As society’s focus on sexual harassment grows, so too does the number of people filing claims against employers. According to a report released last week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), harassment claims rose 13.6 percent from 2017 to 2018. A 2019 study by NAVEX Global found an 18 percent increase in employee-reported cases…
After two devastating crashes that resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives, Boeing has grounded its 737 Max planes. Multiple sources have linked the crashes—Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019—to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), the plane’s automatic safety system, though the U.S. Federal…
Electric scooter (e-scooter) sharing programs continue to flourish in cities worldwide, including hundreds in the U.S., Europe, and new expansions into Canada. E-scooter companies, such as Bird and Lime, put “dockless” electric scooters on city sidewalks for riders to pick up, use and set down at their destination. Scooters represent a burgeoning trend known as “micromobility,”…
When Antonio Maria de Lacy, M.D., oversaw the complex surgical removal of a cancerous tumor from a patient’s colon in Barcelona, Spain, in February, he was not in the room or even in the building. Using 5G technology, de Lacy supervised a team of surgeons from more than three miles away. The future of medicine…
A combination of rapid snowmelt, ice jams and torrential rains over several days in mid March left swaths of the Midwest and Great Plains states submerged and more than 10 million people under flood warnings by March 17. Powered in part by a “bomb cyclone”—when a rapid drop in barometric pressure leads to hurricane-force winds—flooding…
The tragic deaths of five employees in a workplace mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, on February 15 this year and the shooting incident that took place at day labor company, Trojan Labor, in Washington, DC, just one day earlier, are solemn reminders of the very real threat posed by workplace…
Strategic acquisition deepens transportation expertise as industry continues its evolution TORONTO (March 07, 2019) – H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox Canada announced today they have acquired Toronto-based TRU Transportation Risk Underwriters Ltd. (TRU), a Canadian Managing General Agent (MGA) with unique transportation expertise in providing risk solutions for truck and taxi commercial fleets….
While everyone is Irish on March 17, more than 4 million residents in Canada and nearly 40 million in the U.S. actually claim Irish heritage. These Irish descendants, actual and adopted, make St. Patrick’s Day a highly profitable occasion for bars and restaurants. The holiday’s popularity is rising, according to the National Retail Federation: Americans spent nearly…
Nashville restaurant Milk and Honey faces more than $6 million in damages from four separate lawsuits alleging at least 20 patrons were sickened by short rib gnocchi served at the restaurant on August 3 and 4, 2018. The gnocchi contained what the USDA determined were Salmonella-contaminated eggs from Alabama-based supplier Gravel Ridge Farms. The lawsuits…
This Sunday movie A-listers from around the world will promenade down the red carpet for the 91st Academy Awards, sporting garments created by a who’s who of designers, established and ascending. Designers and dealers vie for the coveted honor of outfitting celebrities with their jewelry and watches. One report estimated the total value of jewelry and…
Every day, it seems, brings news of another milestone achieved thanks to 3D printing. Just last month doctors at Penn State Children’s Hospital surgically implanted a 3D-printed esophageal “splint” in 13-month-old Ramiah Martin, who was born without a trachea and with a malformed esophagus. Digital manufacturer Carbon and football helmet designer Riddell recently announced plans…
Company to Donate Minimum of $50,000 to Support Sponsored Athletes’ Charities Farmington Hills, Mich. (February 12, 2019) – Burns & Wilcox, North America’s leading wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, today announced the launch of its signature philanthropic initiative called Champions & Charities with brand ambassadors Webb Simpson and Jimmy Walker. Through the program and…
From 2008 to 2016 the Sackler family, which controls Purdue Pharma, received more than $4 billion in profits by aggressively marketing and selling OxyContin, despite several lawsuits and full awareness of the drug’s highly addictive properties, according to a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on January 31. The lawsuit alleges members of…
Truck driver David Johnson confirmed last week he is the sole winner of the December 26 New York Powerball drawing. The 56-year-old, who emigrated from Jamaica when he was 16, quit his job at Iberia Foods and plans to live on the estimated $114 million he will collect after taxes. Johnson’s plans also include buying…
Though the resulting aroma was sweet, the rollover accident that caused a tanker truck to spill 40,000 pounds of hot, liquid chocolate on an Arizona freeway was anything but. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved in the accident, but the insurance impact is likely significant. The accident appeared to have been caused by…
The impact of wildfires that raged across California the past two years will force one of the state’s largest utilities to file for bankruptcy protection later this month, but has also limited access to Homeowners Insurance policies statewide. Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. (PG&E), found at fault for some 2017 wildfires, now faces additional liabilities…
As the North American International Auto Show kicks off next week in Detroit, one of the more talked about trends in the automotive industry is the growth in interest and investment in vehicle subscription services. These services are considered the “Netflix model of vehicle ownership and usage:” consumers pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars…
Retailers are increasingly accepting cryptocurrencies as a form of payment for goods and services, but the volatile nature of the currency puts these businesses at risk. The fluctuating value of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin could lead to overnight double-digit increases or decreases in currency value. Bitcoin, the most popular and widely used type of cryptocurrency, saw…
‘Tis the season of giving — and high-value gifts Consumers were projected to spend more than $720 billion over the holidays this year, according to the National Retail Federation. While the majority of that spending likely falls into the stocking stuffer category, The Robb Report listed a $6 million pair of pear-shaped Jacob & Co….
From his bustling workshop to his nine loyal reindeer, Santa Claus operates one of the most complex enterprises in the world. That level of global intricacy requires an expert review of risk management strategies. “There are a number of insurance products that I would think Santa would have in place,” said Chris Zoidis, Corporate Executive…
