Latest California Headlines

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

Fentanyl Often Prescribed in Calif. Workers’ Comp

Apr 29 2011 // A CWCI Research Spotlight Report on the use of fentanyl – the most potent Schedule II opioid – in California workers’ comp finds that More than 1 out of every 5 injured workers in California who are...

Calif. Bill Proposes Consolidating Insurance Disclosure Notices

Apr 28 2011 // California legislators are considering whether to allow certain insurance policies and disclosures to be consolidated into one document, printed in smaller type. Currently, the law requires an insurer, upon receiving...

Calif. Commissioner Jones to Attend Insurance Charity Dinner

Apr 27 2011 // The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) has announced that California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones will be in attendance as a special guest at the IICF Annual Benefit Dinner being held Thursday, May 19,...

With Oracle’s Ellison as Foreman, Calif. Jury OKs $470K in Slip & Fall

Apr 27 2011 // Larry Ellison is famous for wanting to be in charge, so perhaps it is no surprise that when jury duty came calling, Oracle’s chief executive served as the foreman. And for a woman who slipped in diesel fuel at a...

Sequioa to Offer Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance in California

Apr 22 2011 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has approved a filing by Sequoia Insurance Co. to offer Pay-as-You-Drive auto insurance coverage. The Monterey, Calif.-based firm joins Automobile Club of Southern California...

S. Martinelli & Co. Tries to Salvage Merchandise in Calif. Fire

Apr 22 2011 // A warehouse fire that began April 20 in Watsonville, Calif., continues to burn, according to fire officials. Meanwhile, one of the clients, S. Martinelli & Co., the maker of Martinelli’s apple juices and ciders,...

Calif. Places Majestic Insurance into Conservatorship

Apr 21 2011 // Workers’ compensation insurer Majestic Insurance Co. has been placed into conservation by order of the San Francisco Superior Court. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has simultaneously filed a motion...

Calif. Businesses, Residents Urged to Consider Flood Insurance

Apr 21 2011 // While California may have survived this past winter’s storms, experts are urging businesses and residents to consider flood insurance. The state’s winters storms left behind a massive snow pack 165 percent...

9% of Californians Talk or Text While Driving

Apr 21 2011 // About 9 percent of California drivers talk or text on their cell phone while driving — despite state laws that prohibit such actions. In the first-ever observational survey of cell phone use by drivers within a...

Calif. To Provide Workers’ Comp E-Billing

Apr 20 2011 // California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has adopted new regulations for standardized paper billing forms and electronic billing standards, making it one of the first states in the country to...

Calif. Workers’ Comp Insurers’ Net Worth Declining

Apr 20 2011 // California workers’ compensation insurer returns continue to dwindle, with recent National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) data showing their return on net worth falling from 7 percent in 2008 to 4.6...

Tremblor Shakes SF on Anniversary of 1906 Quake

Apr 20 2011 // A small earthquake centered near San Francisco rattled the area hours after a ceremony was held to mark the anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed much of the city. The U.S. Geological Survey says the...

McDonald’s Not Smiling Over Happy Meals Lawsuit

Apr 20 2011 // A lawsuit seeking to stop McDonald’s Corp. from offering toys with Happy Meals must be dismissed because parents can always choose not to buy the meals for their children, the hamburger giant said in a court filing...

Calif. Women’s Insurance Group Names Award-Winners

Apr 20 2011 // The South Bay Chapter of the National Association of Insurance Women International (NAIW) has recognized several members for contributions and achievement. Honorees include Young Professional of the Year Tiffany McPartland...

Civil Service Employees Insurance Group Offers Up $12,000 in Student Scholarships

Apr 19 2011 // Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Civil Service Employees Insurance Group (CSE Insurance), is accepting applications for its 2011 CSE Youth Scholarship Program, an annual essay competition designed to promote awareness of driver...

Insurance Incorporated opens New California Office

Apr 18 2011 // Insurance Inc. has opened a new office in Fillmore, Calif., to be headed by Bill Steiger. Steiger began his insurance career in 1974 and brings a great deal of experience to the company. He owned his own successful agency...

Low-Cost Auto Insurance Program Promoted at Calif. Colleges

Apr 18 2011 // Representatives from California’s Department of Insurance and notebook computer maker ASUS Computer International have been visiting community colleges to introduce students to the state’s California Low Cost...

Calif. Regulator Intervenes in Suit Against Sutter

Apr 18 2011 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has filed to intervene in a lawsuit that alleges Sutter Health hospitals engaged in false billing practices for anesthesia services. Jones says through false and overblown...

Calif. Workers’ Comp Rating Bureau to Skip Mid-Year Rate Filing

Apr 18 2011 // California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau governing board has decided not to make a mid-year pure premium rate filing suggesting a 40 percent increase. Instead, the WCIRB will make an...

California Suspicious Insurance Claims Rise by 9% Since 2008

Apr 15 2011 // California has seen a 9 percent increase in suspicious insurance claims since 2008, according to a new report. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) said questionable claims originating in California and referred to...