Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Study: Sharp Drop in California Workers’ Comp Independent Medical Reviews
Jun 1 2020 // The number of Independent Medical Review determination letters, a process used to resolve California workers’ compensation medical disputes, fell sharply in prescription drug disputes by 11.3% from 2018 to 2019, with...
California Workers’ Comp Bureau Lowers Mid-Range Estimate of COVID Costs by $10B
Jun 1 2020 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California published estimated costs of allowing state workers to receive benefits for COVID-19 claims without proving virus exposure at work, dropping a prior...
Business Moves
Jun 1 2020 // National Altamont Capital, Topa Insurance The deal for Altamont Capital Partners to acquire Topa Insurance Group has been called off. Last August, Altamont Capital Partners signed an agreement to acquire Calabasas,...
How COVID-19 Is Changing Insurance for Schools
Jun 1 2020 // Lilian A. Vanvieldt, senior vice president, educational entities practice leader, for Alliant, has spent more than three decades insuring schools across the country. Her book spans from small school districts to very large...
Farm Workers Getting Sick, Spreading Coronavirus As Peak Produce Season Begins
May 29 2020 // All of the roughly 200 employees on a produce farm in Tennessee tested positive for Covid-19 this month. In New Jersey, more than 50 workers had the virus at a farm in Gloucester County, adding to nearly 60 who fell ill in...
California Approves PG&E Bankruptcy Plan With Oversight, Safety Conditions
May 29 2020 // California regulators approved PG&E Corp.’s $58 billion reorganization plan, bringing the power giant another step closer to exiting the biggest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history. The state’s Public...
California Lawmakers Move Toward Risk-Based Rates
May 28 2020 // As the Soviet Union ultimately learned the hard way, price controls are a guaranteed way to prolong shortages. It has taken a few years, but there are promising signs California lawmakers may finally be ready to learn the...
After Big Oil Loses Appeal, Climate Suits Appear Headed to California Courts
May 28 2020 // Big Oil lost a pair of court battles this week that could lead to trials in lawsuits by California cities and counties seeking damages for the impact of climate change. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected...
California Sues for Sex Misconduct on ‘Criminal Minds’ Set
May 28 2020 // The state of California filed a lawsuit against CBS, Disney and producers of the long-running series “Criminal Minds,” alleging that the show’s cinematographer engaged in rampant sexual misconduct against...
Woodruff Sawyer Adds Crowder in Northern California
May 28 2020 // Woodruff Sawyer has added Kelly Crowder to its Northern California management liability and property/casualty teams as a vice president and account executive. Crowder will serve high-growth private and public company...
Unlicensed Agent in California Nabbed for Allegedly Stealing $500K in Premiums
May 27 2020 // Unlicensed insurance agent Ai Ling Lee, also known as Linda Lee, 60, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., was arrested on nine felony counts of grand theft after allegedly stealing roughly $500,000 in clients’ insurance...
Smoke Inhalation Killed 34 in California Dive Boat Fire, Coroner Says
May 27 2020 // Coroner’s reports for the 34 victims who died in a scuba boat fire off the Southern California coast last year show they died of carbon monoxide poisoning before they were burned, authorities said Thursday. All...
State Fund in California Accepting Applications for $50M Return to Work Fund
May 26 2020 // State Compensation Insurance Fund in California has started accepting applications for its $50 million Returning California to Work COVID-19 Safety Protocol Fund. The fund will help State Fund policyholders implement new...
California Workers’ Comp Bureau Lowers Mid-Range Estimate of COVID Costs by $10B
May 26 2020 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California published estimated costs of allowing state workers to receive benefits for COVID-19 claims without proving virus exposure at work, dropping a prior...
Not All Homes in Wildfire Zones Are Uninsurable. Here’s How Insurers Can Tell.
May 22 2020 // Fire-risk scores now used by insurance underwriters can sometimes can make it challenging for homeowners to find coverage. Zesty.ai, a California insurtech start-up, is among a handful of firms working to fine-tune...
Woodruff Sawyer Adds Glover as Producer in California
May 22 2020 // Woodruff Sawyer has added Paul Glover to the San Francisco, Calif., office as a producer and account executive in the firm’s real estate practice. He has been bringing serving clients in the real estate and...
Altamont Capital Deal to Acquire Topa Insurance Called Off
May 20 2020 // The deal for Altamont Capital Partners to acquire Topa Insurance Group has been called off. Last August, Altamont Capital Partners signed an agreement to acquire Calabasas, Calif.-based Topa Insurance Group from its...
PG&E’s Bankruptcy Plan Wins Support from California Wildfire Victims
May 20 2020 // Pacific Gas & Electric’s plan for getting out of bankruptcy has won overwhelming support from the victims of deadly Northern California wildfires ignited by the utility’s fraying electrical grid, despite...
Coalition in California Raises $90M to Grow Internationally
May 20 2020 // San Francisco, Calif.-based Coalition, a cyber insurance and security company, announced it has raised $90 million in equity capital to support its growth and global expansion. Valor Equity Partners led the funding with...
WCF Insurance Promotes Boyd to California Director of Underwriting
May 20 2020 // WCF Insurance has promoted Ann Boyd to California director of underwriting in the Roseville. Boyd will lead the underwriting team’s growth and development in California will report to Gwen Church, vice president of...
