More Businesses Sued Over Disabled Website Access

Posted on: August 27th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Businesses with a web presence, particularly those that are consumer-facing, are increasingly being sued over website accessibility issues that prevent disabled individuals from using a website. While the number of such cases has been growing, 2,281 website accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2023, down from 2,387 the prior year and 2,352 in 2021, according to […]

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Cyber Rates Ebb, Insurers Add More Exclusions

Posted on: August 20th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Even while cyberattacks increase, the cost of cyber insurance has been dropping thanks to businesses implementing better controls to thwart such activity and reduce their losses if they become victims of a malicious attack, according to a new report. Rates fell an average of 17% last year after surging in 2021 and 2022 as the […]

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‘Nuclear’ Jury Verdicts Are Straining U.S. Businesses

Posted on: August 13th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

The size of jury awards has been exploding in the last few years, and they are often exceeding the limits that businesses have on their liability policies. These excessively large awards are known as “nuclear” verdicts, which are defined as those with damages of $10 million or more. In 2023, such verdicts totaled $14.5 billion, […]

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Commissioner Orders Benchmark Workers’ Comp Rate Reduction

Posted on: August 6th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered that the state’s average benchmark workers’ compensation rate be cut by 2.1%, starting Sept. 1. The decision rejected the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s recommendation that the benchmark rate be raised by 0.9%, citing a slight uptick in claims costs and claims-adjusting costs. The benchmark rate, also known […]

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Cal/OSHA’s Indoor Heat Illness Regulations Take Effect

Posted on: July 30th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Cal/OSHA’s indoor heat illness prevention regulations took effect July 24, requiring employers to implement safety measures when indoor workplace temperatures reach or exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The new rules apply to most indoor workplaces, such as restaurants, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and require employers to provide water, rest, cool-down areas and training when temperatures exceed […]

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Business E-Mail Compromise Scams the Most Common Type of Cyber Attack

Posted on: July 23rd, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Business e-mail compromise scams are now the most common type of cyber attack businesses face, and all types of these attacks are showing no signs of letting up, according to a new report. Nearly three out of every four businesses were targets of these types of attacks and 29% of those firms became victims of […]

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OSHA Updates HazCom Standard

Posted on: July 16th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Changes are once again coming to Fed-OSHA’s Hazardous Communications Standard, which governs the handling of chemicals and other dangerous substances. OSHA’s final rule, which takes effect July 19, 2024, will bring the standard in line with the latest update to the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The update revises […]

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Changes Coming to Electronics, Dual-Wage Class Codes

Posted on: July 10th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on May 31 approved all of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s recommended changes to class codes for some electronics manufacturing sectors, as well as increases to the wage thresholds for construction industry dual classifications. The following changes will take effect for policies incepting on or after Sept. 1, 2024: […]

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Newsom, Business Groups Agree on PAGA Reforms

Posted on: July 2nd, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

California Governor Gavin Newsom, legislators and business groups have struck an agreement to reform a law that has become a costly thorn in the side of employers operating in the state, the Private Attorneys General Act. The deal averts a showdown over a business-backed initiative slated to be on the November ballot that would repeal […]

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State Law Requires Insurers to Verify Your Annual Mileage

Posted on: June 25th, 2024 by Leaders' Choice Staff No Comments

Under California law, auto insurers are required to verify vehicle mileage at least every three years, including current annual mileage and miles driven to and from work and/or school. The state requires insurers to collect this information so that they can price their policies according to a policyholder’s risk and ensure that drivers who spend […]

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