California News

Alliant Acquires Garibaldi in Central California

Alliant Insurance Services has acquired Todd Garibaldi Insurance Agency Inc. in Lodi, Calif. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Garibaldi will join Alliant as senior vice president in agribusiness and food services. Todd Garibaldi Insurance Agency will become Todd …

California Judge Orders Kaiser to Broaden Reconstructive Surgery Coverage

A California judge has ruled that Kaiser Permanente cannot systematically classify removal of excess skin following bariatric weight loss surgery as a cosmetic procedure after a trial in a class action case. The trial began in March. The judge did …

California Storms Collapse Bridge, Snarling Traffic

All traffic along a major freeway connecting California and Arizona was blocked indefinitely when a bridge over a desert wash collapsed during heavy rain, and the roadway in the opposite direction suffered severe damage, authorities said. The collapse Sunday of …

Small Earthquake Strikes Northern California over Weekend

A small earthquake has struck near the mountain town of Truckee in Northern California. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-3.5 quake occurred about 6:36 p.m. Saturday. The epicenter was 9 miles northwest of Truckee and 24 miles west of …

$3.7M Award for California Rite Aid Manager in Robbery Injury Suit

A jury has awarded $3.7 million to the former manager of a Los Angeles Rite Aid store, who claimed supervisors harassed him after he hurt himself trying to stop a robbery. City News Service says the ruling came last week …

Judge in California Says Uber Must Face Taxi Suit over Safety Claims

Uber Technologies Inc. lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit over its claims to being safer than taxis. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco on Friday allowed the case to proceed, finding that the app-based ridesharing service has …

California Agents Get Creative to Sell Rideshare Endorsement

Kathy Lamm, an insurance agent in Costa Mesa, Calif., over the past month or two has been busy selling a ridesharing endorsement that Farmers Insurance Group introduced in California in late May. Lamm started spreading the word soon after the …

Small Number Causing California Workers’ Comp Review Excess

A small number of physicians are responsible for a large portion of the independent medical review of workers’ compensation cases in California, a process that could be costing payers in excess of $100 million, a report shows. The IMR process …

Water District in California Oks Actor Tom Selleck’s Settlement Offer

A California water district has accepted Tom Selleck’s offer of more than $21,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the actor of taking water he wasn’t entitled to for his 60-acre ranch. Directors of the Calleguas Municipal Water District in …

Thousands Still Powerless in Southern California City

Commuters dealt with dead traffic signals and several businesses were forced to remain closed as crews worked to restore power to thousands in downtown Long Beach, Calif. following three separate fires in underground electrical vaults. Southern California Edison says some …