On March 18th a transportation network company’s (TNC) self-driving car hit and killed a woman in Arizona. This crash brings up insurance questions similar to those generated by the December 31, 2013 fatal accident that first brought the issue of ridesharing and insurance into the spotlight. Transportation network companies wanted personal insurers to cover the exposure, but insurance industry trade groups believed commercial insurance should apply from app on to app off. This led insurance trade groups, insurers and TNCs to develop a compromise model bill. Since then, 48 states and the District of Columbia  have enacted TNC legislation. It also prompted insurers to create new products for TNC drivers.

The recent Equifax breach of 143 million individuals’ personal data was announced September 7, 2017. The hack included social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers and might also include credit card numbers. According to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, “The number of people impacted and the sensitivity of the breached information may make this the most significant data breach ever.”

Insurance companies need better tools to effectively underwrite cyber liability risk, including data-driven approaches for underwriting using publicly-available data. The CAS Cyber Risk Task Force is an excellent place from which to start finding ways to help insurance companies manage this growing risk, both as potential victims and as insurers.

Bishop Ranch, home of Pinnacle’s San Francisco area office, provides many opportunities for its tenants to meet. Bishop Ranch recently asked us to volunteer at the Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s Muir Ridge Development in Martinez, California. I used my Pinnacle Community Service day to volunteer – and also volunteered my husband.

California Assembly Member Tom Daly introduced Assembly Bill No. 1922 in February 2016. This bill revises Section 11658 of the Insurance Code regarding workers compensation ancillary agreements. The latest action on this bill was June 22, 2016, when it was amended and re-referred to the Committee on Insurance.