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Social and legal

Social inflation, nuclear verdicts, litigation funding, mass torts (PFAS, microplastics, talc), changes in liability law, riots and civil unrest, social tensions and fragmentation.

ARGUS’S READING Rising · Morningstar DBRS identifies correlated French riot claims across lines; Australia's proposed Code would add enforceable claims obligations.

AI and technology Climate and nature Geopolitics, conflict and trade Cyber Energy and the transition Social and legal Financial and macro Health, pandemics and longevity Natural resources and food Under the radar

22 Oct 2026Insurance Business (New Zealand)Property and catastrophe
NowClaims and pricing
Firefighter strikes delay NZ fire response as property risk questions mount ↗
Sustained firefighter strikes weaken NZ fire response, which could raise property loss severity.
21 Oct 2026Insurance Business (US)Casualty and liability
NowClaims and pricing
Meta ordered to pay $25 billion privacy penalty ↗
Per-violation penalty math in a large privacy case widens liability exposure for tech and privacy-related covers.
21 Oct 2026Reinsurance NewsProperty and catastrophe
NowClaims and pricing
France unrest shaping up as one of country’s ‘most significant ever’ SRCC events: Verisk Maplecroft ↗
French unrest may become one of its most significant SRCC events, a riot and civil commotion loss driver.
21 Oct 2026livelaw.inMotor
NowClaims and pricing
Motor Accident Claims | Victim Requiring Lifelong Attendant Can Be Considered 100% Functionally Disabled : Supreme Court ↗
Supreme Court precedent may lift compensation for lifelong-care motor injury claims in India.
20 Oct 2026actuarialpost.co.ukProperty and catastrophe, Credit, surety and political risk
NowClaims and pricing
Riots in France: implications for insurers and London market ↗
French riot losses bring London market and insurers' civil-unrest exposure into focus.
20 Oct 2026Our briefProperty and catastrophe, Casualty and liability, Credit, surety and political risk
NowClaims and pricing
Morningstar DBRS puts French riot insured losses below €1.2bn and urges insurers to treat unrest as an accumulation risk
Riot losses are behaving like a catastrophe peril, with correlated claims across lines needing dedicated pricing and reinsurance.
20 Oct 2026Insurance Journal (international)Property and catastrophe, Credit, surety and political risk
1–3 yrsBusiness model
French Riots Seen as Insurance Test Before New Regime Kicks In ↗
French riot cover is tested before a state-backed regime changes who carries civil-unrest losses.
20 Oct 2026ArtemisProperty and catastrophe, Credit, surety and political risk
1–3 yrsClaims and pricing
Arbol launches parametric insurance for gov-imposed data center construction moratoriums ↗
Parametric cover for government moratoria signals a new policy-driven risk for data-centre builds.
20 Oct 2026Intelligent InsurerMotor, Casualty and liability
NowCapital
Slower claims closures mask $16bn US commercial auto loss: AM Best ↗
Slow claim closures hide a $16bn US commercial auto loss, pressuring reserves and insurers' balance sheets.
20 Oct 2026Reinsurance NewsProperty and catastrophe
NowClaims and pricing
Unrest in France underlines cat-like risks of riots and civil commotion: Morningstar DBRS ↗
French riot damage shows catastrophe-like aggregation of civil-unrest losses across correlated property portfolios.
19 Oct 2026logisticsmgmt.comMotor, Casualty and liability
NowClaims and pricing
Court upholds $604 million verdict against C.H. Robinson, raising stakes for freight broker carrier vetting ↗
A $604m upheld verdict signals nuclear-verdict risk for freight-broker liability in US trucking.
19 Oct 2026harrismartin.comCasualty and liability
NowClaims and pricing
Continental Insurance Co. Files Declaratory Action Over Underlying Asbestos Talc Complaints ↗
Insurers seeking declaratory relief on talc claims signal mass-tort exposure reaching older liability policies.
19 Oct 2026Insurance Business (UK)Property and catastrophe
1–3 yrsBusiness model
France’s riot losses put insurance cover and state recovery in focus ↗
Mandatory riot cover in France reshapes who carries civil-unrest losses and how insurers price them.
16 Oct 2026Business InsuranceCasualty and liability
1–3 yrsClaims and pricing
Legal reforms could increase liability claims costs: report ↗
Litigation funding and collective action reform could lift UK liability claims costs, pressuring casualty reserves.
16 Oct 2026Claims JournalCasualty and liability
NowClaims and pricing
Swiss Re: Non-Economic Factors Drive Half of UK Liability Claims Growth ↗
Non-economic factors such as social inflation now drive half of UK liability claims growth.
15 Oct 2026Commercial RiskCasualty and liability
NowClaims and pricing
Legal changes and litigation funding drive UK liability claims costs ↗
Litigation funding and legal changes are raising UK liability claims costs for casualty writers.
12 Oct 2026Our briefProperty and catastrophe
NowBusiness model
Australian court fines Hollard A$2m in the first good-faith penalty against an insurer
First civil penalty for breaching good faith sets a precedent on how insurers must handle claims.
10 Oct 2026Our briefCasualty and liability
NowClaims and pricing
Munich Re warns that European companies with US business are exposed to 'nuclear' jury verdicts
Nuclear jury verdicts rose over 40% in 2025, extending casualty exposure to European firms with US operations.