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December 31, 2008 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise The daily insurance industry news source   News of the Day  Texas court rules "good Samaritan" not covered after leaving vehicle The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a man who was hit by a car on a Houston-area toll road was not covered by his auto insurance when he left his vehicle to attempt to help an accident victim. The court said that the insurance policy covered only vehicle occupants. The Southeast Texas Record (Beaumont) (12/30) Did you know that many insurance carriers accept American Express for insurance premium payments? Encouraging your clients to pay their insurance premiums with an American Express OPEN Card is a win-win for you and your clients. Click here to learn more.   Industry Watch  AIG may ask Fed to relax restrictions on asset sales AIG reportedly plans to ask the Federal Reserve to relax rules on its $60 billion program to sell assets and repay federal loans it has received. Sources said AIG's leaders are trying to make the disposals more attractive and accessible to bidders. Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (12/30)   Trends & Technology  Workers' comp clearinghouse debuts in Connecticut The Connecticut Workers' Compensation Commission has announced the Coverage Verification Service, an online feature that people can use to find out whether an employer operating in the state carries workers' compensation insurance. The service also has information geared toward employers. Insurance Journal/Associated Press (12/30)   Business Leadership  On New Year's, rural roads may pose greater risk for teen drivers A study sponsored by Allstate in conjunction with Sperling's BestPlaces found that teen drivers are safer in major metro areas during the New Year's holiday than they are in rural areas. "One interesting fact we uncovered in analyzing the data over eight years is a strong association between the rate of fatal accidents and areas that were more rural and less densely populated," said Bert Sperling, president of the Oregon-based research company. Chicago Tribune (12/31), PropertyCasualty360.com (12/30)   Best Practices  2009 looks like a good year for LinkedIn Every individual is a small business or brand on LinkedIn, says the social-networking site's new CEO, Reid Hoffman. The site's membership is increasing faster than ever, making Hoffman optimistic about 2009. USA TODAY (12/31) A year-end review of some odd office behavior The Globe and Mail chronicles workplace oddities from 2008 in its year-end "Office Awards." Among the incidents that caught the newspaper's attention: Employees who lost their jobs for bathing at work, a worker who sued his employer after being waterboarded in a sales meeting, and the suspension of a Japanese worker who managed to log 780,000 visits to pornography sites on a company computer before being sent home. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (12/29)   NAMIC weeklyPoll  Iowa set to limit cigarette sales to "fire-safe" version Starting Thursday, Iowa will limit sales of cigarettes to those that are less likely to cause a fire if they are dropped or discarded near combustibles. The new cigarettes contain tobacco wrapped in a few small bands of paper that help them to self-extinguish if left unattended. At least 21 other states have similar legislation on the books. Insurance Journal/The Associated Press (12/30) Bill would end texting and driving in N.H. New Hampshire may join the ranks of states prohibiting text messaging and typing on other electronic devices while driving. Some motorists would be excluded from the proposed ban, such as emergency personnel, those summoning help and those using global positioning systems. Insurance Journal/The Associated Press (12/30)   Editor's Note  NAMIC dailyLead will not be published Thursday In observance of New Year's Day in the U.S., NAMIC dailyLead will not be published Thursday. Publication will resume Friday. Happy holidays!   SmartQuote  Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring, happy bells, across the snow. The year is going, let him go. Ring out the false, ring in the true." --Alfred Tennyson, English poet   NAMIC Resources About NAMIC Event calendar Advocacy (Members Only) Services NAMIC Staff Write NAMIC   Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Account Director:  Abiy Bekele (212) 450-7919 Download Media Kit   Read more at dailyLead.com A powerful website for dailyLead® readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Get this RSS Feed Publish your Press Release       Recent NAMIC dailyLead® Issues: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 Monday, December 29, 2008 Friday, December 26, 2008 Wednesday, December 24, 2008 Tuesday, December 23, 2008     Lead Editor:  Brooke Howell       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information