Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mercury in California Says Net Premiums Rose, Net Income Fell in 3Q
Nov 2 2015 // Mercury General Corp. reported net written premiums rose 8 percent for the third quarter from a year ago. The board of directors for the Los Angeles, Calif.-based carrier also declared a quarterly dividend of 62 cents per...
A Landslide of Bad Ideas
Nov 2 2015 // Landslides are a problem for which the United States has yet to come up with an answer. A recent essay by Penn State University law professor Christopher C. French – titled “Insuring Landslides: America’s...
California Commissioner Approves Reduced 2016 Pure Premium Rate Filing
Nov 2 2015 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones approved workers’ compensation rates for 2016 that are 2 percent below the average approved in July. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau submitted its...
99.9 Percent Probability of L.A.-Area Earthquake: Study
Nov 2 2015 // There is a 99.9 percent chance of a magnitude-5 or greater earthquake striking within three years in the greater Los Angeles area, where a similar sized temblor caused more the $12 million in damage last year, according to...
California Woman Blinded in Eye by Flying Disc Settles Suit for $3M
Nov 2 2015 // A woman who was blinded in one eye by a flying golf disc at a Southern California park has settled a lawsuit for $3 million. The Daily Breeze of Torrance reported that the settlement involves Noreen Goodbody. She was...
Southern California Utility Gets $400M Insurance Settlement over Closed Nuke
Nov 2 2015 // The operator of the defunct San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California announced that it reached a $400 million insurance settlement covering power outages caused by failed equipment, most of which will go to...
Wildfires Threat in Texas Increased Over Past 15 Years
Oct 30 2015 // Larger, more threatening wildfires are occurring at greater rates as Texas faces lingering drought, consistent development — driven by millions of new residents and the spread of outlying suburbs — and changes in how...
Consumer Watchdog Should Want a More Dynamic, Competitive Market for California Insureds
Oct 29 2015 // Yesterday, I published a paper about, and titled, “The troublesome legacy of Prop 103.” Shortly thereafter, an organization called Consumer Watchdog published a startlingly quick response. The speed of their...
188 People Sickened by Infection Tied to California Restaurant
Oct 29 2015 // Public health officials in California say at least 188 people in six counties have contracted a bacterial infection after eating at a San Francisco Bay Area restaurant. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department...
West Coast Towns Vulnerable to Tsunamis Consider Ways to Save Lives
Oct 28 2015 // Bracing for a tsunami like the one that devastated Japanese communities during a 2011 mega-earthquake, coastal communities from British Columbia to California have been grappling with how to protect people from a similar...
California DMV Agreement Changes How Motor Vehicle Records Are Handled
Oct 28 2015 // California agents and brokers are being notified of a new change to how they can handle motor vehicle records. An agreement between representatives from the insurance industry and the California Department of Motor...
Southern California Utility Gets $400M Insurance Settlement over Closed Nuke
Oct 27 2015 // The operator of the defunct San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California announced that it reached a $400 million insurance settlement covering power outages caused by failed equipment, most of which will go to...
American Claims Management Opens New Office in Northern California
Oct 27 2015 // San Diego, CA, October 27, 2015– American Claims Management, Inc. (ACM), a national third party administrator and claim ancillary services company, is continuing to establish a greater presence on the West Coast by...
R. E. Chaix & Associates Taps Crombie in California
Oct 26 2015 // Irvine, Calif.-based R. E. Chaix & Associates has named Kevin Crombie to its property/casualty team. Crombie will be an independent advisor to Chaix’s P/C teams, and he will assist in securing new business...
FEMA Urges Californians to Buy Flood Insurance Ahead of El Nin᷈o
Oct 26 2015 // Federal emergency officials are urging Californians to buy flood insurance – even those who don’t live near creeks or rivers – as El Nin᷈o conditions get underway in the Pacific Ocean, increasing chances for...
Judge Dismisses Facebook Tracking Suit; Finds No ‘Realistic Harm’
Oct 26 2015 // Facebook Inc. won dismissal of a $15 billion lawsuit accusing the company of secretly tracking the Internet activity of its users after they log off. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila in San Jose, California, on Friday...
Volkswagen Wants 350 Diesel Fraud Claims Consolidated
Oct 26 2015 // Volkswagen AG is maneuvering to steer hundreds of class-action lawsuits over its emissions-cheating software to the court nearest its current U.S. headquarters or to Detroit, its former location. The automaker asked a...
99.9 Percent Probability of L.A.-Area Earthquake: Study
Oct 23 2015 // There is a 99.9 percent chance of a magnitude-5 or greater earthquake striking within three years in the greater Los Angeles area, where a similar sized temblor caused more the $12 million in damage last year, according to...
Lawsuit Charges California School Failed to Report Abuse Allegation
Oct 22 2015 // A new lawsuit says a California high school failed to take appropriate steps when a parent reported suspected sexual abuse by a wrestling coach who is now serving time on similar charges. The San Mateo County Times...
Swett & Crawford’s MGA Adds Two Lumber Underwriters in California
Oct 21 2015 // The Insurance Center for Building Materials has hired Rick Zorman and Phil McCown in Los Angeles. Both Zorman and McCown are experienced lumber underwriters and will expand the firm’s capabilities for this...
