Ohio Court Reopens Worker’s Disability Accommodation Claim After Caseload Dispute
An appeals court found a factual dispute over whether the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation properly engaged in the interactive process after a claims specialist sought a reduced caseload due to anxiety and depression. Most of the employee’s discrimination and retaliation claims were dismissed.
August 6
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
Workers' Compensation
Ohio
Florida Appeals Court Limits Physician Dispensing in Workers’ Comp Prescription Dispute
A Florida appeals court ruled that injured workers’ statutory right to choose a pharmacy does not extend to physicians who dispense medications. The decision strengthens carriers’ position on prescription reimbursement while setting up a likely legislative fight over workers’ compensation drug benefits.
August 6
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
Workers' Compensation
Florida
Triple-I: Wildfire Risk Expands Beyond the West as Heat Waves Drive US Fire Exposure
A new Insurance Information Institute brief says heat waves, drought and development in the wildland-urban interface are driving wildfire exposure beyond the Western United States, creating new underwriting and claims challenges for insurers.
August 3
Catastrophe
Legislation & Regulation
Property
Risk Management
Underwriting
California
Florida
Georgia
Nebraska
Former Maryland Insurance Agent Sentenced for Unlicensed Annuity Sales and Insurance Fraud
A former insurance agent received a six-month jail sentence after illegally selling annuity policies while his license was revoked. The case also follows an earlier conviction involving stolen client premiums and obstruction of justice.
August 3
Fraud
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Life & Health
Maryland
New Illinois Law Makes Boat Liability Insurance Mandatory for Thousands of Owners
Beginning January 1, 2027, most Illinois motorboats over 50 horsepower or at least 21 feet long must carry liability insurance. The new law introduces fines for uninsured operators and could reduce the number of uninsured boating claims.
July 29
Legislation & Regulation
Liability
Marine
Underwriting
Illinois
Federal Bill Seeks Safe Harbor for Insurers Serving State-Legal Cannabis Industry
A bipartisan Senate bill would prevent federal agencies from penalizing insurers that cover state-legal cannabis businesses while preserving state insurance regulation. The proposal also directs the GAO to study financial access barriers for minority-owned and women-owned cannabis companies.
July 27
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Risk Management
Underwriting
Senate Bill Would Make Staged Truck Crash Fraud a Federal Crime
A bipartisan legislative effort would create a federal crime for intentionally staging crashes involving commercial trucks, giving prosecutors a direct tool to pursue organized fraud rings while insurers push for stronger deterrents.
July 27
Auto
Fraud
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
New York Trains 270 Law Enforcement Officials to Combat Auto Insurance Fraud
Nearly 270 investigators from 55 agencies completed specialized training on staged crashes, fraud investigations, and financial crimes as New York prepares to implement new anti-fraud laws aimed at reducing auto insurance costs.
July 24
Auto
Education & Training
Fraud
Legislation & Regulation
New York
Massachusetts Insurance Brokers Sentenced in $962,000 Premium Theft and Fraud Scheme
A Massachusetts couple who operated an insurance brokerage received federal prison sentences after admitting they stole nearly $1 million in premium payments and issued fake insurance documents, leaving dozens of clients without the coverage they believed they had.
July 24
Fraud
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Massachusetts
Class Action Claims Driscoll’s Strawberries Contain PFAS Pesticide Residue
A proposed class action alleges conventional Driscoll’s strawberries contained PFAS-linked pesticide residue and misled consumers through sustainability marketing. The company denies the allegations and says its food safety programs comply with regulatory requirements.
July 23
Legislation & Regulation
Liability
Litigation
Risk Management
Waymo Driverless Cars Have 68% Fewer Crashes Than Human Drivers, IIHS Finds
An IIHS study found that Waymo’s Level 4 vehicles had fewer police-reportable and injury crashes per mile than human drivers. Researchers warned that federal crash and mileage reporting must improve as autonomous vehicle fleets expand.
July 23
Auto
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Risk Management
Technology
Arizona
California
Texas
Florida Homeowners Insurance Lawsuits Drop to 41% of U.S. Total After Litigation Reforms
Florida’s latest insurance market report shows litigation reforms continue to reduce homeowners insurance lawsuits, lower defense costs, improve insurer profitability, and shrink Citizens Property Insurance’s policy count.
July 23
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Litigation
Property
Florida
5 Family Members Charged in $12.5 Million Florida Construction Fraud and Workers’ Compensation Scheme
Investigators allege five family members used shell construction companies to hide payroll, avoid workers’ compensation premiums, and cash millions of dollars in payroll checks through unlicensed money service businesses.
July 13
Fraud
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Workers' Compensation
Florida
OpenAI Stargate Data Center Raises Property, Pollution, and Liability Questions in Texas
OpenAI’s flagship Stargate campus in Abilene is becoming a case study in how AI infrastructure may reshape property, environmental, and liability exposures. Nearby homeowners, former regulators, and environmental advocates are questioning whether current permitting rules adequately address projects of this scale.
July 10
Legislation & Regulation
Liability
Litigation
Property
Risk Management
Texas
Minnesota Fines Health Insurance Company $150,000 After Fraud Investigation
Minnesota regulators say Seguro Medico misled consumers about the scope of their health insurance coverage and violated multiple state insurance laws. The enforcement action follows guilty pleas in a related federal fraud case.
July 10
Fraud
Insurance Industry
Legislation & Regulation
Life & Health
Minnesota
