Latest California Headlines

All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Firefighters Warn of Continued Wildfire Threat in California

Nov 18 2007 // Rapid development in wildfire-prone areas and continued bone-dry weather have alarmed California firefighters, who began a sweeping assessment of fire danger and what’s needed to meet it. Catastrophic wildfires that...

People

Nov 18 2007 // Munich Reinsurance America Inc. announced that John P. Phelan will retire as planned on Dec. 31, 2007, after serving nearly six years as chairman and CEO. Anthony J. Kuczinski, who is president of Munich Re America’s...

Declarations

Nov 18 2007 // Calif. Class Actions “Data shows that a state like California — with a huge population and laws tilted against defendants — remains a major forum for class action lawsuits, despite the 2005 federal Class Action...

American Vehicle Approved as Surplus Line Carrier in Calif.

Nov 15 2007 // Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based 21st Century Holding Co., an insurance holding company, announced that it’s subsidiary, American Vehicle Insurance Company, has received approval to begin writing commercial general...

Calif. Commissioner Names New General Counsel

Nov 15 2007 // Following a nationwide search, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced his choice for general counsel at the Department of Insurance. Adam M. Cole comes to the DOI from the San Francisco-based office of...

S&P Report Examines Calif. Earthquake Insurance Coverage

Nov 14 2007 // As if Southern California’s recent devastating wildfires weren’t enough, the Golden State got a second jolt on Oct. 30 via a 5.6 magnitude earthquake just outside of San Jose. An article published by Standard...

Safeco Estimates Calif. Wildfire Losses at $35 Million

Nov 12 2007 // Seattle-based Safeco is estimating that claims stemming from the recent California wildfires will amountto $35 million in pretax catastrophe losses. That figure represents the estimated losses both from claims received...

Calif. Considers Ballot Measure to Crack Down on Uninsured Motorists

Nov 12 2007 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is reportedly exploring the possibility of a ballot measure next year designed get uninsured motorists off the state’s roads and highways. Industry sources confirmed...

More than 500 Insurance Adjusters to Assist Calif. Wildfire Victims

Nov 9 2007 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today announced that as of Thursday, 502 emergency insurance adjusters had been registered with the Department of Insurance to expedite the processing of insurance claims for...

Hub International Acquires Diversified Risk Insurance Brokers

Nov 8 2007 // Chicago-based Hub International Ltd.’s California subsidiary has acquired FLF Inc. d/b/a Diversified Risk Insurance Brokers Inc. (DRIB), a northern California-based insurance brokerage. DRIB’s operation in...

Class Action Lawsuits Abound in California

Nov 8 2007 // A review of class action lawsuits filed in California courts over the past three years shows that the state is still a happy hunting ground for class action lawyers — despite the 2005 federal class action reforms...

Firefighters Warn of Continued Wildfire Threat in California

Nov 8 2007 // Rapid development in wildfire-prone areas and continued bone-dry weather have alarmed California firefighters, who began a sweeping assessment of fire danger this week and what’s needed to meet it. Catastrophic...

Fireman’s Fund Offers to Rebuild Wildfire Homes “Green”

Nov 7 2007 // In response to the Southern California wildfires that burned in late October, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is responding with an innovative green upgrade for affected policyholders. The company said it will rebuild...

Mercury General Net Premiums Down in Q3, But Up in Calif.

Nov 7 2007 // Mercury General Corp., reported net income of $63.3 million in the third quarter of 2007, compared with $68.2 million for the same period in 2006. For the first nine months of 2007, net income was $193.2 million compared...

Calif. AG Files Lawsuit Against PacifiStaff Construction Training Company

Nov 7 2007 // California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. has sued PacifiStaff, a Southern California corporation that trained construction companies to violate workers’ compensation laws by the use of “fake corporations...

Calif. Workers’ Comp Insurance Rating Bureau: Premium Rates Declining

Nov 6 2007 // The Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has completed its report summarizing insurer loss and premium experience through June 30, 2007. According to the report, California written premium reported...

Calif. Holds Hearing on Allstate’s Auto Rates

Nov 6 2007 // California’s Department of Insurance held hearings yesterday on Allstate Insurance Co.’s auto rates in San Francisco. The consumer group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights argued that the company is...

Business Moves

Nov 4 2007 // AmWINS, London American General AmWINS Group Inc., a national wholesale insurance broker based in Charlotte, N.C., reports it has acquired London American General Agency Inc. Based in San Diego, Calif., London American is...

Insurers Used Variety of Resources to Reach Out to Fire Victims

Nov 4 2007 // In the midst of the blazing wildfires that overwhelmed seven Southern California counties in October, insurance companies sprung into action. Most said they had learned from past catastrophes and that preparation was key...

Insurance Agent and Broker Associations Reach Out to Members

Nov 4 2007 // With the devastating circumstances in Southern California all too apparent, insurance agent and broker associations have stepped up to the plate to reach out to their members. As the fires began to increase in severity,...