Latest California Headlines

All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Delaware Chancery Court Allows Derivative Suit Vs. Botox Directors

Jun 12 2012 // Directors of Allergan Inc. must face a lawsuit over $600 million in fines the company paid for misbranding its Botox treatment to smooth out wrinkles, a Delaware judge ruled, in a decision that could affect securities...

Southern Calif. Agents Nabbed In Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme

Jun 8 2012 // A current and a former insurance agent from Southern California have been arrested for allegedly running a million-dollar Ponzi scheme. Edwin Salazar, 34, of Downey, and Michael Zuniga, 41, of Fullerton have each been...

AIG to Pay $15.6 M to Calif. for Underreporting Workers’ Comp Payments

Jun 8 2012 // American International Group Inc. will pay California $15.6 million in penalties to settle allegations that its insurance companies underreported workers’ compensation premiums over several decades. The sum is part...

Workers’ Comp Market Injured But Still Standing

Jun 8 2012 // Like the economy, the workers’ compensation market has suffered in recent years. Results for 2011 were no better than 2010. The good news: results for the workers’ comp market were not worse either. The...

C.M. Meiers Preliminary Injunction Decided, But Far From Over

Jun 7 2012 // A judge has rejected a request for a preliminary injunction in the case of a bankrupt Southern California insurance agency following a long, accusation-fueled legal battle between the former and current owners of the...

New Lawsuit For Southern California Officer In Homeless Death Case

Jun 7 2012 // A disabled man has filed a lawsuit against Fullerton police, saying he was abused by the same officer charged in the beating death of a homeless man. The Orange County Register reported Tuesday that Mark Edwin Walker says...

Judge Decides for Defendants in C.M. Meiers Preliminary Injunction

Jun 6 2012 // Editor’s Note: See C.M. Meiers Preliminary Injunction Decided, But Far From Over for updates, more of the judge’s opinion, comments from attorneys, as well as legal analysis. A judge has rejected a request for...

Study: Spinal Implant Loophole Costs Calif. Workers’ Comp $67M

Jun 6 2012 // Workers’ compensation medical costs in California were boosted by nearly $67.5 million in 2010 due to loophole in the law that allows double billing for surgical implants, according to a study released on Wednesday...

C.M. Meiers Defendants File ‘Scorched Earth’ Countersuit

Jun 5 2012 // Editor’s note: For more read an updated story on this case, “C.M. Meiers Preliminary Injunction Decided, But Far From Over“ Expect the allegation-laden battle between the new and old owners of bankrupt...

Crop Damage in Central California Tops $79M

Jun 4 2012 // San Joaquin Valley’s crop damage estimate from a hail storm in April has reached more than $79 million. The Fresno Bee reported that Kings County, among the hardest hit areas of the region, recently increased its...

People – West

Jun 4 2012 // Irvine, Calif.-based SullivanCurtisMonroe named Shawn Kraatz as executive vice president in its Irvine office. His primary responsibilities at SCM will include commercial sales management and marketplace leadership. Kraatz...

How States Rank Injury Prevention

Jun 4 2012 // When it comes to preventing injury, California and New York states rank the highest. On a set of 10 steps states can take to prevent injuries, 24 states scored a five or lower. Two states, California and New York, received...

Safety Inspections Don’t Hurt Businesses: Study

Jun 4 2012 // Random inspections of U.S. industrial workplaces lower the risk of workers being injured on the job and have no measurable negative effect on the companies inspected, according to a study in the journal Science. Companies...

Study: Drug Testing Driving Calif. Workers’ Comp Costs

Jun 4 2012 // It’s no surprise that pharmaceuticals are one of the leading drivers of workers’ compensation costs in California, but a study issued late last month shows the skyrocketing cost of drug testing is becoming a...

Poms & Associates Adds Three in Southern California

Jun 1 2012 // Los Angeles, Calif.-based Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers Inc. named Chris Poveromo branch manager and senior vice president of property/casualty. Additionally, the firm named Mark Ulrich senior Vice president of...

Bill to Create ‘Framework for Damages’ Passes Calif. Senate

May 31 2012 // A bill its author says will provide a framework to measure damages when a plaintiff suffers injuries that passed the California Senate floor is being called by its detractors a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”...

Bill Addressing Spinal Surgery Devices Passes California Senate

May 30 2012 // A bill aimed at ending double payments for spinal surgery devices passed state Senate resoundingly on Wednesday and is now on its way to Assembly. Senate Bill 959 will save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars per year,...

Ex-Calif. Cop Gets $450K To Settle Reprisal Suit

May 30 2012 // A former Los Angeles County police officer will receive $450,000 to settle a lawsuit he filed against the Glendale Police Department, alleging he suffered retaliation after raising concerns over giving helicopter rides to...

How States Rank in Injury Prevention

May 24 2012 // On a set of 10 steps states can take to prevent injuries , 24 states scored a five or lower. Two states, California and New York, received the highest score of nine out of a possible 10, while two states scored the lowest,...

Study: Drug Testing Driving Calif. Workers’ Comp Costs

May 23 2012 // It’s no surprise that pharmaceuticals are one of the leading drivers of workers’ compensation costs in California, but a study issued on Wednesday shows the skyrocketing cost of drug testing is taking a spot as...