Articles by Don Jergler

California Insurance Commissioner’s Applied Underwriters Decision Challenged over Campaign Contributions

A pair of companies has filed to overturn decisions by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in cases involving workers’ comp provider Applied Underwriters, alleging the decisions by Lara were swayed by contributions to his campaign from people affiliated with Applied. …

Sun Valley Climate Conference’s Broad Agenda: Wildfires, Military, Insurance, Resilience

Washington had a record 1,850 responses to wildfires on Department of Natural Resources lands last year. Over the last five years, wildfires have continued to hit the state hard. One state official, who believes climate change is partly to blame, …

Report: Written Worker’s Comp Premium in California to Fall by $1B in 2019

Expect workers’ compensation insurance rates in California to continue to fall, with total written premium expected to drop by $1 billion or more for 2019 despite the positive impacts of continued economic growth, a new report shows. “We’re experiencing more …

Big Cannabis Bills That Await California Lawmakers Include Banking and Hemp Products

Next month could be big for California’s cannabis industry. Among legislation introduced last session by state lawmakers was a bill to enable hemp-infused food and beverages to be legally sold by licensed marijuana retailers, and a bill that would enable …

Report: California Wildfires Will Get Worse, Blame Climate Change

Hot, dry weather in California has resulted in a dramatic increase in wildfires. It will get worse – and you can blame climate change, according to a new report out. The report, Observed impacts of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire …

Cyber Alert: New Era in Privacy Liability to Begin. California’s Data Privacy Law Could Be Game-Changer

As the nation’s most far-reaching data privacy law, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), is set to begin Jan. 1, 2020, businesses and their insurers are preparing for a new era in cyber liability. Anxiety is on the rise and a …

Expert: Sophisticated Cannabis Operations Want Higher Limits, Customizations

Erich Bublitz has seen a significant transformation in his clients’ needs in just a year. Increasingly cannabis businesses are coming to him seeking higher limits, and more policy customizations, as their operations develop and become sophisticated and new needs evolve. …

Southern California Quakes Push Interest in Coverage

Visits to the California Earthquake Authority website reportedly increased by nearly 10 times normal following the largest earthquakes to hit Southern California in 20 years. The quakes over 4th of July holiday weekend were big. A 6.4 magnitude occurring on …

Sale of Applied Underwriters Still Under Review; Cayman Islands Insurer Likely Involved

It appears that the Berkshire Hathaway workers’ compensation unit Applied Underwriters is being sold in a large acquisition, which likely involves Cayman Islands-based United Insurance Co. A spokesman for the Applied confirmed that a deal is in the works, but …

Anxiety, Policy Limits Rising Ahead of California’s Sweeping Data Privacy Law

Robert L. Wallan’s clients are keeping him quite busy as they fret about the implementation next year of the nation’s most far-reaching data privacy law, which gives California consumers more control over their personal data. Wallan, a partner in Pillsbury …