Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Jury Begins Deliberating in Trial over Deadly California Warehouse Fire
Aug 2 2019 // A jury has begun deliberating the fate of two men charged in a deadly fire at a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse two years ago. Derick Almena and Max Harris were charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 36...
California Governor Defends State’s Wildfire Efforts
Aug 2 2019 // Gov. Gavin Newsom defended California’s wildfire prevention efforts this week while criticizing the federal government for not doing enough to help protect the state as it enters the height of fire season after two...
Confie Acquires Non-Credit Union Member Insurance from Wescom in California
Aug 1 2019 // Confie has completed the acquisition of Wescom Insurance Services LLC’s non-credit union member insurance services. Confie acquired all of the non-credit union member insurance customers, while Wescom will retain all...
PG&E Doesn’t Agree That Maintenance Played Role in Deadly Camp Fire
Aug 1 2019 // PG&E Corp. said in court papers on Wednesday that it “strongly disagrees” with a suggestion in a Wall Street Journal article that the company knowingly deferred maintenance on equipment that caused...
WSS Acquires Klein & Costa Insurance Services in California
Jul 31 2019 // Western Security Surplus has acquired Klein & Costa Insurance Services in Santa Ana, Calif. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. K&C was founded in 1990 by Clarence Costa and Jim Klein. Costa will continue to lead...
Report: Written Worker’s Comp Premium in California to Fall by $1B in 2019
Jul 31 2019 // Expect workers’ compensation insurance rates in California to continue to fall, with total written premium expected to drop by $1 billion or more for 2019 despite the positive impacts of continued economic growth, a...
Experts Say Organizers Should Check Emergency Plans After California Festival Shooting
Jul 31 2019 // Experts say organizers should take another look at their emergency plans in the wake of the deadly shooting at a California food festival to see if they can make additional safety improvements. The shooting Sunday at the...
University Lawsuit Accuses Big Retailers of Infringing ‘Reinvented’ Light Bulb Patent
Jul 31 2019 // Five major retailers, including Amazon.com Inc and Walmart Inc, were sued on Tuesday by the University of California over what it called the “existential threat” when foreign manufacturers infringe...
California Self-Insurers Board Greenlights Workers’ Comp Alternative Security Program
Jul 30 2019 // The board of the California Self-Insurers’ Security Fund has approved the 2019/20 Alternative Security Program. The ASP provides a financial backstop to replace security deposits required to collateralize...
Alliant Names Droz Vice President in Employee Benefits in California
Jul 30 2019 // Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has named Michelle Droz vice president within the employee benefits group. Droz will be based in San Francisco, Calif., and design and deliver benefits solutions to clients across a range of...
A Year after GDPR, How Can U.S. Insurers Prepare for Data Privacy Regs Closer to Home?
Jul 30 2019 // More than a year after the European Union implemented its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), U.S. insurers are examining what they can learn as they prepare for the implementation of similar data privacy laws in...
Trial in Deadly Northern California Warehouse Fire Wraps up
Jul 30 2019 // The trial against two men arrested after a deadly warehouse fire in the San Francisco Bay Area is wrapping up. Prosecutors began closing arguments Monday against Derick Almena and Max Harris, both charged with involuntary...
Fortuna General Acquires Appleby and Sterling in Southern California
Jul 29 2019 // Fortuna General Insurance Agency has acquired Simi Valley, Calif.-based Appleby and Sterling. Appleby and Sterling’s Mike Maurer and Sue Fodor will be joining Fortuna as production underwriters. Terms of the deal...
CSAA in California Names Jones Chief Human Resources Officer
Jul 29 2019 // Walnut Creek, Calif.-based CSAA Insurance Group has named Melissa Jones executive vice president and chief human resources officer. As a member of the company’s executive leadership team, Jones leads efforts in areas...
Oregon Lagging on Disaster Preparedness, Scientists Warn
Jul 29 2019 // Oregon state lawmakers abandoned a multimillion-dollar project to develop early warning systems for earthquakes and wildfires, and scientists warn that the funding shake-up could endanger public safety and put Oregon...
S. Korea Balcony Collapse Kills 2, Injures 16, Including U.S., Other International Athletes
Jul 29 2019 // A balcony inside a nightclub in South Korea collapsed on Saturday, killing two people and injuring 16, including American and other athletes at the world swimming championships, officials said. Hundreds were at the...
Judge Reduces $2 Billion Roundup Jury Verdict to $86 Million
Jul 29 2019 // A California judge on Thursday reduced a $2 billion jury verdict, slashing the award for a couple who blamed Bayer AG’s glyphosate-based weed killer, Roundup, for their cancer to $86.7 million. Superior Court Judge...
Gaspar Insurance Acquires Elden Insurance in Southern California
Jul 26 2019 // Gaspar Insurance Services has acquired Elden Insurance Services Inc. in Canoga Park, Calif. Plans call for Elden Insurance owner Dennis Helio to retire. Elden Insurance offers commercial and personal insurance services,...
Utilities Want in on California Wildfire Insurance Fund, But Others Will Decide
Jul 26 2019 // All three of California’s investor-owned utilities have now signed off on the creation of a $21 billion wildfire fund that any one of them could tap the next time a power line sparks a catastrophic blaze. PG&E...
Union Not Siding with Rideshare Operators on California Labor Law
Jul 26 2019 // Uber and Lyft suffered a setback in their months-long fight against rules that could force them to reclassify California drivers as employees. The ridesharing companies, along with other businesses that depend on...
