State Auto Insurance Company reduces Massachusetts and eliminates Rhode Island coverage

State Auto Insurance Company, an Ohio-based insurer, has announced that it will be writing a reduced number of specific lines of business in Massachusetts, and in Rhode Island, it will no longer be writing coverage at all. In Massachusetts, State Auto will continue writing its farm and business insurance, but no new lines of any kind will be renewed within Rhode Island. That said, the insurance company has come to an agreement over renewal rights with Narragansett Bay Insurance Company (NBIC), so that the latter will adopt the homeowners insurance…

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RI Senate advances bills for cell phone and seatbelt use while driving

The Senate of Rhode Island has passed two bills relating two driver safety, one connected to the use of mobile phones while driving, and the other has to do with the increase of enforcement of the use of seat belts. The proposal for the use of cell phones would make it illegal for drivers younger than the age of 21 to use their devices. It will still be permitted for drivers of all ages to use hands-free devices. There will be a fine of up to $100 for violators of…

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Massachusetts auto insurers under scrutiny

Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, is taking aim at the state’s auto insurers. Coakley claims that the price for commercial coverage is excessive, costing consumers more than $1 billion over the course of seven years. The Attorney General is urging the state’s Insurance Commissioner, Joseph Murphy, to reduce rates. The notion has received opposition from many auto insurers who argue that the current rates are necessary. Coakley claims to have received information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the Automobile Insurers Bureau that show consumers are paying too…

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