tropical Storm Bertha is increasing humidity across Texas and Louisiana, driving heat index values as high as 120 degrees while record electricity demand and localized flooding threats create additional risks for property owners and insurers.
An IIHS study found that Waymo’s Level 4 vehicles had fewer police-reportable and injury crashes per mile than human drivers. Researchers warned that federal crash and mileage reporting must improve as autonomous vehicle fleets expand.
Just as LADWP prepared to reopen Sunset Boulevard after replacing the ruptured 36-inch water main, crews discovered another leak that could extend repairs. The latest setback adds uncertainty for property owners, businesses, and insurance claims tied to the July 16 flooding.
Tropical Storm Bertha is forecast to make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday. Forecasters expect breezy conditions, scattered rain, and minor coastal flooding, with the greatest impacts remaining south of the storm’s center.
Tropical Depression Two is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha as it tracks along the northern Gulf Coast. Heavy rain, storm surge, and tropical storm conditions could lead to flooding and property damage from Florida to Texas.
The National Hurricane Center increased the odds of tropical development for Invest 91L in the eastern Gulf. A westward shift in the projected track is expected to reduce rainfall across Central Florida while keeping the Gulf Coast under closer watch.
A federal judge ordered restitution after a former Maryland police officer admitted participating in a scheme that used false police reports and staged vehicle thefts to collect insurance payouts. The case also involved multiple law enforcement officers and several major auto insurers.
Taylor Farms expanded its voluntary recall after federal investigators linked imported iceberg lettuce to a multistate cyclospora outbreak. The recall raises product liability and food contamination concerns across the supply chain.
Forecasters say El Niño reduces activity in the Atlantic’s traditional hurricane breeding grounds while increasing the importance of storms developing in the Gulf and western Atlantic. Warm ocean temperatures could make those systems more significant for coastal communities and insurers.
Federal prosecutors say shell medical equipment companies submitted billions in fraudulent insurance claims. The case underscores why policyholders and insurers should closely monitor billing activity for signs of fraud.
Dashcam footage and an independent 911 witness helped investigators prove a California driver intentionally caused a collision before filing a fraudulent insurance claim. The driver received jail time, probation, and restitution after being convicted on multiple charges.
Investigators allege five family members used shell construction companies to hide payroll, avoid workers’ compensation premiums, and cash millions of dollars in payroll checks through unlicensed money service businesses.
A mechanic’s teardown of a Chevrolet Camaro engine recovered after years underwater uncovered signs of prior repairs and prompted questions about whether the vehicle’s theft claim and total loss were connected to a possible fraud scheme.
Advances in climate attribution science are helping insurers better estimate future catastrophe risks, even as political scrutiny over climate models intensifies.
