Department of Insurance News

Farmers Says Zesty.ai Wildfire Risk Assessments to Bring 30,000 New Homeowners’ Policies

Farmers Insurance announced Monday that California regulators have approved its plan to assess wildfire risk by using a tool that combines artificial intelligence with high-resolution aerial photography. The carrier said the Z-Fire risk scoring model developed by Zesty.ai is expected …

Georgia Spends $200K a Year on Indicted Insurance Chief

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia taxpayers are spending nearly $200,000 a year in salary and benefits for an insurance commissioner who’s been suspended for nearly two years. When Insurance Commissioner John King presented his budget to lawmakers last week, it included …

North Carolina Holds Hearing on Homeowners Insurance Rates

North Carolina’s insurance commissioner held a hearing on a request from companies that want to increase homeowner insurance prices by an average of more than 25 percent in January. The Fayetteville Observer reported that Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin held the …

Illinois Village Wants to Privatize Fire Department

One of a number of Illinois towns struggling with increasing pension costs wants to save money by shifting control of its fire department to a private company. North Riverside Mayor Hubert Hermanek says the village pitched the proposal at a …

Delaware Allows Electronic Proof of Insurance

Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart is alerting drivers in Delaware that as of June 25, 2014, Delaware law-enforcement officials will accept proof of auto insurance (insurance ID card) in physical or electronic format. House Bill 258 w/HA 1 states that …

California Business Owner Arrested for Workers’ Comp Fraud

Tim Shelley, owner of Tim’s Plumbing, was arrested on felony charges of workers’ compensation insurance fraud and grand theft. A joint investigation with the Department of Insurance and Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office uncovered Shelley’s multiple illegal business operations, alleged …

North Carolina Woman Accused of Making False Vandalism Claims

A North Carolina woman was charged with four counts of insurance fraud, four counts of obtaining property by false pretense and one count of attempting to obtain property by false pretense. Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that between May …

North Carolina Woman Arrested for Forging Certificates of Insurance

Amy Eakes was arrested and charged with one felony count each of attempting to obtain property by false pretense and uttering of a forged endorsement, according to an announcement by North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Department of Insurance criminal …

Texas Seeks Comments on Rule Extending Time to File Windstorm Claims

The Texas Department of Insurance is seeking informal comments on a draft rule outlining how a policyholder with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association may request additional time for filing a claim with TWIA. Insurance Code §2210.205 permits the commissioner to …

Texas Lowers Workers’ Compensation Maintenance Tax Rate

The Texas Department of Insurance announced that the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has lowered the maintenance tax rate to 1.543 percent of gross premiums collected by workers’ compensation insurance carriers from Jan.1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2013. The maintenance …