The Illinois Department of Insurance (“DOI”) has issued a notice of withdrawal of its proposed amendments to the Illinois Insurance Department Consumer Complaints Rule (50 Ill. Adm. Code 926) that were described in our January 9, 2017 blog post.

The stated reason for withdrawal is that the “[DOI] is considering
Read More Notice of Withdrawal of Proposed Amendments to the Illinois Insurance Department Consumer Complaints Rule

On Tuesday, September 12th, Florida Governor Rick Scott directed Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier to “freeze any and all efforts” to increase property insurance rates.  In addition, Governor Scott stated that policyholders who had their coverage canceled or non-renewed in the days leading up to Hurricane Irma should receive a 90-day
Read More Florida Governor Scott Orders Freeze on Property and Casualty Rate Increases

Yesterday, Locke Lord touched on the general implications of the recent devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma on the Insurance-Linked Securities (“ILS”) market here.  With Irma having now left the Florida keys (and reportedly having destroyed upwards of 25% of all homes in the area), it is now
Read More ILS Market: A Deep Dive into the Harvey and Irma Waters

On Friday, September 7th, the Senate passed a bill increasing the disaster aid within the National Flood Insurance Program (the “NFIP”) to $15 billion. The NFIP was initially established in 1968 to provide flood coverage to properties located in flood zones, as a response to flood insurance becoming too costly
Read More Senate Passes Bill Proposing Three Month NFIP Extension

Not since Katrina in 2005 has the mainland United States been witness to a category 5 storm that resulted in widespread and costly devastation.  Now, first Harvey, and then Irma.  What does this mean for the ILS market?  To begin with, the ILS market never billed itself as a replacement
Read More Harvey, Irma and the ILS Market

In the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and with the approach of Hurricane Irma to Florida, many homeowners and businesses will be contacting their insurers with flood and wind insurance claims. However, the insurance for these two risks varies and insureds should be aware of
Read More Flood and Wind Insurance in Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Insurers are utilizing innovative services to assist those affected by Hurricane Harvey, as well as those who may need assistance following Hurricane Irma.  One large carrier created an interactive map that shows areas affected by Harvey. The general public can use the map to assess the condition of their neighborhoods.
Read More Insurers Use InsurTech To Simplify Claims Process in Wake of Hurricanes

Last month, the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) proposed an amendment to 11 NYCRR 80-1.6 (the “Regulation”), which would augment the application process to acquire a domestic insurer by potentially limiting the amount of information that must be provided in connection therewith.

The proposals to the Regulation allow
Read More New York Proposes Regulation to Amend Form A Process

Hurricane Harvey has caused significant exposure for those owning habitational accounts in London’s direct and facultative (“D&F”) market. Habitational coverage insures commercial residential properties, and each habitational account could cover hundreds of properties. Before Hurricane Harvey, many underwriters believed Texas habitational premiums were underpriced, which in turn led to reinsurers
Read More London Direct and Facultative Market Affected by Harvey

As victims of Hurricane Harvey try to assess their (often catastrophic) damages, many business owners are finding that their traditional coverages do not adequately cover the scope of their losses.  The National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”), the primary governmental flood insurance option, has traditionally provided adequate coverage for homeowners, but
Read More Harvey Shining Limelight on Business Interruption Insurance Industry