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Mother Punched While She Held Her Baby Sues Los Angeles Sheriff`s Department

Article 0 Comments A woman who was punched in the face by a deputy as she held her baby sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff`s Department, alleging excessive force and wrongful arrest. Yeayo Russell filed a federal lawsuit last week against the department and the deputies involved in the July 2022 traffic stop in Palmdale, northeast of Los Angeles. The department released body camera video this month. “This case is about more than just punches,” said Jamon Hicks, one of Russell`s attorneys. “It is about the way the deputies treated this mother.” Asked to comment on the lawsuit, the sheriff`s department said in a statement Wednesday that the FBI is investigating and that officials are cooperating. “The Sheriff’s Department affirms that the FBI has made contact to gather documents and other materials pertaining to a use-of-force occurrence in Palmdale,” the department said. “The Department will fully assist in the ongoing investigation, working closely with local, state, and federal investigative agencies.” Russell was a passenger in a car that was stopped for driving at night without headlights. The deputies smelled alcohol and saw three babies who, instead of being in car seats, were being held, authorities said. The male driver was...

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Twin Advisors Indicted in Fraud Against Disabled, Retired Clients

What You Need to Know Adam Kaplan and Daniel Kaplan were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, investment advisor fraud and money laundering. In total, the Kaplan brothers allegedly misappropriated at least $5 million. The brothers face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, according to the Justice Department. The twin brothers whom the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint against in March for allegedly misappropriating over $5 million from at least 60 clients have now been indicted by the Justice Department. A 16-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday in federal court in Central Islip, New York, charging investment advisors Adam Scott Kaplan and Daniel Evan Kaplan, 34, of Great Neck, New York, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, investment advisor fraud and money laundering in connection with several schemes to steal millions of dollars from their clients. The identical twins were arrested and arraigned on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks, according to Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, acting assistant director-in-charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office. If convicted, the brothers face up to 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department....

SIB Expands in Ontario With Two New Additions 0

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SIB Expands in Ontario With Two New Additions

SIB expands its presence in Ontario with the additions of McCulloch Insurance (1951) Ltd. and Delbert R. Smith Insurance Brokers Ltd. Ancaster, ON (July 18, 2023) – SIB Corp. is pleased to announce it has expanded its Partner Network in Ontario through new partnerships with McCulloch Insurance (1951) Ltd. (“McCulloch Insurance”) and Delbert R. Smith Insurance Brokers Ltd. (“Del Smith Insurance”). McCulloch Insurance is a full-service insurance brokerage operating in Northern Ontario since 1951. “We have been serving the Espanola, Elliot Lake, Manitoulin Island & The North Shore areas for over 70 years. Since the beginning, McCulloch Insurance has offered its customers superior service at competitive prices. We are excited to now be a part of SIB. This new partnership will allow us to maintain the same level of service, as well as allowing us to provide service from a greater range of markets, and increased capabilities in commercial lines, to provide complete solutions for all our customers” said Allen McCulloch, President of McCulloch Insurance. Del Smith Insurance was founded in 1971 and is based in Orleans, Ontario. Over the years, it has remained a family-run brokerage and has developed a strong reputation as a trusted provider of comprehensive insurance...

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Liberty Mutual to Stop Offering Business Owner’s Policy In California As Costs Bite

Article 0 Comments Property and casualty insurer Liberty Mutual will stop offering its business owner’s policy (BOP) product in wildfire-prone state California from Oct. 1, in a sign that cost inflation and higher catastrophe losses are pounding insurers’ profits. A spokesperson for Liberty Mutual also told Reuters in an emailed statement that the company “will not renew its current book of this line of business beginning in December.” BOP is an insurance product usually required by business owners that bundles all major property and liability risks into a single package. Global insurers are seeing an erosion in their profitability as they struggle to price the heightened catastrophe risk into premiums amid an environment already fraught with high inflation and regulatory hurdles. Liberty Mutual joins a growing list of major insurers retreating from California. In May this year, State Farm said that it would stop selling new insurance policies to homeowners in California. The continued retreat of larger insurance carriers from the California residential property insurance market, signals ongoing regulatory constraints, rising cost inflation and higher catastrophe losses, credit rating agency Fitch said in a note earlier this year. (Reporting by Singh Shekhawat and Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh...

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Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal on Tax Charges in Limbo

A hearing over Hunter Biden’s plea agreement with prosecutors regarding his tax charges and a firearm violation ended on Wednesday without a resolution, after a judge refused to sign off on the terms of the deal. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika expressed concerns over the structure of the deal, which had provisions for tax charges and a weapons charge, as well as the time frame of the agreement and what charges won’t be prosecuted. Biden admitted his guilt at the start of the nearly four-hour hearing in Wilmington, Delaware, but ended up entering a plea of not guilty after the agreement was derailed. The judge chastised both prosecutors and Biden’s defense lawyers for presenting her with a plea deal she said suffered from procedural flaws. Throughout the hearing, diverging views emerged between Biden’s lawyers and prosecutors regarding the scope of the immunity that would be granted to Biden under the agreement. Under the original deal, Biden had intended to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes committed in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, he was poised to enter into an agreement with federal prosecutors to avoid prison on a charge for possessing a gun while addicted to an illegal drug. The...

