Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Med-Mal for California Physicians
Sep 6 2004 // Nuts & Bolts: Fairway Physicians Insurance Company is a Washington D.C.-domiciled risk retention group now offering medical malpractice liability insurance to California physicians. Members participate in the growth...
California Still Vulnerable in Workers’ Compensation Market
Sep 6 2004 // Just when it seemed California might overcome its perennial workers’ compensation crisis, renewed downward pricing pressure threatens to send the market into another tailspin, according to analysts at Standard &...
Industry Works to put Low Cost Auto Program into Gear
Sep 6 2004 // The American Agents Alliance recently conducted a survey of independent insurance producers concerning California’s Low Cost Auto program. The program, enacted by the state Legislature in 2000 and operational since...
People and Places
Sep 6 2004 // Barbara Peat Florida-based Bankers Insurance Group announced that Barbara Peat, vice president of corporate marketing and communications, has been promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer. In addition...
People and Places
Sep 6 2004 // Barbara Doerning Pasadena, Calif.-based Bolton & Company announced the hiring of Barbara A. Doerning as vice president of Bolton’s Risk Services Department. She began her insurance career in 1986, specializing...
Calif. Legislature, Gov. Take Positive Steps on Issues
Sep 3 2004 // The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) commended the Legislature and governor for taking positive, responsible steps this year on major insurance-related bills. “During the recently concluded...
IBA West Names Payan as CEO
Sep 1 2004 // Effective Sept. 1, Clark Payan assumes the role of chief executive officer of IBA West, a regional trade association that represents independent insurance brokers and agents in California, Washington, Oregon and...
State Farm to Lower California Auto Insurance Rates
Sep 1 2004 // State Farm will lower auto rates for its California auto insurance customers an average of 7.6 percent effective October 1. The California Department of Insurance-approved rate reduction will save the company’s 3...
Federal Conviction Upheld of Calif. Man with History of Sunken Yachts
Sep 1 2004 // A federal appeals court Aug. 30 upheld the conviction of a lawyer who tried to sink his $1.9-million yacht and then sought nearly double the price in insurance payments. The court upheld the conviction of Rex DeGeorge for...
Calif. Governor Signs ACIC-Backed Post-Fire Bills
Sep 1 2004 // Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law three significant bills – all supported by the Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) – that respond to last year’s Southern California...
California Governor Signs Homeowners Legislation
Aug 31 2004 // Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed two bills, AB 2199 (Kehoe) and SB 64 (Speier), that were considered part of Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s “Homeowners Bill of Rights” package. Garamendi...
City of Hope, California Insurance Council Honors Scottsdale Insurance President Williamson
Aug 24 2004 // The California Insurance Council for City of Hope will honor business and civic leader Max Williamson, president and chief operating officer of Scottsdale Insurance, with The Spirit of Life Award for his exceptional...
An Industry Icon
Aug 23 2004 // Recently I had the opportunity to interview IBA West vice president and CEO Jerry O’Kane, who is looking forward to a well-deserved retirement on Aug. 31. O’Kane shared with me the many achievements of his...
ANTHEM FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST CALIFORNIA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER:
Aug 23 2004 // Anthem Inc. filed a lawsuit against the California Insurance Commissioner in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. The suit seeks to set aside the Commissioner’s decision to...
CALIF. SUPREME COURT ISSUES MAJOR RULING ON INSURER BAD-FAITH CLAIMS:
Aug 23 2004 // The California Supreme Court threw out a lower court ruling that had resulted in a multi-million dollar damage award against an insurance company. The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) had filed an...
Three Suspects Arrested for Alleged Auto, Work Comp Insurance Fraud
Aug 23 2004 // Investigators arrested three people Aug. 3 on numerous felony charges after a 3-year California Department of Insurance (CDI) investigation into a chiropractic office, which uncovered numerous alleged auto insurance and...
California Brothers and Employee Arrested in Alleged Felony Fraud Case
Aug 23 2004 // Brothers Sam Saeid Afghani, of Agoura Hills, Calif., and Siamac A. Afghani, of Calabasas, Calif., as well as employee Renee Laws, of Encino, Calif., were to be arraigned August 24 for their suspected roles in a fraud case...
Changing the Face of California’s Insurance Marketplace
Aug 23 2004 // IBA West’s O’Kane Reflects Back on 22-Year Tenure There are few people in the insurance industry that have truly made an impact on behalf of independent agents and brokers. Jerry O’Kane is one of those...
Bracing for the Worst: Industry Prepares for Another Wildfire Season
Aug 23 2004 // The fire season started early this year. Wildfires erupted all over California and in Nevada in mid-July, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying several homes and outbuildings. Affected areas in California included...
Agents and Brokers Are Deserving of Fair Commissions
Aug 23 2004 // Employers would be far better served if the CDI focused on the reforms it helped enact rather than continue to cajole State Fund over commission levels. Recently the California Department of Insurance issued a report...
