California Department of Insurance News

California Construction Worker Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud

Jose Zepeda, 45, of Fresno, Calif., self-surrendered this week on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud and attempted perjury after filing a workers’ compensation insurance claim and allegedly misleading the insurance carrier regarding his employment status in order to collect …

California Cleaning Company Owner Charged in $700K Workers’ Comp Scheme

Jorge Gerardo Maldonado, 55, of Sacramento, Calif., was charged with three felony counts of insurance fraud after allegedly underreporting payroll and employees to illegally save on workers’ compensation insurance premiums, resulting in a $687,560 loss to three insurance carriers. After …

Hearing on California Export List Covered Record Number of Items

A dozen doesn’t sound like a lot, but it may be a record in the world of the California Export List. More items were proposed for the list than in recent memory during a California Department of Insurance hearing conducted …

California Workers’ Comp Attorney Arrested for $310K Fraud Scheme

Moses Luna, 73, of Newport Beach, Calif., was arrested this week on 20 felony counts of insurance fraud after allegedly billing 20 separate insurance companies for translation and interpreting services to collect over $310,000 in workers’ compensation fees. An investigation …

California Electrician Arraigned in $63K Workers’ Comp Scheme

Mark Redheffer, 48, of Fontana, Calif., was arraigned on felony counts of insurance fraud and attempted perjury after allegedly lying and concealing information in a workers’ compensation claim to receive more than $63,000 in temporary disability benefits from his employer, …

A Dozen Items Slated to Be Considered for California Export List

More items are being proposed for the California Export List than in recent memory, including coverages for cyber, parametric products, earthquake, and COVID-19, according to a surplus lines expert. The California Department of Insurance gave official notice that the next …

California Insurance Co. Hits Commissioner with Anti-SLAPP Motion

California Insurance Co. has filed an “Anti-SLAPP” motion the company says is to protect its First Amendment rights in its ongoing legal battle with the California Department of Insurance and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Anti-SLAPP laws (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public …

Applied Underwriters Sues California Over ‘Bad Faith’ Insurer Conservatorship Plan

Workers’ compensation specialist Applied Underwriters is suing California Insurance Department officials to halt a state plan its says would force its workers’ compensation partner California Insurance Co. (CIC) to stop doing business in the state and would damage Applied Underwriters’ …

California Commissioner Makes Appointments to Insurance Boards

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has added new members to the California Department of Insurance’s Curriculum Board, the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association’s Board of Directors, and the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s Governing Committee. Rene Swan …

California Self-Storage Firm Fined $250K for Selling Insurance Without License

The California Department of Insurance fined self-storage company, c, $250,000 for offering and selling more than $2.1 million in insurance products to its renters without an insurance license. SmartStop Asset Management, LLC and its affiliates, collectively “SmartStop”, control, manage, or …