400+ Homes Damaged In ‘Chaos’ Of Port Orchard Tornado

Crews are inspecting hundreds of homes in a community west of Seattle where a rare tornado caused "a lot of chaos" but no serious injuries. Authorities say as many as 450 homes may have suffered damage.
December 20, 2018 Property Washington

Rare Tornado In Port Orchard, Washington Rips Roofs Off Homes

Dana Stone had finished wrapping Christmas gifts while watching a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie Tuesday afternoon with her dog, Isabella, when she heard a loud pop. The power cut. Outside, she heard a loud hum — then crashing, the pattering of rain and the howl of wind.
December 19, 2018 Property Washington

Collisions Rise In First States To Begin Legalized Retail Sales Of Recreational Marijuana

Crashes are up by as much as 6 percent in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, compared with neighboring states that haven’t legalized marijuana for recreational use, new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shows. The findings come as campaigns to decriminalize marijuana gain traction with voters and legislators in the U.S., and Canada begins allowing recreational use of marijuana this month.
October 26, 2018 Auto Legislation & Regulation Alaska California Colorado Maine Massachusetts

Woman Files Two Fraudulent Claims For Engagement Ring That Ex Kept

A Renton Woman pleaded not guilty to one charge of first-degree theft and two counts of filing a fraudulent insurance claim in King County Superior Court on Monday.
August 9, 2018 Excess & Surplus Lines Fraud Washington

Insurtech Launches Usage-Based Drone Coverage

Insurtech company REIN has launched DroneInsurance.com, with underwriting by Liberty Specialty Markets, providing usage-based insurance for commercial drone operators and simplifying the process of obtaining both base and liability coverage.
August 2, 2018 Excess & Surplus Lines Liability Technology Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

Metromile Leverages AI And Sensor Data From Low-Impact Car Crashes To Tackle Insurance Fraud

In 2015, there were more than 6.3 million car accidents reported that involved property damage with insurance fraud accounting for 10 percent of property/casualty claims processed. While not every accident resulted in an insurance claim, those that did required extensive effort to be verified manually.
June 28, 2018 Auto Technology Arizona California Illinois New Jersey Oregon

$13M Settlement Reached Over Fatal DUI Crash In Seattle

The family of a Kokomo couple who were struck and killed in Seattle by a drunk driver five years ago have settled a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city for $13 million.
June 27, 2018 Excess & Surplus Lines Litigation Washington

Start Sweating the Small Stuff: Keodalah v. Allstate Exposes Individual Claims Representatives To Liability

On March 26, 2018, the Washington State Court of Appeals held in a published and binding decision that an individual insurance claims professional may be liable for bad faith and Consumer Protection Act violations.
June 5, 2018 Liability Litigation Washington

NTSB Advocates For Seat Belts On School Buses In Wake Of Fatal Wrecks

For the first time, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending all new school buses be equipped with lap and shoulder seat belts, after the agency released findings from a special investigation report prompted by two deadly 2016 crashes.
May 24, 2018 Excess & Surplus Lines Legislation & Regulation Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

Insurance’s Flawed Business Model

At its core, the industry is plagued by an inherent conflict of interest. Our customers don’t have an industry expert advocating solely on their behalf; the experts have financial incentives coming from the insurance industry.
May 24, 2018 Risk Management Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

$40 Million Settlement In Seattle Helicopter Crash

Two men injured in the 2014 KOMO helicopter crash obtained a $40 million settlement yesterday. The settlement was reached during a trial spread over the course of five weeks.
May 23, 2018 Excess & Surplus Lines Liability Litigation Oregon Washington

Animal-Related Insurance Claims Top 1.7M In Four Years

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released a study on the number of animal-related insurance losses for the years 2014—2017. The data is gleaned from insurance claims for losses that occurred in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
May 23, 2018 Auto Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

Mountain Bikers Attacked By Cougar Near Seattle, 1 Killed

A man killed by a mountain lion in Washington state and his friend who escaped did everything they were supposed to do in an attack, according to authorities.
May 21, 2018 Life & Health Washington

Insurers Expected To Pay $1.5B For April’s Severe Weather

A catastrophe report has found that the US re/insurance sector is on the hook for more than half of the total economic loss in April resulting from severe convective weather such as thunderstorms and tornados.
May 10, 2018 Auto Catastrophe Property Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

House Trashed During SWAT Standoff In Federal Way, Washington

It’s difficult for Glen Whitton to grasp what happened inside the Federal Way home he shares with his wife Judy, his wife’s twin sister Julie Hocking and her husband Kevin.
April 9, 2018 Liability Property Subrogation Washington
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