Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Financial Tug-Of-War Emerges Over California Fire Victims’ Settlement
Jan 2 2020 // A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation’s largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to...
Insurance Journal’s Top 10 West Region Stories of 2019
Jan 2 2020 // California wildfires dominated the news in Insurance Journal’s Western region in 2019, despite it being a quiet year relative to two consecutive years of deadly blazes that came before. Three of the year’s top...
Judge Temporarily Blocks California Gig Worker Law for Truckers
Jan 2 2020 // A federal judge has temporarily blocked a California labor law meant to take effect Jan. 1 from impacting over 70,000 independent truckers by granting a ‘temporary restraining order.’ U.S. District Judge Roger...
Will People Use California’s Vastly Expanded Digital Privacy Law?
Dec 31 2019 // Forty million Californians will soon obtain sweeping digital privacy rights stronger than any seen before in the U.S. – rights that could pose a significant challenge to Big Tech and the data economy it created. So long...
Most Common Workers’ Compensation Medical Provider Fraud Schemes
Dec 31 2019 // While most insurance claims are legitimate, studies indicate that 10% or more of all property/casualty insurance claims are fraudulent. In the workers’ compensation industry, combatting fraud can seem like a game of...
Uber, Postmates Sue to Overturn California Gig Worker Law as Unconstitutional
Dec 31 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. and Postmates Inc. sued the state of California, alleging that a labor rights law set to go into effect this week is unconstitutional. The lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court is a...
Eight Escape California Warehouse Fire Similar to Ghost Ship Fire
Dec 30 2019 // Oakland authorities have confirmed a fire chased eight people out of an evacuated and condemned building injuring one person before fire crews could extinguish the blaze. Assistant Fire Marshal Emmanuel Watson compared the...
California ‘Gig’ Worker Law Affects Employers Inside and Outside the State
Dec 30 2019 // A California law that makes it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors takes effect next week, forcing small businesses in and outside the state to rethink their staffing. The law puts tough...
Employers Warned of Potential Wage-and-Hour Claims Under New Overtime Rule
Dec 29 2019 // Time is running out for employers to familiarize themselves with new federal rules on overtime pay. Starting January 1, the threshold for who is entitled to overtime pay — and who is not — changes. It’s the first...
California Man Choked Unconscious Can Sue Police, Court Rules
Dec 27 2019 // A California man can proceed to trial with a lawsuit against a police officer who choked him unconscious at a Las Vegas nightclub, a federal appeals court ruled this week. “It has long been clear that a police...
Family of California University Student Sues Fraternity, Saying Hazing Led to Death
Dec 24 2019 // The family of a university student who died in 2018 after what they say was a hazing incident has sued a fraternity they claim is responsible for his death. KABC TV reported. The family of Tyler Hilliard said that the...
Coalition Adds California Consumer Protection Act Endorsement
Dec 24 2019 // San Francisco, Calif.-based Coalition, a cyber insurer for small and midsize businesses, has added an endorsement that broadens its coverage to protect against additional violations brought under California Consumer...
AssuredPartners Acquires First Service Insurance Agents & Brokers in California
Dec 23 2019 // AssuredPartners Inc. has acquired First Service Insurance Agents & Brokers Inc. of Roseville, Calif. The team of 28 First Service Insurance staff will remain under the operational leadership of Doug Lindley and Ed...
California Proposes Major Change on Auto Insurance Group Discounts
Dec 23 2019 // The California Department of Insurance on Monday released proposed regulations to reform how insurance companies offer group discounts based on occupation, education, and other arbitrary factors. If adopted, this would be...
$25M for Girl Who Suffered Brain Damage in California Crash
Dec 23 2019 // Sacramento County will pay more than $25 million to the family of a 12-year-old girl who was left with brain damage after her family car was struck by a sheriff’s patrol car vehicle. The settlement last week is the...
Health System in California Pays $575M to Settle Anti-Trust Lawsuit
Dec 23 2019 // One of Northern California’s largest health systems will pay $575 million to settle claims that it used anti-competitive practices to bump up costs for patients, the state’s attorney general said last week,...
Bipartisan Internet Privacy Proposal Calls for User OK to Share Data But Is Mum on Suits
Dec 23 2019 // A top House panel unveiled long-awaited draft privacy legislation that calls for limits on sharing consumers’ information and would allow users to correct their personal data. The draft, which also calls for the...
PG&E Creditors Sweet Offer to California Wildfire Victims With $13.5 Billion Upfront
Dec 22 2019 // PG&E Corp.’s creditors have sweetened their offer to California wildfire victims, saying they are now prepared to pay $13.5 billion in cash upfront, according to a letter sent on Friday to state governor Gavin...
Insurance Protections Expanded in California Wildfire Areas
Dec 20 2019 // More than a million California homes are now protected under a new state order that temporarily bans insurance companies from dropping customers in areas affected by recent wildfires, officials announced this...
California Earthquake Warning App Sends 1st Public Alert
Dec 20 2019 // California’s new earthquake early warning cellphone app issued its first public alert when a modest tremor occurred this week in a rural area of the state, a newspaper reported. MyShake app project manager Jennifer...
