Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Appeals Court Listening to Arguments in Gig Worker Lawsuit
Oct 13 2020 // A California appeals court on Tuesday listened to arguments by lawyers for Uber Technologies Inc. , Lyft Inc. and the state of California about whether the state can recognize their drivers as employees with the right to...
Judge Tells PG&E to Explain Role in Zogg Fire in California Last Month
Oct 13 2020 // PG&E Corp was ordered by a U.S. district judge to explain its role in the ignition of the Zogg Fire in California last month, according to a court order filed on Monday. Last week, the California Department of Forestry...
Team Investigating Deadly California Wildfire Seizes PG&E Equipment
Oct 12 2020 // Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility has reported. PG&E said in...
50 Years at the Helm of Insurance Journal
Oct 12 2020 // Entrepreneur, innovator, oenophile, insurance industry icon, all around great guy. That’s Mark Wells, the force behind Insurance Journal and Wells Media Group, who this year is celebrating his 50thanniversary in...
From Wildfires to Sally to China Floods, September Was a Disastrous Month
Oct 9 2020 // Third quarters are often the costliest of the year in terms natural disasters. Insurance broker Aon’s monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report, which evaluates the impact of the natural disaster events that occurred...
Newfront in California Adds Alliant’s Parker to Run Carrier Partnerships
Oct 9 2020 // Newfront Insurance in San Francisco, Calif., has named Natalie Parker head of carrier partnerships. Parker will oversee carrier relationships for Newfront, and join its executive team. She joins Newfront from Alliant...
Family of Man Killed in Southern California Allege Wrongful Death
Oct 8 2020 // The family of a Black man who was fatally shot by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy last month filed a wrongful death claim Tuesday against the county. Kurt Andras Reinhold was killed Sept. 23 in the oceanside city...
M.J. Hall Creates Personal Lines Practice by Adding Hughes in California
Oct 8 2020 // M.J. Hall & Co. has formed a personal lines insurance practice, adding April Hughes as a broker specializing in personal lines. Hughes is based in Stockton, Calif. Hughes has more than 20 years of industry experience....
California Commissioner Makes Appointments to Insurance Boards
Oct 8 2020 // 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...
NFP Acquires Santa Maria & Co. in California
Oct 7 2020 // NFP has acquired Santa Maria & Co. in Walnut Creek, Calif. Craig Santa Maria, a principal and cofounder of the firm, will join NFP as a senior vice president and report to Doug Turk, regional managing director of...
Bender in California Names Abouelezz Business Development Manager
Oct 7 2020 // Sacramento, Calif.-based Bender Insurance Solutions has named Ramy Abouelezz business development manager. Abouelezz will drive organic growth initiatives across all lines of business. He has 25 years of experience in the...
Newfront Adds California-Based Brokers in Ag, Service and Manufacturing
Oct 7 2020 // Newfront Insurance has added a team of insurance brokers who were formerly part of Paramount Insurance in Fresno, Calif. The move reflects Newfront’s growing investment in agriculture, service and...
Family of Autistic Teen Getting $7.5M in California Golf Cart Death Settlement
Oct 6 2020 // The mother of an autistic teenager who died in a golf cart crash at a Southern California high school will receive $7.5 million in a lawsuit settlement. The agreement with the Orange Unified School District was announced...
Rebuilding in Wildfire Zones: A One-Stop Shop for Wildfire Victims
Oct 6 2020 // California is on fire. Already this year, thousands of people have lost their homes, and communities are struggling to figure out how to rebuild. Nikki Pechet wants to be the person they turn to. Pechet co-founded...
California Workers’ Comp Premium for First Two Quarters of 2020 Down 11%
Oct 5 2020 // Written workers’ compensation premium in California for the first two quarters of 2020 was 11% below that for the first two quarters of 2019, according to a new report out. The Worker’s Compensation Insurance...
Wholesale Trading Insurance Services Acquires Landmark E&S in California
Oct 5 2020 // Wholesale Trading Insurance Services LLC and its parent company, Jencap, LLC, have agreed to acquire privately held Landmark E&S Insurance Brokers LLC, an Anaheim, Calif. based specialty wholesale brokerage firm. Terms...
Ridesharing Companies Spend Big in California to Oppose Even Costlier Gig Law
Oct 5 2020 // Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. together are spending nearly $100 million on a November California ballot initiative to overturn a state law that would compel them to classify drivers as employees. That sum looks less...
IMA Names Hennessey in California Cannabis Practice Leader
Oct 5 2020 // IMA Inc. has named Michael Hennessey as vice president, cannabis national practice leader. Hennessey is based in California. He will lead business development and client service efforts across the U.S. He joins IMA after...
Plaintiffs Win One, Lose One in COVID-19 BI Legal Fight
Oct 5 2020 // A federal judge in Florida late last month denied an insurer’s petition to dismiss a COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit, while a federal magistrate judge in California threw out a similar claim. Both lawsuits...
Steep Drop in California Workers’ Comp IMRs in First Half of 2020
Oct 5 2020 // The number of independent medical reviews used to resolve California workers’ compensation medical disputes fell sharply in the first half of 2020 as the pandemic took a toll on the state’s economy with...
