Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mercury General Releases Second Quarter Results, President to Step Down
Jul 31 2000 // Mercury General Corp. has reported net operating earnings for the second quarter of 2000 were $25.6 million, or $.47 per diluted share, compared with $33.9 million, or $.62 per diluted share in 1999. For the full six...
Calif. Company Offers Coverage For Online Auction Purchases
Jul 28 2000 // WebTradeInsure recently began offering E-marketplace Internet fraud protection insurance for online auction purchases. In doing so, the La Jolla, Calif.-based company has achieved the distinction of founding a new niche in...
‘I’m Sorry’ Bill Signed Into Calif. Law
Jul 27 2000 // California Governor Gray Davis signed a new bill into law on July 24 that says apologies or “benevolent gestures of sympathy” cannot be used or interpreted as admissions of guilt or liability in California...
Calif. Surplus Line Association First Half Figures Down
Jul 20 2000 // The Surplus Line Association of California (SLA) reported that during the first six month of 2000, it had processed $812,9953,889, a figure representing an almost 1.2 percent decrease from the $822,740,064 processed during...
Kemper to Take Control of Superior National
Jul 19 2000 // The negotiations are still in the works, but the fact is that Kemper Insurance Companies has won the right to take over Superior National Insurance Co. On May 3, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) issued a...
Cracks in the Plaster: Construction Defect Litigation
Jul 19 2000 // “You put up these buildings. Even though no one has noticed anything wrong, no one has been injured, nothing has been damaged; by virtue of the fact that you put them up, there must be defects in them. Therefore we...
Former Calif. Commissioner Joins WCC Online Corporate
Jul 19 2000 // Former California insurance commissioner, John Garamendi, was recently elected to the WCC Online corporate Board of Directors. Through its WorkComp.Com operating subsidiary, WCC Online Inc., is developing an...
Acting Calif. Commissioner Announces Closing of Legal Actions
Jul 18 2000 // Acting California Insurance Commissioner Clark Kelso announced the decision to close an investigation by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) into unauthorized disclosures by Department of Insurance employees of...
Feds Join Investigation of Calif. Insurance Department
Jul 12 2000 // Federal authorities have joined California state officials in their investigation of corruption in the state’s department of insurance. The Los Angeles Times reports that the federal involvement gives prosecutors...
NAII Looks to Reverse Court Ruling, Files Friend of the Court Brief
Jul 11 2000 // The National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) filed a friend of the court brief on June 28 asking for a reversal of a California Superior Court ruling related to the case of Lugo v. Allstate Insurance Company....
Calif. Commissioner Quackenbush Resigns; Probes Continue
Jul 10 2000 // California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush resigned June 28 after months of accusations that he used millions of dollars from an earthquake fund established by his office to further his political career. He was to...
Extreme Sports Put Skate parks in the LIABILITY SPOTLIGHT
Jul 10 2000 // Skateboarding started in the 1950s when two California surfers—waiting for the next big swell- nailed their roller skates to a 2×4 and discovered they could surf the sidewalk. But it took the urethane wheel in 1973...
The Downfall of California’s Insurance Commissioner
Jul 10 2000 // The turbulent drama surrounding California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush reached a climax on June 28 with the Commissioner’s resignation from office. As the dust settles, IJ looks back at the major events...
Industry Leaders Speak Out About Quackenbush Resignation
Jul 10 2000 // “There is a feeling of inevitability—things got pretty dismal around here. I guess there were no surprises, it”s just the suddenness of it. There was all the anticipation of this great hearing [scheduled for...
Quackenbush Resigns From Office, Kelso Named Chief Deputy
Jul 10 2000 // On July 10, Chuck Quackenbush quietly filled out his last day as Insurance Commissioner of the State of California. Quackenbush signed his official letter of resignation on June 28 after months of allegations that he used...
Calif. Assembly Fails to Pass SB 1925; Takes No Action on SB 1899
Jul 7 2000 // On July 5, the Assembly Insurance Committee failed to pass Senate Bill 1925. In its original form, the bill would have required insurers to provide earthquake insurance to policyholders at any time, even if they recently...
Kelso Named Calif. Chief Deputy Commissioner
Jul 5 2000 // In what could be one of his final acts in office, California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush announced on July 5 that Professor Clark Kelso would take over as Chief Deputy Commissioner of the California Department...
The Downfall of California’s Insurance Commissioner
Jun 30 2000 // The turbulent drama surrounding California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush reached a climax on June 28 with the Commissioner’s resignation from office. As the dust settles, IJ looks back at the major events...
Calif. Senate Insurance Committee Approves AB 393 and AB 481
Jun 30 2000 // The Senate Insurance Committee approved Assembly Bill 393, the agent licensing bill, and Assembly Bill 481, the claims bill, at a hearing on June 28. AB 393 would prohibit employees of insurance companies who do not have...
Calif. Low-Income Car Insurance Pilot Program Launches Tomorrow
Jun 30 2000 // A plan geared to reduce the number of uninsured motorists in Los Angeles and San Francisco will begin Saturday, with civic leaders nationwide watching closely to see if it might work in their communities. The program,...
