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EEOC SUES UPS

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued United Parcel Service Inc. in late August, alleging the packaging giant violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it terminated an administrative assistant with multiple sclerosis.

According to an EEOC press release, Trudi Momsen took a 12-month leave of absence from her job at UPS when she began experiencing symptoms of what was later diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. She returned to work for a few weeks after the leave period was up, but soon thereafter needed more time off after experiencing what she believed to be negative side effects of her medication. UPS fired her for exceeding its 12-month leave policy.

"The employee in this case never asked for an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act," UPS said in a press release.

CHRYSLER CLAIMS DEFECTS

Chrysler Group LLC declared it is now confident enough about its business to accept product-defect claims that arise on vehicles built before its sale process was completed in June.

Chrysler's predecessor, Chrysler LLC, filed for bankruptcy protection on April 30, and the sale of substantially all of its assets was completed on June 10 to Chrysler Group, which is managed by Italy's Fiat SpA.

The automaker said it would take on product-liability claims on vehicles built by the old Chrysler that are involved in accidents after the sale was completed.

LAWMAKER SEEKS INFO

A House panel demanded that six health insurers, including WellPoint Inc. and Aetna Inc., disclose information about the practice of "purging" small businesses from getting health coverage after their claims increase.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, is demanding that the companies produce documents explaining their small-group policies, factors they use to decide premium rates, their renewal rates and also their maximum premium rate increases

REINSURERS' SURPLUS UP

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Munich Re are among reinsurers that benefited in the second quarter as the industry's surplus in the United States expanded for the first time in seven periods on investment gains.

The combined surplus of 19 reinsurers climbed 11 percent to $66 billion in the three months ending June 30, the Reinsurance Association of America reported in a report on the status of the reinsurance, which it represents. The surplus, a measure of assets minus liabilities, hadn't increased since the third quarter of 2007. The figure was $72.8 billion on June 30, 2008, before the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. forced down the value of the industry's investments.

--Compiled by staff from news and wire reports.

October 1, 2009

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