Latest California Headlines

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

Insurers try to prevent losses in wildfire hotspots

Jun 4 2007 // Spooked by devastating wildfire seasons, the nation’s top insurers are inspecting homes in high-risk areas throughout the West and threatening to cancel coverage if owners don’t clear brush or take other...

People

Jun 4 2007 // Emeryville, Calif.-based Commodore Insurance Services Inc. appointed Mark Cravens president. Cravens was recently with Wellington Underwriting, which was acquired by Catlin, where he led development of catastrophe modeling...

Fraud Roundup

Jun 4 2007 // Hawaii producer’s license revoked Hawaii State Insurance Commissioner J. P. Schmidt revoked the insurance producer license of Amy Pohaiokalani Fernandez (aka Amy Pohaiokalani Waikiki and Pohai Waikiki) and fined her...

Personal Lines Leaders

Jun 4 2007 // Agency Name 2006 Personal Personal Total 2006 Main Office Main Office Web site Lines Lines P/C Premiums City State Premium Revenue Written 1 Keystone Insurers Group $316.0 million $39.5 million $790.0...

58 Arrest Warrants Issued in Calif. for Workers’ Comp Fraud

May 31 2007 // Law enforcement officers from five Calif. counties have served 58 arrest warrants for insurance fraud and related charges, such as grand theft, receiving stolen property and perjury, following investigations of alleged...

Calif. Commissioner Unveils Workers’ Comp Reform Package

May 30 2007 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has unveiled a series of reforms to address what he says are systemic and structural deficiencies in the state’s workers’ compensation system. He also recommended...

Calif. State Fund Files 11% Average Premium Decrease

May 30 2007 // California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund announced it filed for an 11 percent average decrease in collectible premium for its July 1, 2007, workers’ compensation insurance rates. The new rates will affect...

Nonprofits’ Insurance Alliance of California Issues $3.7 Million Dividend

May 30 2007 // The board of directors of the Nonprofits’ Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC) has declared a $3.7 million dividend to be paid to 2,707 nonprofit insureds in California. The dividend reflects better than...

High Expectations Create Hazard for Firefighters in the Wild

May 29 2007 // A building boom of homes on the fringes of wilderness has created a new kind of hero: the wildland firefighter who often saves the day — and the homes. But success has created high public expectations that can have...

Trial for Ford SUV Rollovers To Begin in June

May 25 2007 // A class action lawsuit claiming that Ford concealed a dangerous design flaw that increases the tendency among these Explorers to roll over, causing consumers to buy or lease Explorers, and to pay more than what they should...

Two Sentenced in Los Angeles for Capping, Fraud

May 23 2007 // A California medical clinic administrator and law office administator have been sentenced for insurance fraud. According to the California Department of Insurance, Magdalena Zanoletti, 54, a medical clinic administrator,...

Burns & Wilcox Offers Liability Coverage for Homeowners in Calif.

May 23 2007 // Burns & Wilcox has announced that it can now include liability coverage with its homeowners product that offers coverage for short-term rental. Coverage includes personal ownership, limited liabilty companies and...

Fire outlook: 2007 wildfire season looks wicked

May 21 2007 // Fire scientists are predicting an above-average wildfire season from May through August 2007, according to the National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Group based in Boise, Idaho. In its “National...

My New Markets

May 21 2007 // Tow Truck Operators Nuts & Bolts: Swiss Re’s Commercial Insurance and BISYS launched a program for tow truck operators. Policies are underwritten by Westport Insurance Corp., a Swiss Re company, and are backed...

Declarations

May 21 2007 // No means ‘no’ “I find no merit in State Farm’s contention that the assignment of these insurance proceeds deprives the plaintiffs, the named insureds, of standing to pursue a claim under the...

My New Markets

May 21 2007 // Errors & Omissions, Agents Nuts & Bolts: Insurance agents and brokers now have access to errors and omissions coverage, through Swiss Re’s Commercial insurance market. Swiss Re announced the launch of a...

My New Markets

May 21 2007 // Errors & Omissions, Agents Nuts & Bolts: Insurance agents and brokers now have access to errors and omissions coverage, through Swiss Re’s Commercial insurance market. Swiss Re announced the launch of a...

Business Moves

May 21 2007 // United Heritage, Alliance Mutual Insurance Alliance Mutual Insurance Co., headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., and United Heritage Financial Group Inc., based in Meridian, Idaho, have reached a preliminary agreement under...

Declarations

May 21 2007 // Declarations No means ‘no’ “I find no merit in State Farm’s contention that the assignment of these insurance proceeds deprives the plaintiffs, the named insureds, of standing to pursue a claim...

News Currents

May 21 2007 // Fire outlook: 2007 wildfire season looks wicked Fire scientists are predicting an above-average wildfire season from May through August 2007, according to the National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Group...