Latest California Headlines

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

California Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Tribe Through Workers’ Comp Scam

Feb 12 2016 // A Northern California man has pleaded guilty to defrauding an Indian tribe for millions of dollars as part of a workers’ compensation scam.The Sacramento Bee reported that 46-year-old Gregory Chmielewski last month...

Uber to Pay $28M to Settle Claims over Its ‘Safe Rides Fee’

Feb 12 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. said it will pay $28.5 million to settle claims that a $1 “safe rides fee” charged to riders was misleading because its background checks on drivers aren’t as rigorous as the...

California Department of Insurance Investigating Zenefits

Feb 12 2016 // Zenefits has been under investigation by the California Department of Insurance since last year, the state agency disclosed, saying the resignation of co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Parker Conrad earlier this week...

Mulholland and MCV in California Merge with Leavitt Group

Feb 11 2016 // Mulholland Insurance and MCV Insurance has merged operations with Leavitt United Insurance Services. Both agencies are based in California. MCV Insurance is based in Lodi, and Mulholland Insurance is based in Elk...

P/C Retail, Wholesale Agency 2015 M&A Highlights by Region, State

Feb 10 2016 // When agency consultants at Reagan Consulting hosted more than 150 industry leaders at a workshop on agent/broker mergers and acquisitions (M&A) recently, the mood was upbeat, since brokers are enjoying their best...

Self-Driving Vehicles Meet Their Match When Snow Creates Sensor Blindness

Feb 10 2016 // In Jokkmokk, a tiny hamlet just north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, where temperatures can dip to 50 below, Volvo Cars’ self-driving XC90 sport-utility vehicle met its match: frozen flakes that caked on radar...

Fire Danger Elevated in Southern California

Feb 9 2016 // Southern California is in for another day of increased fire danger as gusty Santa Ana winds and unseasonably warm temperatures bring down humidity levels.The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for large...

Auto Insurance Specialists Acquires Suncal Insurance Services

Feb 9 2016 // Cerritos, CA, February 9, 2016 – Auto Insurance Specialists (AIS) today announced the acquisition of Suncal Insurance Services based in Santa Clarita, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Founded...

Hub International Names Owens Senior Vice President in California

Feb 8 2016 // Hub International Ltd. has named Sara Owens senior vice president of engagement.Owens will be responsible for engaging key constituents of Hub’s Los Angeles, Calif. operation, including community leaders, business...

California Hospital Workers’ Comp Report Shows Claim Severity on Rise

Feb 8 2016 // California workers’ compensation claim severity continues to increase, while claims frequency declines, according a newly released report.The latest California hospital report benchmarking workers’ comp costs...

New Jersey 4th State to Sue Volkswagen Over Excess Diesel Emissions

Feb 8 2016 // New Jersey on Friday, Feb. 5, filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen AG and its luxury units over the German automaker’s excess diesel emissions, becoming the fourth U.S. state to take legal action.New Jersey’s...

California Insurance Commissioner Calls for Insurance Divestment from Coal

Feb 8 2016 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones in January asked all insurance companies doing business in California to voluntarily divest from their investments in thermal coal as part of a nationwide call to reduce carbon...

Hoverboard Bursts into Flames in California Home

Feb 8 2016 // A hoverboard burst into flames in a Petaluma, Calif. home in late-January, making it the second hoverboard fire in the area in one week.The hoverboard was plugged into an electrical outlet to charge when the fire started....

People – West

Feb 8 2016 // Richards D. Barger, a former California insurance commissioner and a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, died in late January. He was 87.Barger, who went by the name Dick, devoted his...

P/C Retail, Wholesale Agency M&A Activity Brisk in 2015

Feb 8 2016 // When agency consultants at Reagan Consulting hosted more than 150 industry leaders at a workshop on agent/broker mergers and acquisitions (M&A) recently, the mood was upbeat, since many brokers have continued to enjoy...

Business Moves

Feb 8 2016 // Aspen, AgriLogicSpecialty insurer Aspen Insurance has acquired AgriLogic Insurance Services and certain affiliates for cash in a transaction that further diversifies Aspen’s specialty insurance business....

Record Western Wildfires a Contrast in Otherwise Quiet Year for U.S. Natural Disasters

Feb 8 2016 // It was a relatively quiet year for natural disasters – except for those living in the Western United States, according to property data provider CoreLogic, in its annual Natural Hazard Risk Summary and Analysis, released...

Ghost of 2008 Crash Still Haunts Real Estate E&O

Feb 8 2016 // The ghost of the 2008 financial collapse still haunts the liability insurance market for real estate professionals and some are worried the business may be headed for a replay of that crisis.While it is still recovering...

A Tale of Two Sovereigns

Feb 5 2016 // Canute was a king of Denmark who ruled over an empire that included large parts of Sweden, all of Norway and almost all of England. He ruled over person and property alike. He ruled over the land and sought to expand his...

California Commissioner Explains Call for Insurer Divestment from Coal

Feb 4 2016 // One can say California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has a beef with coal.Jones made a bold move on Jan. 25 when he asked all insurance companies doing business in California to voluntarily divest from their...