California News

Calif. Makes Appointments to Workers’ Comp Insurance Rating Bureau

Calif. Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced that he has reappointed Lee Pearson of Rancho Murieta, and Bruce Wick of San Bernardino, to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau Governing Committee. Pearson is being reappointed to a position representing organized labor. …

Calif. Earthquake Authority CEO Testifies In Support of Cat Insurance Bill

California Earthquake Authority CEO Glenn Pomeroy testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity and Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, in support of H.R. 2555 (specifically Title II), a bill that …

LaBarre/Oksnee Promotes Leane to Vice President of Sales

Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based LaBarre/Oksnee insurance brokers announced that it has promoted Jeff Leane to the newly created vice president of sales position. Leane is charged with leading the development and implementation of sales strategy and growing the company’s sales organization. …

Report: Reno Has Good Chance of Big Quake by 2060

The chance of a significant earthquake rocking the Reno-Sparks, Nev., area over the next half century is on the rise, with a 67 percent likelihood a magnitude 6.0 will strike within 31 miles by 2060, a new report said. That’s …

Ratings Recap: American Community, Washington Fire, DHC Group

A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘D’ (Poor) from C+ (Marginal) and issuer credit rating to “c” from “b-” of Michigan-based American Community Mutual Insurance Company. The outlook for both ratings is negative. The downgrades reflect …

A.M. Best B+ (Good) Rated Contractor GL Insurance Carrier Expanding to 35 States

National Contractors Insurance Company, Inc., a Risk Retention Group (“NCIC”), A.M. Best Rated B+ (Good), is expanding from 25 to 35 states, with their Commercial General Liability coverage now being made available in Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Mississippi, …

EPIC Names Two Principals in California

EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center), a retail property, casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage, has added Beth Ward as a senior principal in its San Francisco office, and Bruce Norris as a principal in its San Mateo, Calif., office. Ward …

Families of Firefighters Killed in South Carolina Sofa Store Fire Settle

Families of eight firefighters killed battling a South Carolina furniture store fire almost three years ago have settled with another group of lawsuit defendants for more than $1.2 million. The June 18, 2007, fire at the Sofa Super Store killed …

House Panels Face Environmental, Insurer Groups Over Catastrophe Bill

Two House subcommittees have scheduled a joint hearing today on ways to address homeowners insurance costs in disaster-prone communities, an issue that has some environmentalists, taxpayer groups and insurers standing together. Testimony at today’s hearing will revisit the Homeowners Defense …

State Insurance Commissioners Name 28 Consumer Liaisons

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recently named 18 funded and 10 unfunded consumer liaison representatives for 2010. Seven of the funded consumer representatives participated in the program in 2009, while 11 are new to the NAIC program. Established …