Insurance Law

South Carolina requires insurers to have plans safeguarding customer data

Less than a year from now, insurers doing business in South Carolina will be required to have a “comprehensive information security program” that protects consumer data.

Jul 6, 2018 10:27 AM CDT

Will insurance cover people who lost homes to Kilauea volcano?

Homeowners who lost their homes because of the eruption of the Kilauea volcano may not be covered for the loss, even if they have insurance.

May 15, 2018 12:18 PM CDT

Paralegal injured playing softball for law firm team isn’t entitled to workers’ comp, court rules

The executive director of the Delaware law firm Morris James thought softball was so important to team building that she asked job candidates whether they played. She was the softball coach, after all.

Apr 5, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

The dangers of digital things: Self-driving cars steer proposed laws on robotics and automation

Increased reliance on robotics, artificial intelligence and automation tests whether laws and regulations designed to protect those humans are sufficient or whether new laws are necessary.

Mar 1, 2018 12:01 AM CST

Health-care workers with moral or religious objections have support of new HHS division

The Department of Health and Human Services has a new division to help protect health-care workers with moral or religious objections to providing certain types of care. The agency’s website gives examples of the types of procedures that could spur objections: abortions, sterilization and assisted suicide, the Washington Post reports.…

Jan 18, 2018 11:09 AM CST

Judge denies emergency order to force government payment of health insurer subsidies

A federal judge in San Francisco has refused to issue an emergency order requiring the Trump administration to continue paying insurer subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

Oct 25, 2017 4:57 PM CDT

Trump to end insurers’ subsidies after signing order relaxing health insurance requirements for some

Updated: President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to consider rules that expand the ability of small businesses and groups to band together to offer health care coverage that is not subject to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Oct 13, 2017 8:01 AM CDT

SEC alleges general counsel aided Ponzi scheme, approved misleading ads

The Securities and Exchange Commission is alleging that a corporate general counsel participated in a Ponzi scheme that targeted naïve investors in ads that sometimes ran on the Rush Limbaugh Show.

Oct 11, 2017 7:45 AM CDT

More employers can exclude birth control coverage under ACA based on moral or religious grounds

More employers can exempt themselves from providing contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act as a result of new regulations issued on Friday that accommodate moral as well as religious objections.

Oct 6, 2017 11:59 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of taking sneaky photos of technical manual loses bid for rehearing on sanctions

A federal appeals court won’t reconsider sanctions imposed against a Georgia lawyer who refused to address allegations that she snuck into the office of a deposition witness and took photos of a technical manual. Last week, the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a rehearing en banc for…

Sep 20, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Judge denies ‘exorbitant’ request for nearly $1M in attorney fees after $125K recovery

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has denied a request for nearly $1 million in attorney fees and promised to refer the lawyers who sought the money to ethics regulators. U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion of Scranton deemed the fee request “astounding,” “exorbitant” and “woefully deficient.” He criticized claims for various…

Sep 5, 2017 7:45 AM CDT

New Texas law, taking effect in September, could affect some homeowners filing Harvey claims

A Texas law that takes effect on Sept. 1 could affect some homeowners filing claims with their insurance companies in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Aug 29, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Nonreligious anti-abortion groups have to comply with ACA’s contraceptive mandate, 3rd Circuit rules

An anti-abortion group unaffiliated with any religious group has to comply with the contraceptive coverage mandate in the Affordable Care Act, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (PDF) on Friday that secular groups can’t obtain a religious exemption to the law,…

Aug 7, 2017 3:01 PM CDT

Costs of malware attack on DLA Piper could be in the millions; does insurance cover it?

Appropriate insurance could cover many of the costs associated with the malware attack on DLA Piper last month, insurance experts say.

Cyberattack insurance could cover external support, loss of income and bringing computer systems back online, according to insurance experts who spoke with Legal Week (sub. req.).

Jul 10, 2017 9:38 AM CDT

Victimized by ransomware, law firm sues insurer for $700K in lost billings

A Rhode Island law firm has filed a lawsuit against its insurer over coverage for a ransomware attack that locked down the firm’s computer files for three months. Moses Afonso Ryan, a 10-lawyer law firm in Providence, says it paid $25,000 in ransom, but the amount is far less than…

May 2, 2017 11:09 AM CDT