California Wildfires News

Wildfires, Dynamex Dominate California Wholesaler Conference

Wildfires and the Dynamex decision. Those two topics dominated discussions at an insurance wholesaler conference this week. The California Wholesaler Association conference in La Jolla, Calif. from Sunday through today featured numerous panels and networking opportunities. CIWA talks included experts …

California Wildfires, Hurricane Michael Top List of 2018’s Costliest Natural Disasters: Munich Re

The costliest natural catastrophes occurred in the United States in 2018 with one of California’s devastating wildfires and Hurricane Michael topping the list, according to Munich Re. A report from Munich Re on last year’s natural disasters pointed to “clear …

Prosecutors Say California Fires May Mean PG&E Violated Criminal Sentence

A California utility’s role in igniting wildfires last year could allow a judge to find that it violated terms of its criminal sentence in a 2010 gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people, federal prosecutors said. In a court filing, …

Lawyers Scramble to Get Piece of the Action in California Wildfire Lawsuits

In a conference room 13 miles from Paradise, California, Doug Boxer explains to survivors of the state’s worst wildfire why they should choose his law firm to sue PG&E Corp. He walks a fine line between listening to victims coping …

Insurance Journal West’s Top Stories for 2018: California Commissioner Race, Hawaii Lava, Wildfire Losses

Another year down, and too many fascinating news headlines to count. Hawaii’s lava, the race for California insurance commissioner, and a $23 million ruling in a lawsuit against Geico were among the most popular stories in Insurance Journal’s Western region. …

Most Insurers to Increase Payments to California Wildfire Victims Without Itemization

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said this week that most insurers were following a notice he issued requesting that residential property insurers provide at least 75 percent and up to 100 percent of contents coverage limits for wildfire victims who …

5 Lessons to Take Away from the California Wildfires

The California wildfires of 2018 were devastating, burning hundreds of thousands of acres, costing numerous lives and destroying thousands of properties. The California Department of Insurance in early December put the official tally for insured losses from the year’s major …

A.M. Best: Negative Rating Implications from Wildfires for California Capital And Subsidiaries

AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of California Capital Insurance Co. and its subsidiaries Eagle West Insurance Co., Monterey Insurance Co. and …

Authorities: At Least $3B to Clear Debris from Homes Destroyed By California Wildfires

State and federal authorities estimate that it will cost at least $3 billion to clear debris from 19,000 homes and businesses destroyed by three California wildfires last month. The disaster relief officials said the cleanup costs will far surpass the …

California Regulators to Look at New Blackout Rules to Prevent Deadly Wildfires

California regulators have decided they need to step in and help determine when power blackouts are appropriate to prevent wildfires after a series of deadly blazes linked to electrical equipment. Utilities PG&E Corp., Edison International and Sempra Energy have been …