BP has abruptly switched legal strategies—again—in the multibillion-dollar liability fight stemming from the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The company dropped a campaign to oust a settlement administrator it had accused of tolerating waste and fraud. The move … Source: Claims Journal

A Texas-based insurance company has prevailed in the first lawsuit to go to trial over claims from two massive hailstorms in Hidalgo County, Texas, in 2012. The 12-member jury in Amaro v. National Lloyds found that National Lloyds Insurance Co. … Source: Claims Journal

Federal disaster relief officials are keeping a closer eye on companies that help it provide flood insurance, following allegations by Hurricane Sandy victims that claims were denied or underpaid based on manipulated engineering reports. A spokesman for the Federal Emergency … Source: Claims Journal

The director of a movie about musician Gregg Allman pleaded guilty in a train crash that killed a camera assistant and injured six film workers, and prosecutors in exchange dropped charges against his wife and business partner. The case is … Source: Claims Journal

Financial companies routinely use mandatory arbitration to block class-action lawsuits, making it difficult for consumers to win big payouts in disputes over credit cards and other products, a U.S. regulator found. When credit card issuers have faced suits seeking class- … Source: Claims Journal

Ignore anyone who tells you snow is free. Every workday lost during New England’s winter has meant millions of dollars taken out of the regional economy. IHS Global Insight, an economic analysis firm, estimates Massachusetts alone suffered roughly $1 billion … Source: Claims Journal

Ohio State University will study how to improve workplace safety under three grants totaling $578,000 that it’s been awarded by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and Board of Regents. Administrator Steve Buehrer says the grants allow the bureau to … Source: Claims Journal

The number of deaths in jetliner disasters spiked last year despite there being fewer accidents in total, an international airline industry group said Monday. The International Air Transport Association said in its annual safety report that 641 people died in … Source: Claims Journal

Last week’s ProPublica/National Public Radio report putting a spotlight on the workers’ compensation system caught the attention of experts who were meeting in Boston to share research on how the system is performing at the same time the series was … Source: Claims Journal

February storms in the U.S. are expected to cost insurers more than $1 billion, according to the latest Global Catastrophe Recap from Aon Benfield’s Impact Forecasting. Five separate storm systems hit the U.S. during the month, bringing heavy snow, frigid … Source: Claims Journal