Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Morale, Predatory Attorneys Keep El Pollo Loco Risk Director Busy
Sep 19 2016 // Maintaining a culture of safety is a company-wide initiative for California- based El Pollo Loco, according to Shaun Jackson, director of risk management for the restaurant chain. While employee morale and predatory...
14 States Process $13.1B in Surplus Lines Premium in First Half 2016
Sep 19 2016 // Data from the 14 U.S. surplus lines service/stamping offices show they have processed almost $13.1 billion in insurance premium filings in the first half of 2016, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas...
California School Creates Degree for Self-Driving Car Engineers
Sep 16 2016 // Auto and tech companies are in a race to get self-driving cars to the public, but as with many cutting-edge technologies, there aren’t enough trained engineers to meet the demand for talent. So Mountain View,...
Judge Rules Uber Can Settle with Customers over Tips
Sep 16 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. won permission to settle claims it misled consumers by charging them a 20 percent “gratuity” even though drivers got only about half of it. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San...
Report Details Drug Dispensing in California Workers’ Comp
Sep 15 2016 // California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has issued a report that shows the share of drug payments made directly to dispensing physicians compared with pharmacies fell by 20 percent over three...
Woodruff-Sawyer in California Announces CEO Transition
Sep 15 2016 // San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. announced that Charlie Rosson will step down as CEO effective Dec. 31. Woodruff-Sawyer’s board of directors has formed a search committee to identify...
Cavignac & Associates in California Names Riis Junior Account Executive
Sep 14 2016 // San Diego, Calif.-based Cavignac & Associates has named Mike Riis a junior account executive. Riis initially will be trained to service existing clients, educate them on risk preventative measures, and recommend...
Alliant in California Brings on Blankenship as Executive Vice President
Sep 14 2016 // Newport Beach, Calif.-based Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has named Crys Blankenship an executive vice president in its healthcare practice. Blankenship will provide insurance and risk management solutions to a...
CompWest to Offer Workers’ Comp to Artisan Contractors in California, Utah
Sep 14 2016 // CompWest Insurance has launched workers’ compensation insurance for artisan contractors in California and Utah. The program targets artisan construction operations with annual premiums between $25,000 and $250,000 in...
Prospect General in California Tribunalized by Lloyd’s
Sep 13 2016 // La Jolla, Calif.-based program administrator Prospect General Insurance Agency announced its tribunalization by Lloyd’s of London. Being named a coverholder allows Prospect General access to the Lloyd’s...
“Biggie Award” Winners Announced at BIG Minivention
Sep 13 2016 // Rancho Cucamonga, CA, September 13, 2016 – The BIG Independent Group (www.biginsusa.com), an association of independent insurance agents and brokers, announced the winners of its “BIGGIE Awards” at the groups...
Burnham Benefits in Southern California Taps Felish as Tech Specialist
Sep 12 2016 // Irvine, Calif.-based Burnham Benefits Insurance Services Inc. has named Meagan Felish a technology specialist. Felish has experience in online enrollment systems. Felish previously worked at Beal Benefits in Scottsdale,...
California-Based Confie Acquires Illinois Insurance Agency
Sep 12 2016 // Confie, a national provider of personal and commercial lines insurance, has acquired the BMR Agency LLC dba First Stop Insurance in Washington Park, Ill. First Stop Insurance specializes in non-standard auto insurance. The...
Uber, Drivers Resume Talks After $100 Million Deal Falls Apart
Sep 12 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. doesn’t appear ready to walk away from further negotiations with its drivers in their dispute over whether they should be treated as employees rather than independent contractors. Three weeks...
Court Smacks Down California Regulators Over Broker/Agent Ruling
Sep 9 2016 // An Orange County, California court has given the state’s Department of Insurance a stunning smack down in a long-running case about the “broker fees” charged by some insurance agents. The complicated case...
Federal Suit Filed by Former Employees of Indiana-Based ITT Tech Institute
Sep 9 2016 // Two employees laid off by the parent company of Indiana-based for-profit college chain ITT Technical Institute have filed a lawsuit claiming the company violated federal law by not providing 60 days’ notice. Allen...
Southern California School Reopens After 2-Year Asbestos Closure
Sep 9 2016 // The last of three Southern California schools closed two years ago after asbestos was found has reopened following a complete overhaul. The Orange County Register reported Lake View Elementary opened its doors Wednesday to...
AIA Backs California Bill Changing Workers’ Comp Filing Requirements
Sep 8 2016 // The American Insurance Association is asking California Gov. Jerry Brown to sign into law a bill that would exempt large employers from waiting for insurance commissioner approval of ancillary agreements that are part of...
Appeals Court Grants Uber Pro-Arbitration Ruling, Thwarting Drivers’ Class Action
Sep 7 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc.’s arbitration agreements were largely ruled by an appeals court to be valid and enforceable in a blow to driver efforts to secure the benefits and protections of employees in California. The...
California Workers’ Comp Bureau Lowers Rate Filing with Eye on Bills
Sep 7 2016 // The governing committee of California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau on Wednesday approved an amended, and reduced, rate filing for Jan. 1, 2017 workers’ compensation rates. It did so...
