The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in the midst of a multi-year initiative to update flood zone maps in more than 20,000 communities nationwide. Current maps need updating to more accurately reflect the risk of flooding. Flood hazards change over time and maps in some...
Employers have endured a parade of challenges since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began. The parade, it seems, is far from over. According to a recent white paper co-sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, there is early evidence that employment-related COVID-19 claims are on...
The likelihood of an employee testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases with every new case. By now, employers know that employees suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 must be kept away from the workplace. But, when should they be allowed back? The Centers for...
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County is significant yet simple. “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.” Discrimination on the basis of an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity (transgender status) is now...
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins June 1st, but this year is different. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected virtually every aspect of our daily lives. The Federal Emergency Management Agency cautions that social distancing and other CDC preventative measures to protect against COVID-19...
Employers are required to document employee requests for paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, regardless of whether the request is granted or denied. Department of Labor FFCRA regulations specify the kind of information that employees...
COVID-19 will change our world in many ways, some good and some bad. The same holds true for the insurance marketplace. While in the midst of the crisis, it is hard to predict, but the following considerations should be noted. Property policy and the corresponding business...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has revealed that standard commercial insurance policies are not designed to protect against the financial impact of a global pandemic. Standard property policies, for example, do not cover business interruption claims in the absence of direct physical loss or damage to...
The economic impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading like the virus itself. As the financial effects trickle down from global organizations to regional and local businesses, many are asking whether losses caused by COVID-19 are or will be covered by insurance. This isn’t an easy question because...
It’s been a few months since Florida’s new assignment of benefits (AOB) laws went into effect. AOBs generally authorize vendors (contractors, water remediation companies, etc.) to collect payment for their work directly from the owner’s property insurance company. AOBs are commonly included in contracts and can be easily abused...