Proposed rule tightens timelines from last year’s informal draft. The Texas Department of Insurance has formally proposed new rules establishing appraisal-process requirements for personal automobile and residential property insurance disputes, with significant auto-claim provisions, compressing several deadlines and adding new umpire-selection options compared with an informal draft circulated last fall. The proposal, signed April 23 […]
Three Sentenced in California “Operation Bear Claw” Insurance Fraud Scheme
Three Los Angeles, Calif.-area residents have been sentenced for their roles in an insurance fraud scheme that used a person in a bear costume to stage fake animal attacks on luxury vehicles, the California Department of Insurance announced April 16. The defendants submitted claims to three different insurers for interior damage to a 2010 Rolls […]
California Department of Insurance Warns Drivers about Tow Truck Drivers Holding Vehicles Hostage in Southern California
Warning follows arraignment of 16 residents in alleged auto insurance fraud ring involving body shop. Yesterday, the California Department of Insurance issued a public service announcement (PSA) with a warning for California drivers about an increase in scams involving tow truck companies targeting car accident victims where vehicles are being held hostage for cash. The […]
Fifteen Southern California Residents Charged in Alleged Auto Insurance Fraud Ring
Ring alleged to have acquired Highway Patrol collision reports, impersonated insurance company reps to get owner authorization to move vehicles to collision repair shop. The California Insurance Department announced that the Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force arrested 12 Southern California residents on May 9 after an investigation found they allegedly conspired together to create […]
State Senator Ann Gillespie Named Acting Director of Illinois Department of Insurance
On April 8, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) Director Dana Popish Severinghaus will step down from her role as of April 15. Popish Severinghaus has served as Director of DOI since January of 2021. Governor Pritzker has appointed State Senator Ann Gillespie as new Acting Director of DOI, pending […]
California Alleges Mercury Insurance Illegally Steered Good Drivers to Higher Priced Auto Insurance
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara yesterday announced a legal action against Mercury Insurance for violating consumer protection laws, including by selling Mercury’s highest-priced policy to “good drivers” instead of the lowest-priced policy for which good drivers qualify. This legal enforcement action comes after a Department investigation found numerous areas where Mercury’s business practices harmed policyholders […]
AASP/NJ Members Learn Department of Insurance Do’s and Dont’s
Members of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) recently gathered for “Understanding the Role of the Division of Insurance,” an association-hosted virtual event that welcomed industry attorney Patrick J. McGuire, Esq. for a discussion on the do’s and don’ts of successfully submitting complaints and inquiries to the New Jersey Department of […]
California Collision Repair Shops Charged with Felony Insurance Fraud
Department of Insurance and Contra Costa District Attorney’s office undercover sting results in eight felony charges against four individuals. To crack down on automobile insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) conducted an undercover sting operation targeting collision repair facilities across Contra […]
Arizona Insurance Department Director Steps Down
The Arizona Governor’s Office announced today that Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions Director Keith Schraad will be leaving his post for an opportunity in the private sector. Schraad’s last day as director will be today. Effective immediately, Christina Corieri, the Governor’s senior policy advisor, will serve as Interim Director of Department of Insurance […]
North Carolina Insurance Department Launches Criminal Investigations Reserve Unit to Fight Insurance Fraud
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has organized its first Criminal Investigations Reserve Unit to combat the extensive number of fraud cases in the state. The new inductees, four veteran law enforcement personnel, were sworn-in Thursday, August 8. “Today’s ceremony is a testament to the character of these men and women who are donating their […]