Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Safety Board to Report on Tesla Autopilot Crash, Issue Safety Recommendations
Feb 24 2020 // The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday to establish the probable cause of a fatal March 2018 Tesla Autopilot crash in California and will issue a series of safety recommendations,...
Berkshire Hathaway P/C Insurance Profit Down in 2019
Feb 24 2020 // Full-year insurance results at Berkshire Hathaway disappointed in 2019, with after-tax earnings from underwriting falling to $325 million in 2019 compared to $1.6 billion in 2018. Earnings from primary insurance operations...
CoreLogic: 2019 Was 7th Year in Last Decade with 10 or More Disasters of $1B-Plus
Feb 24 2020 // Last year was a particularly hazardous one, with natural catastrophes causing excessive damages in what appears to be an ongoing trend of higher losses in the past decade, while also posing a danger in many U.S....
A Tale of Two Californias: Managing Wildfire Risk in the Year 2030
Feb 24 2020 // For most of the 20th century, the insurance industry considered wildfires to be little more than a nuisance. They were frequent but rarely resulted in more than a handful of claims, and underwriters priced for them in the...
California FAIR Plan Can Offer Only Fire Insurance, Judge Says
Feb 21 2020 // A fund that offers only fire insurance to California residents in wildfire-prone areas can’t be required to provide coverage for other hazards such as flooding or theft, a judge ruled this week. Superior Court Judge...
Group Sues California Commissioner over Public Records of Dealings with Insurance Executives
Feb 18 2020 // A non-profit consumer group announced on Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit to compel California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the California Department of Insurance to hand over records of Lara’s meetings and...
California Commissioner, Lawmakers Intro ‘Hardened Homes’ Wildfire Bill Requiring Admitted Market to Offer Coverage
Feb 18 2020 // A newly proposed bill would clarify under California law the concept of “hardened homes” that are safer or more resistant to wildfires and then require admitted carriers to cover those homes. California’s...
RIMS Workshop at University of Southern California Drawing Broader Insurance Professional Audience
Feb 18 2020 // A risk professional is no longer merely someone who just focuses on protecting assets, according to Ward Ching, a managing director of the Western region at Aon. Ching not only sees a growing need for risk professionals to...
Surplus Line Association of California Elects 2020 Board
Feb 18 2020 // The members of the Surplus Line Association of California have elected Terri Moran of Paul Hanson Partners as chair of the SLA board of directors. Moran’s election became official at the SLA annual meetings on Feb. 4...
United Valley Adds Peterson & Grantham in Northern California
Feb 18 2020 // United Valley Insurance Services Inc. has added as a new member Roseville, Calif.-based Peterson & Grantham Insurance Brokers. Curtis Peterson, the sole owner and agency principal, founded the agency in 2008 with Arrow...
California IHOP Cook Arrested for Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Feb 18 2020 // California Department of Insurance detectives arrested Jonathan Quezada, 28, on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud and workers’ compensation insurance fraud after he allegedly falsified an insurance claim to...
4.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hit Central California Coast
Feb 14 2020 // An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.0 shook California’s central coast on Wednesday but no damage or injuries were immediately reported, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The quake that hit at 7:33...
Report: Death Toll in 2018 California Wildfire Likely Includes 50 More People
Feb 13 2020 // Doctors and other experts say at least 50 more people, many of them elderly or ill, likely died as a result of the 2018 wildfire that devastated the town of Paradise, California, but were not counted in the official death...
Worldwide Facilities in California Names Kaneko Executive Vice President
Feb 13 2020 // Los Angeles, Calif.-based Worldwide Facilities has named Garett Kaneko executive vice president in national client management and sales. Kaneko’s responsibilities will include development of the firm’s...
Lockton Adds Catalano to Employee Benefits Business in California
Feb 13 2020 // Lockton Pacific Series has added Vinny Catalano to grow its employee benefits presence in the Sacramento, Calif., region. Catalano is part of the Lockton’s Pacific region, which encompasses eight offices throughout...
Report: 2019 Was 7th Year in Last Decade with 10 or More Disasters of $1B-Plus
Feb 12 2020 // Last year was a particularly hazardous one, with natural catastrophes causing excessive damages in what appears to be an ongoing trend of higher losses in the past decade, while also posing a danger in many U.S....
Judge Stalls Uber’s Challenge to Controversial California Job Law
Feb 12 2020 // A federal judge has refused to exempt rideshare company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates from a broad new California labor law while she considers their lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los...
EPIC Names Carson Senior Vice President in Employee Benefits in California
Feb 12 2020 // EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants has named Wesley Carson a senior vice president in employee benefits in its Sacramento, Calif., office. Carson will be responsible for employee benefits consulting and the design,...
Alliant Names Chow Vice President in Northern California
Feb 12 2020 // Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has named Marianne Chow vice president in the San Jose, Calif., office. Chow will service regional clients. Chow was previously a senior vice president with NFP. She was a vice president at...
California Utilities’ Wildfire Prevention Plans Call for More Blackouts
Feb 11 2020 // California utilities plan to continue shutting off power to customers during dry and windy conditions to prevent sparking deadly wildfires, but they aim to make outages more targeted to avoid widespread blackouts,...
