Latest California Headlines

All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Los Angeles Fires Become Existential Test for California’s Stopgap Insurer

Jan 9 2025 // The conflagrations tearing across Los Angeles are on track to be among the most expensive wildfire disasters in U.S. history, draining insurance coffers and threatening California’s massive state-sponsored insurance...

Businesses Sue State Over New California Workplace Law

Jan 9 2025 // California businesses are suing to halt a new state law that bars them from requiring employees to attend anti-union meetings at work.The state’s Chamber of Commerce and California Restaurant Association filed the...

California Wildfires Will Likely Lead to Large Economic and Insured Losses

Jan 8 2025 // Active wind-driven wildfires in Southern California that are estimated to have burned more than 1,000 properties and prompted evacuation orders for more than 80,000 residents will likely lead to what industry watchers say...

Mercury Insurance to Return to Fire-Ravaged Paradise, California

Jan 8 2025 // Mercury Insurance announced this week that the company will begin writing new homeowners insurance policies in the town of Paradise, California.Mercury says it is the first major insurance company to begin offering...

Exxon Sues California AG, Environmental Groups Over ‘Smear’

Jan 7 2025 // Exxon Mobil Corp. filed a lawsuit alleging that California Attorney General Rob Bonta and several environmental groups made defamatory comments about the oil company’s ability to recycle plastic.Exxon accused Bonta,...

Former California Insurance Agent Convicted After Stealing $3.7M

Jan 7 2025 // A former insurance agent plead guilty to stealing premium from a premium finance company.Formerly licensed insurance agent Tonja Van Roy, 59, who currently resides in Las Vegas, but operated an insurance agency based in...

California Winds Drive Severe Fire Danger in Rain-Starved LA

Jan 6 2025 // Exceptionally powerful, dry winds expected across Southern California this week are set to send wildfire risk skyrocketing in a region that’s endured more than eight months without significant rain.Forecasters...

SageSure Closes Acquisition of GeoVera Advantage Insurance Services in California

Jan 3 2025 // SageSure closed the acquisition of GeoVera Advantage Insurance Services LLC in Fairfield, California. The entity will now function as a newly formed managing general agent and includes the residential earthquake risk...

Verisk to Get First Cat Model Under Review for Insurance Ratemaking in California

Jan 2 2025 // Verisk said on Thursday it will be the first modeler to request a review of its wildfire catastrophe model under a reform pushed by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.The reform allows catastrophe models to be...

California State Fund Declaring 15% Dividend for 2024 Policy Year

Jan 2 2025 // State Compensation Insurance Fund in California announced that it will declare a $149 million dividend to qualifying policyholders with policies that took effect between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. This dividend equals...

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires BMR Insurance in California

Dec 31 2024 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Tustin, California-based Murray Gardner Insurance Agency Inc., dba BMR Insurance. Gary Arch and his team will remain in their current location under the direction of Scott Firestone,...

California Commissioner Issues Regulation to Allow Reinsurance in Ratemaking

Dec 30 2024 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Monday announced what he is calling the final step in his efforts to help the state’s ailing homeowners insurance market with the Net Cost of Reinsurance in...

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires California’s BMR Insurance

Dec 30 2024 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Tustin, California-based Murray Gardner Insurance Agency Inc., dba BMR Insurance. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BMR Insurance is a retail insurance...

People Moves: EPIC Names Rosson Northern California Growth Leader; Lara Makes Reappointments to CIGA Board

Dec 30 2024 // EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants Appoints Rosson as Northern California Growth LeaderCharlie Rosson EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants hired Charlie Rosson as Northern California growth leader.Rosson spent...

California’s Lemon Law Is Changing and Car Buyers Have Fewer Protections

Dec 26 2024 // The year 2025 is shaping up to be a confusing one for Californians unlucky enough to buy a new or used car that turns out to be a clunker.Starting Jan. 1, car buyers who purchase a faulty vehicle will have to navigate a...

California Milk Output Down 9% in November on Bird Flu Outbreak

Dec 23 2024 // California’s milk production in November plummeted as a bird flu outbreak spreads rapidly among herds in the country’s biggest dairy state.The state produced just under three billion pounds of milk in November,...

California Labor Commissioner Fines Luxury Resort $4.4M for Worker Recall Violations

Dec 23 2024 // The Labor Commissioner’s Office fined the Maybourne Beverly Hills $4.4 million for violating California’s Worker Recall Law.The LCO issued the fine in response to the a luxury resort’s failure to rehire...

Safeco to Stop Writing New Condo and Renter Policies in California

Dec 20 2024 // It appears another insurance carrier is turning sour on wildfire-prone California.Safeco, a Liberty subsidiary, is preparing to stop writing new condo and rental policies in California at the beginning of next year....

Doctor to Plead Guilty to Bilking $3M from California’s Workers’ Comp Trust Fund

Dec 20 2024 // A physician who worked for an Inland Empire medical company has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud California’s workers’ compensation trust fund by continuing to work on workers’ comp matters...

California Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Auto Insurance Fraud

Dec 20 2024 // A California man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for filing false claims on dozens of auto collisions.Jacob McNabb, 33, of Bakersfield, was sentenced following a jury’s guilty verdict on four felony counts...