Zurich adds cyber insurance offering for middle market businesses 0

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Zurich adds cyber insurance offering for middle market businesses

Cyber Concierge product addresses middle market cyber resource gaps, offering both cyber insurance coverage and resilience services Toronto, ON (July 17, 2023) – Zurich North America, a provider of cyber risk solutions for over a decade, has introduced a cyber insurance offering designed specifically for middle market businesses. The Zurich Cyber Insurance Policy Concierge Suite includes not only Cyber Insurance coverage but also loss-prevention and resilience services such as a breach coach and a cybersecurity hotline available 24/7. Cyber Concierge, which can help businesses resolve both first-party cyber events and third-party claims, is available as a complement to other property or casualty coverages that a company has with Zurich. “Many middle market companies have been caught in a cyber resource gap,” said Michelle Chia, Head of Professional Liability and Cyber at Zurich North America. “They do not have the extensive cybersecurity teams and tools that larger corporations do, and yet face equally serious cyber risks. We designed Zurich Cyber Concierge to be a turnkey solution that provides cost-effective protection and high-quality services. The goal is to help simplify and enhance cyber resilience for the middle market segment, which is a growing and vital driver of the economy.” Studies find middle...

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Pelican Ventures Invests in Nsure.com

Article 0 Comments New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Digital insurance agency Nsure.com said today it secured a strategic investment from insurance-focused fund Pelican Ventures, a private firm founded by Renaissance Re founder Jim Stanard and TigerRisk founder Rod Fox. Fox has agreed to join Nsure’s advisory board. The investment amount was not disclosed. Nsure, founded in 2018, provides personal lines coverage in all 50 states with 50+ carriers. “We couldn’t find better investors,” says Adrian Dzielnicki, CEO of Nsure.com. “In addition to their investment, Pelican’s experience as extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs and innovators in their own right will help us revolutionize the way Americans buy insurance.” Nsure.com uses big data, robotic process automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence to help consumers shop for auto or home insurance, and buy and bind policies in minutes. In addition, agents are also available. “Nsure.com, because of its highly advanced technology, ease of use and personal touch, is the only multicarrier complete end-to-end distribution source of its kind that we have found,” says Rod Fox, Pelican board member. “Today, less than 5% of personal lines polices are actually purchased on line. The overwhelming majority of personal lines are still handled in...

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GOP Spending Bill Keeps DOL Indie Contractor Rule Alive

Labor’s most recent regulatory agenda lists the final rule as coming in August. Dale Brown, FSI’s president and CEO, said in January that Labor’s new independent contractor rule shows DOL doesn’t “understand the independent advisor model and gig economy workers — these are professionals that own their own businesses, own their own practices. They chose to be independent.” Brown said Labor’s new independent contractor rule “is a big step backwards,” and remains “a major issue” for FSI. “We have engaged that fight and it will continue.” On Monday in an email, an FSI spokesperson reiterated that the 2021 independent contractor rule “provides workers and businesses, particularly the independent financial services industry, with the much needed clarity regarding workers’ classification.” The pending new Labor rule “would create uncertainty regarding many financial advisors’ independent contractor status, impose burdensome costs on independent financial services firms and, ultimately, impact Main Street Americans’ access to affordable, professional financial advice,” FSI said. “Our financial advisor members have chosen to be independent contractors, with many having switched from an employee-based model, and we support efforts that protect advisors’ ability to make that choice.” Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along...

Acera Insurance partners with Rushton Agencies, expands operations in Central Alberta 0

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Acera Insurance partners with Rushton Agencies, expands operations in Central Alberta

Calgary, AB (July 11, 2023) – Acera Insurance Services Ltd. is pleased to announce it has partnered with Rushton Agencies Ltd. Rushton Agencies is a trusted independent brokerage that has provided insurance solutions to individuals, farmers and businesses in and around Stettler, AB for more than 100 years. This transaction expands Acera Insurance’s operations in central Alberta, where it has had dedicated teams in Red Deer and Sylvan Lake for several decades. “The longevity of Rushton Agencies demonstrates that Canadians deeply value working with a local independent brokerage that puts their best interests first,” says Bruce Rabik, Chief Operating Officer of Acera Insurance. “We are excited to welcome Rushton Agencies to Acera Insurance as this partnership reinforces our commitment to strengthen the independent brokerage model across the country.” The Rushton Agencies transaction closed on June 30. While Rushton Agencies will fully transition to Acera Insurance in the coming months, its deeply rooted local presence and community support will remain. “We have worked diligently to find the right partner for this exciting evolution of Rushton Agencies,” says Steve Babcock, President of Rushton Agencies. “Joining Acera Insurance offers our clients the best of both worlds – Stettler maintains a local, independent brokerage...

Alabama Firefighter Dies, Another Wounded After Attack at Fire House 0

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Alabama Firefighter Dies, Another Wounded After Attack at Fire House

Article 0 Comments New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! An Alabama firefighter who was shot inside his fire station will be laid to rest today, providing a small measure of closure after what authorities have called a targeted attack that left another fireman critically wounded. News outlets reported that Jordan Melton, 29, just a month out of the fire training academy, was shot July 12 at the Norwood station in Birmingham. He died July 17. Another firefighter, Jamal Jones, was hospitalized, local TV news and the New York Times reported. Police are still searching for a motive and a suspect in the attack. Fire officials said the shootings were “extremely unusual.” A $45,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest in the shooting. Until a suspect is apprehended and a motive is determined, it may be unclear if the victims will be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Alabama law in 2022 provided two-thirds of a worker’s wages for temporary total disability, up to a weekly maximum of $983. For fatalities on the job, the state allowed two-thirds of wages for dependents, for a maximum of 500 weeks, according to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute....