Legal
Justice minister to act over PPI CMCs
The justice minister, Lord McNally, pictured, has agreed to meet consumer groups over on-going concerns about claims management firms ripping off customers mis-sold payment protection insurance.
Insurers avoid conviction for Irish data breach
Three insurance companies have avoided criminal convictions for possessing personal information obtained by a private detective from a leak in the Department of Social Protection, according to reports in the Irish press.
Academic calls for flood planners, developers and architects to be liable
A new academic paper has called for planners, developers and architects to be made "legally liable when they get it wrong and people are flooded" as a way of preventing further flood plain development.
Arc Legal to revamp IT with new role
Arc Legal Assistance has appointed Kevin Benton as technical services manager to boost technology developments across the business.
Birmingham 'entertainer' turns fraudster in personal injury claim
A Birmingham man has had his personal injury claim thrown out and was ordered to pay costs of over £24 000 after he attempted to defraud Esure.
Post Blog: UK riots and loss of trade
Some six months after the widespread rioting hit the UK, the position on loss of trade remains unclear.
India considers guarantees for Iranian oil
India's shipping secretary K Mohandas said on Tuesday that the country is considering sovereign guarantees for shipping and buying Iranian oil on a delivered basis, when EU sanctions on Iran come in to effect, according to Reuters India.
Top 10 news stories
Find out what the market has been reading about this week with the top 10 news stories from www.insuranceinsight.eu
Asia-Pacific legal review
The legal profession and the insurance sector depend on each other throughout the world and as Chambers Asia-Pacific 2012 launches its editor Shi-Ning Koay provides an overview of the legal insurance specialists and the markets in this region.
Post Blog: Redknapp, bad weather and PI policies
Alongside Harry Redknapp and adverse weather, the unlikely hot topic of aggregation clauses in professional indemnity policies is hotly debated in insurance circles.
ABI calls for reduction in fixed legal fees
The Association of British Insurers has said it is time to “put a brake on the UK’s exorbitant legal bill” which is costing UK consumers £1666 every minute.
Willis makes u-turn over contingent commissions as profits tumble
Broker stresses new stance does not have an impact on most business.
Wentworth Alexander employee 'under surveillance' after leaving Bluefin
Axa-owned broker Bluefin has admitted it would use private detectives to spy on former staff it suspects of breaking restrictive covenants.
Corporate Underinsurance: Solving the problems
Underinsurance is a common problem and a collaborative approach is needed to stamp out an issue that has gone unresolved for too long
Legal chiefs angered by Downing Street snub at the motor premium summit
Only insurers were invited to the Number 10 meeting, leaving many sectors feeling left out in the cold.
North of the Border: An interest-ing judicial decision
The savers among us have grumbled for some time as the Bank of England rate stagnates at 0.5%, but a recent decision in Scotland could benefit insurers that have grappled with excessive interest on damages for years.
Fraud: Organised crime - Bogus claims gangs cast a wider net
The profile of people targeted by gangs to make personal injury claims appears to be changing, with those involved becoming younger and more middle class. The link between youth unemployment and crime rates is hard to ignore.
DLA Piper recruits William Marcoux from Dewey & LeBoeuf
Law firm DLA Piper has hired former Dewey & LeBoeuf executive committee member William Marcoux as partner and head of its insurance sector transactions and regulation practice.
The temporal scope of Rome II
Rome II was intended to bring about uniform choice of law rules but had left some uncertainty over when the regulation applied in cross border accidents. Tarek Uddin explains how the recent case of Homawoo has helped bring clarity.
BT Claims to serve insurers and brokers
Telecoms firm BT's in-house claims arm has applied to the Solicitors Regulation Authority to become an alternative business structure, with plans to offer services to insurers and brokers.
Spanish Supreme Court ruling puts paid to 14-year dam legal battle
The Supreme Court in Spain has ruled that the 1998 rupture of the Aznalcollar tailings dam near Seville, Spain, was not caused by a fault in the design of the dam.
Motor claims: Insurers must 'get their own house in order' over motor claims
Amid the public furore regarding escalating premiums and calls for greater consumer education on the rising cost of motor claims, some have suggested that the emphasis must be shifted back on to behaviour within the industry.
Video is next step for telematics
Technological advances in the world of telematics are expected to continue apace, following the claim that miniature in-car cameras could soon be installed to identify the number of potential claimants.
Motor claims: Senior Labour MP dismisses LASPO as a ‘Christmas Tree’ Bill
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill has been criticised for limiting access to justice for poorer claimants and disguising the abuses of insurers and claims management companies as a compensation culture.