West News

Tesla Engineer Defends ‘Full Self-Driving’ Name at Crash Trial

A Tesla engineer in court on Wednesday rejected a lawyer’s suggestion that the company named its driver-assistant feature “Full Self-Driving” because it wanted people to believe that its systems had more abilities than was really the case. The electric-vehicle maker …

People Moves: Ramos Joins Alliant as Tribal First Team SVP

Eric Ramos has joined Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., as senior vice president with Tribal First, a division of Alliant underwriting solutions. Tribal First is a specialized program focused on meeting the insurance and risk management needs of …

Seattle Paying Nearly $2M After Man Dies of Heart Attack at Address Wrongly on 911 Blacklist

The city of Seattle will pay $1.86 million to the family of a man who died of a heart attack after a caution note attached to his address delayed medics’ response. William Yurek, 48, died in his town house in …

Takeaways from Our Conversation on Hemp Market’s Growth Potential

Hemp is often a sidenote in conversations about the cannabis industry, but hemp has far greater growth potential than most people probably think. That’s according to a new report out that shows hemp along is a $350 billion market based …

California Workers’ Comp Written Premium in 2022 Was Near Pre-Pandemic Level

Written premium in 2022 was 14% higher than 2021 and almost at the pre-pandemic level – an increase was driven by higher employee wage levels and the economic Recovery, according to a new report out on Wednesday from the Workers’ …

Ex-Tesla Factory Worker Loses Bid in California for New Trial in Race Bias Case

A Black former factory worker for Tesla lost his bid on Wednesday for a third trial in his race discrimination lawsuit against the electric carmaker, after a California federal judge rejected his claims that the company’s lawyers had engaged in …

Hawaii Electric’s Insurance is Fraction of Potential Fire Claims

Nearly two months after the deadly Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Electric Co. revealed the limited scope of insurance coverage it holds in the face of potentially billions of dollars in damage claims. Hawaiian Electric has $165 million in annual general liability …

Ex-MLB L.A. Dodgers Pitcher, Woman Who Accused Him Of Assault Settle Legal Dispute

Former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer and a woman who accused him of beating and sexually assaulting her in 2021 have settled their legal dispute, Bauer`s attorneys said Monday. “Both of their respective claims have been withdrawn with prejudice, effective …

Washington Insurance Commissioner Issued $262K in Fines for Violations

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in July and August totaling $262,250 against insurance companies and insurance producers for violating state insurance laws and regulations. Following is a breakdown of the fines and the reported offenses: Insurance companies Kaiser …

Lawsuits Blame Utility for Washington Fire That Killed Man and Burned Hundreds of Homes

Two lawsuits have been filed against an electric utility for allegedly sparking a fire in eastern Washington that killed a man and burned approximately 240 homes. A lawsuit filed in Spokane County Superior Court says Inland Power and Light Company`s …

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