Social networking has taken the world by storm. Facebook®, Twitter®, Instagram®, Snapchat®, blogs, and other online chatter continue to grow. And, it’s led to an increase in lawsuits based on defamatory or libelous statements.

Nearly 40 percent of U.S. home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is strongly encouraging people to remove Christmas trees from their homes promptly after the holiday season.

A recently published white paper examines the current exposure to cyberrisk and how insurers are responding. Interest in cyber insurance and risk continues to grow beyond expectations in 2016 in part due to high profile data breaches, but also due to awareness of the almost endless range of exposures businesses face. Attacks and breaches have grown in frequency, and loss costs are on the rise.

The homeowners policy liability section covers only "bodily injury" and "property damage." Thus, any type of non-bodily injury such as personal injury is excluded without the attachment of a personal injury endorsement. 

The Massachusetts RMV launched a new web feature at www.massrmv.com. The new “myRMV” is an easy and friendly central customer page that allows customers to view their RMV information and conduct RMV online transactions all from this one location.

MassDOT Registrar of Motor Vehicles Erin Deveney announced today that applications for the 2016 Low Number Plate Lottery are now being accepted online or by U.S. mail.

Whether building a new home, remodeling an existing home or even repairing a home that has been damaged, a lightning protection system can be a worthwhile investment. The growing market for smart home technology makes installing a lightning protection system even more important.  Lightning’s harmful surges can damage these internal building systems, which can be quite expensive to restore.

If you have a CDL or CLP, be aware that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has amended Commercial Driver License standards. This regulation is referred to as the “CDL Permit Rule”. The Massachusetts RMV will implement the rule starting in July 2016. 

June 1 marks the beginning of Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on November 30.  Take steps to prepare and have an action plan in case you need to evacuate and to ensure that you have sufficient supplies for a few days. Also review your insurance coverage to ensure that it is adequate in the event of a loss.

Dog bites (and other dog-related injuries) accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2015, costing in excess of $570 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).