West News

Nevada Lawsuits Filed Against Auto Insurers over Rates in Pandemic

Class action lawsuits were filed in Nevada against 10 major auto insurance companies this week, contending that the companies charged excessive insurance premiums during the pandemic by failing to account for a drop in driving and crashes. The lawsuits acknowledge …

Airline to Pay $3.2M After Woman Dies at Oregon Airport

A jury has ordered Alaska Airlines to pay $3.2 million to the family of a 75-year-old disabled woman who died four months after falling down a Portland International Airport escalator. KGW reports the family of Bernice Kekona, of Spokane, Wash., …

California Woman Sentenced in $135K Staged Collision Ring

Zandra Monterrozo, 44, of Corona, Calif., pleaded guilty and was sentenced for her involvement in an organized ring that intentionally staged vehicle collisions to collect more than $135,000 in insurance payouts. Eleven other suspects have been either charged or prosecuted. …

Washington Court Upholds Authority to Pursue Charges in Workplace Death

The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that an employer can be charged with a felony in connection with a workplace fatality. The recent decision clears the way for the King County Prosecutor to move forward with second-degree manslaughter charges …

Fire Victim Trust Sues California Utility Executives for Causing Wildfires

The Fire Victim Trust has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against certain former officers and directors of PG&E Corp. and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for their role in causing the catastrophic 2017 North Bay Fires and …

California Governor Wants Vaccines for Central Valley Farmworkers

More vaccines are headed to California’s vast Central Valley, an agricultural region whose workers and residents have been hard hit by coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. The multi-county region, which includes the cities of Fresno and Bakersfield, will get …

Nevada Ski Resort Sued for Negligence After Fatal Avalanche

The widow and a friend of a man killed in an avalanche at a Lake Tahoe ski resort last year have filed separate lawsuits accusing the resort of negligently rushing to open the slopes in unsafe conditions for a holiday …

California School Employee Arraigned for Workers’ Comp Fraud After Virus Diagnosis

Stephanie Medrano, 33, of West Covina, Calif., was arraigned on Tuesday on multiple counts of grand theft and insurance fraud after allegedly making misrepresentations following a COVID-19 diagnosis in an attempt to collect more than $33,000 in undeserved workers’ compensation …

California Commissioner Wants Rate Transparency Rules for Wildfire Risk

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has proposed new rules to give homeowners and businesses open access to their properties’ wildfire risk scores. The new rules would require insurance companies to provide a consumer with their property’s wildfire risk score, which …

Wyoming Department of Insurance Giving Online Licensing Exams

The Wyoming Department of Insurance is now enabling candidates for insurance licensure to schedule exams online through testing vendor Pearson VUE and their OnVUE online proctoring service. Online testing will begin on March 2. “The weather and long distances in …

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