West News

Kurata Named Hawaii’s Captive Insurance Administrator

Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito has appointed Andrew Kurata deputy commissioner and captive insurance administrator for the department of commerce and consumer affairs insurance division. Kurata previously held the position in an acting capacity. The captive insurance administrator oversees the …

Lead-Paint Makers Rejected by Top Court in $400M Case in California

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected appeals from Sherwin-Williams Co. and Conagra Brands Inc., leaving intact a ruling that requires them to pay more than $400 million for lead-paint remediation in California. The rebuff, issued without comment Monday, is a blow …

Oregon Study Shows California Workers’ Comp Rates Falling, but Still High

Workers’ compensation premium rates fell considerably nationwide, while California continued to see among the worst rates in the nation, according to a new study out from the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. The department puts out its Oregon …

California Train Agency Fined $650K in 2 Worker Deaths

Regulators fined the San Francisco Bay Area’s transit agency $650,000 on Thursday for safety failures that led a commuter train to strike and kill two workers inspecting track five years ago during a union strike. The California Public Utilities Commission …

ShakeOut an Opportunity to Sell Earthquake Policies in California and Beyond

Millions of people are expected to drop, cover and hold on at 10:18 a.m. PST on Thursday, which should be a good opportunity for insurance agents to try and sell some policies, according to the head of the California Earthquake …

California Utility Cuts Power to Dampen Wildfire Threat

California’s largest public utility cut off electric power to about 60,000 customers in an unprecedented move to prevent wildfires such as those that erupted in the state’s wine country last fall, as high winds threatened to topple trees and power …

Woodruff Sawyer in California Names Parsons Vice President

San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff Sawyer has named Luke Parsons has a vice president in the private equity and transactional risk group. Parsons has experience working alongside private equity firms, family offices, alternative asset managers and their portfolio companies. He was …

A.M. Best Revises Outlooks to Stable for Aspire General in California

A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” of Aspire General Insurance Co. in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Aspire General is a …

California Insurance Commissioner OKs Workers’ Comp Rating Bureau Filing

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has approved a filing from the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s that makes amendments to uniform statistical reporting and experience rating. The WCIRB submitted a regulatory filing and ensuing amendments to the filing in Aug. …

More Washington Troopers Filing Carbon Monoxide Claims

Two more Washington State Patrol troopers plan to sue the state over carbon monoxide poisoning, bringing the total number of troopers intending to sue to seven. KOIN-TV reported Trooper Chad Prentice of Vancouver and Trooper Beth Joswick of Tacoma are …

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