Latest California Headlines

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

Wildfires, and Now El Niño May Boost Californian’s Appetites for Surplus Lines

Nov 3 2015 // There’s little question that the drought and the recent wildfire season that it unleashed pushed more California homeowners into the surplus lines market.Now with the onset of what appears to be a strong El Niño...

Leavitt Central Coast Taps Spiller in California

Nov 3 2015 // Leavitt Central Coast Insurance Services has hired Jennifer Spiller as a commercial insurance agent in Salinas, Calif. Spiller specializes in insurance for the golf, hospitality and restaurant industries. Spiller worked as...

Report Shows Month-to-Month Surplus Lines Volatility in California

Nov 2 2015 // So far it’s been an “unusual year” for surplus lines in California.Filed premiums were up 14.1 percent in October from the same month last year, but that increase followed a 38.3 percent year-over-year...

Couple Sues Six Flags in Central California for Retaliation

Nov 2 2015 // Two former employees have sued Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Central California, saying they were fired as retaliation for raising animal welfare concerns.KNTV-TV reported that Michael and Holley Muraco have filed a...

Mercury in California Says Net Premiums Rose, Net Income Fell in 3Q

Nov 2 2015 // Mercury General Corp. reported net written premiums rose 8 percent for the third quarter from a year ago. The board of directors for the Los Angeles, Calif.-based carrier also declared a quarterly dividend of 62 cents per...

A Landslide of Bad Ideas

Nov 2 2015 // Landslides are a problem for which the United States has yet to come up with an answer. A recent essay by Penn State University law professor Christopher C. French – titled “Insuring Landslides: America’s...

California Commissioner Approves Reduced 2016 Pure Premium Rate Filing

Nov 2 2015 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones approved workers’ compensation rates for 2016 that are 2 percent below the average approved in July. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau submitted its...

99.9 Percent Probability of L.A.-Area Earthquake: Study

Nov 2 2015 // There is a 99.9 percent chance of a magnitude-5 or greater earthquake striking within three years in the greater Los Angeles area, where a similar sized temblor caused more the $12 million in damage last year, according to...

California Woman Blinded in Eye by Flying Disc Settles Suit for $3M

Nov 2 2015 // A woman who was blinded in one eye by a flying golf disc at a Southern California park has settled a lawsuit for $3 million.The Daily Breeze of Torrance reported that the settlement involves Noreen Goodbody. She was struck...

Southern California Utility Gets $400M Insurance Settlement over Closed Nuke

Nov 2 2015 // The operator of the defunct San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California announced that it reached a $400 million insurance settlement covering power outages caused by failed equipment, most of which will go to...

Wildfires Threat in Texas Increased Over Past 15 Years

Oct 30 2015 // Larger, more threatening wildfires are occurring at greater rates as Texas faces lingering drought, consistent development — driven by millions of new residents and the spread of outlying suburbs — and changes in how...

Consumer Watchdog Should Want a More Dynamic, Competitive Market for California Insureds

Oct 29 2015 // Yesterday, I published a paper about, and titled, “The troublesome legacy of Prop 103.” Shortly thereafter, an organization called Consumer Watchdog published a startlingly quick response.The speed of their...

188 People Sickened by Infection Tied to California Restaurant

Oct 29 2015 // Public health officials in California say at least 188 people in six counties have contracted a bacterial infection after eating at a San Francisco Bay Area restaurant.The Santa Clara County Public Health Department issued...

West Coast Towns Vulnerable to Tsunamis Consider Ways to Save Lives

Oct 28 2015 // Bracing for a tsunami like the one that devastated Japanese communities during a 2011 mega-earthquake, coastal communities from British Columbia to California have been grappling with how to protect people from a similar...

California DMV Agreement Changes How Motor Vehicle Records Are Handled

Oct 28 2015 // California agents and brokers are being notified of a new change to how they can handle motor vehicle records.An agreement between representatives from the insurance industry and the California Department of Motor Vehicles...

Southern California Utility Gets $400M Insurance Settlement over Closed Nuke

Oct 27 2015 // The operator of the defunct San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California announced that it reached a $400 million insurance settlement covering power outages caused by failed equipment, most of which will go to...

American Claims Management Opens New Office in Northern California

Oct 27 2015 // San Diego, CA, October 27, 2015– American Claims Management, Inc. (ACM), a national third party administrator and claim ancillary services company, is continuing to establish a greater presence on the West Coast by...

R. E. Chaix & Associates Taps Crombie in California

Oct 26 2015 // Irvine, Calif.-based R. E. Chaix & Associates has named Kevin Crombie to its property/casualty team. Crombie will be an independent advisor to Chaix’s P/C teams, and he will assist in securing new business...

FEMA Urges Californians to Buy Flood Insurance Ahead of El Nin᷈o

Oct 26 2015 // Federal emergency officials are urging Californians to buy flood insurance – even those who don’t live near creeks or rivers – as El Nin᷈o conditions get underway in the Pacific Ocean, increasing chances for...

Judge Dismisses Facebook Tracking Suit; Finds No ‘Realistic Harm’

Oct 26 2015 // Facebook Inc. won dismissal of a $15 billion lawsuit accusing the company of secretly tracking the Internet activity of its users after they log off.U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila in San Jose, California, on Friday...