Litigation financing is forecast to back 1 in 10 securities class action filings in 2025, according to an Inigo survey report, which notes that 78% of respondents said plaintiffs' attorneys are requesting higher settlements. Inigo says 2025's full-year total of securities class actions will mark a return to pre-pandemic levels. About 72% of survey respondents said they think new filings will increase in the year ahead, compared with 25% who said the same in 2024.

Implementing leading pedestrian intervals at crosswalks -- activating the crosswalk signal three to seven seconds before traffic can move -- has improved pedestrian safety, reducing pedestrian injuries by one-third and decreasing daytime fatal pedestrian crashes by nearly two-thirds in New York City, according to a Columbia University study. Salt Lake City switched to leading pedestrian intervals a couple of years ago and now plans to expand them to all intersections as part of its Vision Zero initiative.

The recent deadly flash flooding in Texas shows that flood insurance is essential even in communities outside areas designated as high-risk zones by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, writes Lanie Raphael, president of B.F. Saul Insurance. Many homeowners mistakenly think their standard policies cover flood damage, Raphael writes. Flood insurance is "an essential part of climate resilience," and insurance professionals have a "responsibility to make sure homeowners understand that, wherever they live," she writes.

A survey by Guardian Service found 85% of homeowners expressing moderate to high confidence in their knowledge about insurance, but only 29% responded correctly to five questions about basic insurance terminology. The pass rates for the quiz were 28% for Generation Z respondents, 58% for millennials, 80% for Generation X respondents and 90% for baby boomers, the survey found.

States are increasing regulations on self-driving vehicles, with 67 bills introduced in 25 states this year, according to a National Conference of State Legislatures database. The legislation focuses on insurance, permitting and road testing. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed a bill that would have required a driver to be present in autonomous commercial vehicles, while Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed a bill that would have regulated AI systems deemed "high-risk."

Rate increases for general liability and umbrella liability coverage occurred at a sharper pace last month, while the pace of increases slowed for commercial auto and commercial property, Ivans Insurance Services says in a report. General liability rates increased by 4.98%, compared with 4.79% in June, and umbrella liability rates increased 8.83%, up from 8.69% the prior month, the report says.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Nina watch for the fall and winter, with a 53% probability that the climate phenomenon will develop between September and November. La Nina is associated with reductions in wind shear in the Atlantic Ocean, potentially allowing more storms to form.

Hurricane Erin strengthened beyond tropical storm status this morning to become the 2025 Atlantic season's first hurricane, potentially reaching Category 3 or greater by Sunday. The storm is forecast to move along a path north of Puerto Rico and have no direct impact on the East Coast, although large waves and dangerous rip currents are expected starting on Wednesday.