Monthly Archives: <span>October 2017</span>

Millions of Allegedly Defective Rail Ties Leads Railroad to Sue

One of the nation’s largest railroads must replace millions of defective wooden railroad ties on its tracks because they’re degrading faster than expected, the company said in a federal lawsuit. Norfolk Southern Railway blames an Alabama company that produced its …

Parametric Insurance Explored for U.S. Disasters

Catastrophic losses this year due to extreme weather events have led to a growing interest in parametric insurance in the U.S., according to industry experts. Weather stations and satellite images are helping to make parametric coverage an increasingly affordable and …

New Jersey Parents Warned to Watch for Marijuana-Laced Halloween Candy

New Jersey is warning parents to look out for people slipping their kids marijuana-laced candy while trick-or-treating. But with no apparent evidence that’s ever happened, advocates for legalizing the drug say it’s nothing more than a Halloween scare tactic. The …

Fraud News: Workers’ Comp and Disaster Aid Fraud, Staged Crashes

Mississippi Woman Arrested in Worker’s Comp Fraud Case A Mississippi woman has been arrested in a worker’s compensation fraud case. Attorney General Jim Hood said Wednesday, in a news release, that 35-year-old Francine Owens is accused of giving misleading statements …

Commentary: Cities Could Do Better When it Comes to Disaster Preparation

The first game of this year’s World Series earned a dubious distinction for the highest temperature ever recorded at the Fall Classic. At 103 degrees, the temperature at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Los Angeles was far above the previous record …

Confusion Over California’s Recreational Marijuana Rules

Ready or not, California kicks off recreational marijuana sales on Jan. 1. And, mostly, it’s not. Los Angeles and San Francisco are among many cities still struggling to fashion local rules for pot shops and growers. Without the regulations, there …

Contractor Fraud Leaves Some Rebuilding 5 Years After Sandy

After Superstorm Sandy flooded the first floor of his New Jersey home with 4 feet of water, Rich Bindell shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to a contractor he knew was approved by the state and had done other …

Subaru Chief Apologizes for Flawed Inspections

The head of Japanese automaker Subaru bowed deeply in apology Friday as the company admitted that it has been carrying out flawed inspections of its Japan-made cars for years. The announcement by Subaru’s chief executive and president, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, was …

Products-Completed Operations Hazard Coverage Doesn’t Cover Liability Based on Negligent Professional Services

In a lawsuit brought by the Illinois city of Park Ridge against its liability insurer, involving the defense of alleged wrongs of city employees, the Appellate Court of Illinois refused to recognize emergency medical services as the city’s “work” under …

Oregon Law Means Harsher Penalties for Holding Cell Phone While Driving

In the three years that Springfield police officer Mike Massey has been a motorcycle traffic enforcement officer, he’s seen it all when it comes to cellphone use and driving. In addition to witnessing drivers talking or texting on their cellphones …