West News

Washington Insurance Commissioner Issued $262K in Fines for Violations

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in July and August totaling $262,250 against insurance companies and insurance producers for violating state insurance laws and regulations. Following is a breakdown of the fines and the reported offenses: Insurance companies Kaiser …

Lawsuits Blame Utility for Washington Fire That Killed Man and Burned Hundreds of Homes

Two lawsuits have been filed against an electric utility for allegedly sparking a fire in eastern Washington that killed a man and burned approximately 240 homes. A lawsuit filed in Spokane County Superior Court says Inland Power and Light Company`s …

$650K to Settle Whistleblower Suit in New Mexico

New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department has reached a $650,000 settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit brought by two former agency officials. The settlement was announced Tuesday, just weeks before the case was scheduled to go to trial in a …

People Moves: Su Joins Golden Bear as General Counsel

Golden Bear Insurance Company, headquartered in Stockton, Calif., appointed Henry Su as its new general counsel. As general counsel, Su will oversee all legal affairs for the company, provide strategic guidance and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Su has more …

California Judge Rules Tesla Owners Must Arbitrate False Ad Claims Over Autopilot Feature

A California federal judge has ruled that a group of people who own cars made by Tesla Inc must pursue claims that the company misled the public about its autopilot features in individual arbitration rather than court. The ruling marks …

Court Orders Subway Franchise Owners in California to Pay Workers Nearly $1M

A federal court ordered the owners of 14 Subway locations north of San Francisco to pay employees nearly $1 million in damages and back pay, and also to sell or shut their businesses, with any sale proceeds going to the …

Report: Pilot Error, Training Issues Factors in Alaska Crash That Killed Czech Billionaire

The probable cause of a heli-skiing crash in Alaska in 2021 that killed a Czech billionaire and four others was a failure by the pilot to adequately respond to whiteout conditions, a federal accident report concluded. The report from the …

Washington Asks Insurers to Expedite Approval Process for Debris Removal After Wildfires

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler sent a letter asking insurance companies and adjusters working with communities impacted by the Gray and Oregon Road fires to expedite the approval process for debris removal. Speeding up the process will help assure people …

Plaintiffs’ Attorney Cites ‘Experimental Vehicles’ in Tesla Trial Over Autopilot Fatality

The lawyer representing victims of a fatal crash of a Tesla Model 3 car in his opening statement in court on Thursday blamed the company’s Autopilot driver assistant system, saying that “a car company should never sell consumers experimental vehicles.” …

INSHUR Partners with Uber on Insurance Products for On-Demand Livery Drivers in Arizona

On-demand insurance platform INSHUR launched its insurance offering for on-demand livery drivers in Arizona, its second state in the U.S. following New York. This comes after the company’s acquisition of American Business Insurance Services in April. The launch in Arizona …

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