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Mississippi Bar Owners Say Security Guard Proposal Goes Too Far Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:23:37 +0000
Hattiesburg nightclub and bar owners say many smaller nightspots would be put out of business by a proposal to require on-site parking lots and at least three guards at every bar. The City Council has scheduled a public meeting March …
Florida Senate Leader Opposes Immunity for Lawmakers Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:05:54 +0000
The incoming Senate president is opposing a proposal that would allow state lawmakers to wrap themselves in absolute immunity from having to testify in lawsuits. The House Judiciary Committee cleared a Republican bill (PCB JDC 12-03) along party lines last …
Trucker’s Widow Settles Mississippi Wrongful Death Claim with Insurer Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:56 +0000
A trucker’s widow has settled her 2011 wrongful death lawsuit with H&M International Transportation Inc.’s insurance company and a driver. Filed Feb. 8, the agreement with Rita Marie Bruce shows Brookwood Insurance Co. paid her $59,957 on behalf of her …
West Virginia Seeks Input on Proposed Business Court Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:09 +0000
The West Virginia Supreme Court is seeking comment on proposed rules for a new court system for business-related lawsuits. The court is reviewing draft rules presented by a committee led by Wayne County Circuit Judge Darrell Pratt. Pratt has said …
Workers’ Compensation Cost Hike Sought in South Carolina Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:49:53 +0000
South Carolina employers could see their workers’ compensation premiums increase next year if state regulators go along with a proposed 7.3 percent increase in the state’s loss cost rates. The National Council on Compensation Insurance filed for the proposed increase …
Florida Jury Awards Man $3.3 Million Over Bank’s False Alarm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:11:20 +0000
A Miami-Dade jury has awarded $3.3 million to a man who was trying to cash a check but was then detained after a Bank of America teller activated a silent alarm. According to the Miami Herald, the jury ruled Friday …
North Carolina Wins Delay on Medical Loss Ratio Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:55:54 +0000
Federal regulators last week allowed North Carolina insurers a one-year delay in meeting a benchmark requiring that more of each health insurance premium dollar to go toward medical services and less toward overhead and bonuses. The decision by the U.S. …
Florida Lawmakers Still Balk at Raising Homeowners’ Premiums for Cat Fund Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:51:28 +0000
State lawmakers have gambled with their constituents’ money for years when it comes to dealing with Florida’s property insurance issues. But now, many top industry analysts suggest, the odds may be turning against them after six years without a hurricane …
Earthquake Simulator to Be Built at University of Alabama Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:19 +0000
There aren’t very many rooms in the world that can successfully reproduce the devastating effects of an earthquake. But come May 1, a laboratory on the University of Alabama campus may be able to do just that. Work is under …
4 Executives Found Not Guilty in Florida Hurricane Fund Fraud Case Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:24:02 +0000
Four insurance executives of a now defunct Florida property insurer have been found not guilty of defrauding the state’s reinsurance facility of over $20 million in a case stemming from hurricane losses dating back to 2004. Judge Robert Lewis of …
Electric Cigarette Explodes in Florida Man’s Mouth Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:43:52 +0000
A man trying to kick the smoking habit was puffing on an electronic cigarette when a faulty battery caused it to explode in his mouth, taking out some of his front teeth and a chunk of his tongue and severely …
Georgia Disaster Training Site Replicates New Orleans’ 9th Ward Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:36:43 +0000
Work is under way on what might be one of the most unique construction projects ever done in Middle Georgia. For years, the whisper of the wind around vacant buildings has been about the only thing to be heard at …