West News

Transatlantic Underwriters Names Waltenburg Vice President in West

Transatlantic Underwriters has named Colby Waltenburg vice president. Waltenburg will be coordinating the opening of a new office for TAU on the West Coast. Waltenburg has worked in most aspects of wholesale property/casualty insurance operations since 1997. He was previously …

Feds Probing Repairs Made on Plane in Hawaii Crash

Federal investigators will review repair and inspection records on the skydiving plane that became inverted before crashing shortly after takeoff on Oahu’s North Shore, killing all 11 people on board in the deadliest civil aviation accident since 2011. The same …

Oregon Lawmakers Repealed Tsunami Zone Building Law

The Oregon Legislature has repealed a nearly 25-year-old law prohibiting new schools, hospitals, jails, and police and fire stations from being built in the state’s tsunami inundation zone. The Statesman Journal reported that coastal legislators, who pushed the bill, say …

Four California Men Involved Alleged Organized Auto Insurance Fraud Ring

Detectives from the California Department of Insurance have arrested Ameer Almassou, Bariq Aleyada, and Ziad Jaber Jaber for allegedly stealing more than $22,000 from auto insurers by filing fraudulent insurance claims. One additional suspect, Muhamed El Gererey, self-surrendered. The scheme …

Topa in California Names Yates Assistant Vice President of Claims

Topa Insurance Co. has named Kelly Yates assistant vice president of claims. Yates will be located in Topa’s Calabasas, Calif. office. Yates has oversight of Topa’s property and commercial auto business and its special investigations unit. He has more than …

Technology Expected to Aid Drivers in Arizona Dust Storms

With Arizona’s monsoon season quickly approaching, state transportation planners plan to begin installing a new dust-detection system on Interstate 10. The Arizona Department of Transportation recorded 85 dust-related crashes along the busy freeway from Phoenix to Tucson from 2010 to …

Idaho Crop Insurance Company Will Pay $3.48M in Lawsuit

A crop insurance company has agreed to pay a southwestern Idaho farming family $3.48 million following a lawsuit. The Idaho Statesman reported that the Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho agreed to pay Nate and Kristin Pancheri for damage …

Washington Hotel Owner Faces Charges Over Asbestos Removal, Fined $355K

A Seattle, Wash. hotel owner is facing a felony perjury charge and state Clean Air Act violations after authorities said he lied about having uncertified workers remove asbestos during a renovation. Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Friday he filed the …

M5.5 Quake Confirmed in California Near Pacific Coast

The U.S. Geological Survey a magnitude 5.5 earthquake has hit near the Pacific coast of Northern California. The agency says the earthquake struck at 8:53 p.m. on Saturday at a spot 17.3 miles southwest of Scotia, a town of 850 …

CSAA in California Names Acevedo Chief Information Officer, and Rogers Chief Information Security Officer

CSAA Insurance Group has named Paul Acevedo executive vice president and chief information officer. CSAA has also named Marlys Rodgers chief information security officer. Acevedo leads CSAA’s technology organization, with responsibilities including consumer- and agent-facing digital experiences. Acevedo joined CSAA …

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