CITIZENSHIP OF LLOYD'S 'NAME' ALLOWS JURISDICTION,
U.S. COURT SAYS.
An individual Lloyd's of London underwriter who is a British
subject may sue in U.S. federal court under diversity jurisdiction, and
the court need not consider the citizenship of other . . .
GAO FINDS DOE REIMBURSED CONTRACTORS FOR $330.5M IN LEGAL
FEES.
The General Accounting Office has found the Department of Energy
reimbursed contractors $440.5 million in legal fees associated with
1,895 cases between October 1998 and March 2003.
The . . .
HEALTH-CARE COSTS UP 9.3% IN 2002; PRESCRIPTION DRUGS UP
15.3%.
The nation's 2002 health-care costs increased to $1.6
trillion, an increase of 9.3 over one year earlier.
Labor Department economists found health care costs totaled 14.9
percent of the gross . . .
OCC ISSUES RULES PREEMPTING STATE CONSUMER-PROTECTION
LAWS.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued two rules Jan.
7 giving it sole right to write regulations governing nationally
chartered banks and sole right to enforce those regulations.
. . .
SECRETARY SNOW: HEALTH CARE AND LAWSUIT ABUSE TOP
PRIORITIES.
Making health care more affordable and preventing "frivolous
lawsuits" are the Bush administration's top priorities,
Treasury Secretary John Snow told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Jan. 7.
"First, . . .
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE CALLS MALPRACTICE EVIDENCE
SCANT.
Restrictions on medical malpractice awards don't appear to
have much effect on health care spending, the nonpartisan Congressional
Budget
Office reported Jan. 8.
"Evidence from the states . . .
SUIT OF THE WEEK: SUIT OVER $162 MILLION LOTTERY TICKET
DROPPED.
An Ohio woman who said she lost a winning lottery ticket worth $162
million filed suit to stop the money from being distributed, then
quickly dropped the lawsuit last week when the real winner . . .
SAFETY ADVOCATES PUSH STATES TO ENACT HIGHWAY SAFETY
LAWS.
As states open their 2004 legislative sessions facing major budget
deficits, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety Jan. 8 handed governors
and state legislators a detailed state-by-state action . . .
NAII, ALLIANCE MERGE, FORM P/C INSURERS ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA.
The National Association of Independent Insurers and Alliance of
American Insurers voted Jan. 7 to merge and form a new trade
association, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
. . .
TEXAS ORDERS HOMEOWNER INSURERS TO LOWER RATES.
The Texas Department of Insurance has ordered most of the insurance
company groups writing homeowner coverage in the state to lower their
rates by as much as 31 percent, saying the move would save . . .
NEW YORK APPROVES 19% RATE INCREASE FOR HIGH-RISK
DRIVERS.
The New York Insurance Department has approved a 19.7 percent rate
increase for high-risk drivers insured through the state's
Automobile Insurance Plan. The change is effective for new business . . .
MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES REBUFFED IN SUITS AGAINST PAINT
MAKERS.
Mississippi school districts and counties have lost a round in
their legal effort to recover damages from companies that formerly made
lead-based paint, with the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals . . .
MARYLAND: U.S. ATTORNEY SUBPOENAS RECORDS ON BID FOR
CAREFIRST.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland issued
subpoenas last week for records and documents related to
Wellpoint's November 2001 bid to purchase CareFirst BlueCross
BlueShield for . . .
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVES MEDMAL BILL.
The Florida legislature Aug. 13 overwhelmingly approved a bill to
cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, with liability
for doctors limited in most cases to $500,000 and liability . . .
CALIFORNIA DEPUTY HELD IMMUNE IN INJURY TO FLEEING BANK
ROBBER.
Reversing a lower court, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
ruled Aug. 15 that a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy is immune
from lawsuit by a bank robber who was left paraplegic after a . . .
STATE FARM AGENTS LOSE APPEAL OVER LIMITS TO RISK THEY CAN
WRITE.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal by
present and former State Farm agents of a lower court's ruling
dismissing their claim the company breached their contract when . . .
U.S. APPEALS COURT REVIVES CLASS ACTION AGAINST LIFE
INSURERS.
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has revived, at least
temporarily, a class action against three life insurance companies that
allegedly discriminated against African Americans in the way . . .
TREASURY NOT TO INCLUDE LIFE INSURANCE IN TERROR PROGRAM.
The Treasury Department announced Aug. 15 it would not include
coverage for group life insurance in the federal terrorism insurance
program established by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002.
. . .
INTERNET MATCHMAKING SERVICE IMMUNE FROM LAWSUIT, COURT
RULES.
A commercial Internet dating service is immune from a lawsuit
involving "a cruel and sadistic identity theft," the Ninth
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 13.
The critical information the . . .
NINTH CIRCUIT HOLDS FRONT-ROW SEATS DISFAVOR DISABLED.
Setting up a conflict with another federal appellate court, the
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 13 that forcing
wheelchair-bound moviegoers to sit in the front rows of . . .
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