Natural Disasters and Legal Pressures Are Driving Up Homeowners Insurance Costs Nationwide
Homeowners insurance is becoming less affordable nationwide as natural disasters, legal system strain, and rising repair costs drive premiums higher, especially in disaster-prone states.
June 11
Catastrophe
Insurance Industry
Litigation
Property
Alaska
Florida
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Oregon’s Wildfire Certification Falls Flat Without Insurance Discounts to Drive Participation
While Oregon launched a wildfire certification program to promote home hardening, the lack of required insurance discounts has left homeowners with little motivation to join.
May 8
Catastrophe
Legislation & Regulation
Property
Risk Management
California
Oregon
Idaho Pushes Home Hardening Efforts to Curb Wildfire Risks and Stabilize Insurance Market
Idaho promotes voluntary home hardening measures to reduce wildfire risk, retain insurers, and keep homeowners’ insurance costs manageable across the state.
April 29
California
Florida
Idaho
Oregon
Oregon Court Overturns Six-Figure Contingency Fee in Hartford Insurance Case
An Oregon appellate court has ruled against awarding attorney fees based on a percentage of recovery in an insurance settlement, emphasizing the importance of hourly rates.
March 25
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
Property
Oregon
Fast-Food Workers Face Growing Risks as Customer Violence Escalates
As fast-food employees prepare meals, they also face an increasing risk of customer aggression. Recent violent incidents highlight the dangers of frontline service jobs.
February 14
Legislation & Regulation
Liability
Risk Management
Workers' Compensation
Michigan
Oregon
Tennessee
Bringing European Road Safety Strategies to the U.S.
European road safety initiatives, including Vision Zero, are influencing U.S. transportation policies. Experts highlight innovation, enforcement, and education as key factors.
February 5
Auto
Legislation & Regulation
Risk Management
Technology
California
New York
Oregon
Oregon Lawmakers Seek Utility Rate Freeze for Ongoing Wildfire Lawsuits
Oregon lawmakers plan to introduce legislation preventing utility rate hikes while lawsuits related to the 2020 wildfires remain unresolved, targeting accountability for PacifiCorp.
December 26, 2024
Catastrophe
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
Risk Management
Oregon
West Coast Faces Extreme Weather: Bomb Cyclone and Atmospheric River Threaten Devastation
A historic bomb cyclone brings hurricane-force winds and mass power outages to the Pacific Northwest, while a converging atmospheric river intensifies the threat with flooding rains.
November 20, 2024
Catastrophe
Property
Risk Management
California
Oregon
Washington
UPS Driver Wins $237.6 Million in Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit
A UPS driver was awarded $237.6 million in a racial discrimination lawsuit after a jury found he was subjected to a hostile work environment and unjustly fired. UPS plans to appeal the decision.
September 16, 2024
Litigation
Workers' Compensation
California
Oregon
Washington
Pets Overcoming Unusual Mishaps Compete for Nationwide’s 2024 Hambone Award
Nationwide’s 16th annual Hambone Award highlights bizarre pet incidents like a puzzle-eating pup and a toenail-tangled parrot, with voting open through August 22, 2024, to determine the most unusual pet insurance claim.
August 21, 2024
Education & Training
Insurance Industry
Risk Management
Weird
Florida
Massachusetts
New Jersey
North Carolina
Oregon
Congress Probes Alleged Exploitative Practices by Health Insurers and MultiPlan
Lawmakers are questioning health insurance regulators and MultiPlan’s role in reducing payments to medical providers, which may lead to higher costs for patients and employers, raising concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
August 21, 2024
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Life & Health
Litigation
California
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Oregon
Virginia
Wildfire Risk Intensifies in 2024: Over 2.6 Million Homes at High Risk in the Western U.S.
As of mid-2024, wildfires have ravaged millions of acres in the U.S., with over 2.6 million homes at moderate or greater risk, emphasizing the crucial role of insurance and risk management in protecting communities.
August 13, 2024
Catastrophe
Legislation & Regulation
Property
Risk Management
Arizona
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
NBA Teams Sued for Copyright Infringement in Social Media Videos
Fourteen NBA teams are accused of using copyrighted music in social media promotional videos without proper licensing, leading to multiple lawsuits by Kobalt and other music companies.
July 23, 2024
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
Technology
Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Rite Aid Data Breach Impacts 2.2 Million Customers
Rite Aid, the third-largest US drug store chain, revealed that a data breach exposed sensitive information of over 2.2 million customers, including names, addresses, birth dates, and driver’s license numbers.
July 16, 2024
Insurance Industry
Litigation
Risk Management
Technology
Maine
Massachusetts
Oregon
Vermont
New Study Uncovers State Variations in Workers’ Compensation for First Responders’ Mental Health
Recent research from the FIRST Center highlights significant differences in state workers’ compensation laws for first responders with mental health conditions, emphasizing the need for uniform presumption laws.
July 16, 2024
Legislation & Regulation
Life & Health
Risk Management
Workers' Compensation
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
