Latest California Headlines

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

California Commissioner OKs Metlife Ridesharing Insurance for Lyft Drivers

Oct 12 2015 // Lyft drivers have a new ridesharing insurance option covering all three ridesharing periods and offering liability coverage with the option to add additional coverages.Those changes came to light on Monday with the...

Another Report Shows California Workers’ Comp Reforms Working

Oct 9 2015 // A new study on worker’s compensation across 17 states shows that reforms sometimes work – and such is the case of sweeping reforms made in California, the report shows.The Workers Compensation Research Institute,...

California Bill Requiring Earthquake Reports on Water Infrastructure Signed

Oct 9 2015 // California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed into law a plan to require regional water-management officials to report the vulnerability of their water systems to an earthquake.Senate Bill 664, authored by Sen. Bob...

California Wants Half Its Power from Renewable Energy by 2030

Oct 9 2015 // Gov. Jerry Brown dramatically increased California’s climate-change goals, committing the state to use renewable energy for half its electricity and make existing buildings twice as energy-efficient in just 15...

California Wildfire Claims Top $1B as Peak Season Begins: Report

Oct 8 2015 // A report forecasts claims from two California wildfires last month will exceed $1 billion.Wildfires in 2015 have caused more damage and financial loss in the U.S. than in any other year since 2007, according to the report....

California Doctor Indicted in $150M Insurance Fraud Not in Custody, D.A. Says

Oct 8 2015 // Los Angeles prosecutors say the doctor who orchestrated a $150 million insurance fraud scheme and allowed his assistant to perform surgeries is not in custody in Germany as they had previously reported.A spokeswoman for...

California Governor Signs Workers’ Comp Formulary Bill

Oct 7 2015 // California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill to move California forward in curbing abuse of opioid medications in the workers’ compensation system.Assembly Bill 1124, authored by Assemblyman Henry T. Perea,...

A.M. Best Turns Outlook to Negative for Greenpath in California

Oct 7 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and the issuer credit rating of “bbb-” of Greenpath Insurance Co. in Rancho Cordova,...

Emission Scandal Puts VW Test Site in California Under Scrutiny

Oct 6 2015 // When Volkswagen opened its gleaming pollution testing center near the California coast, a top executive from the German automaker helped snip the blue ribbon and joined a tour of a lab so advanced that VW would brag the...

California Governor Signs Beer Bikes Bill into Law

Oct 6 2015 // Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill allowing beer bikes to operate on city streets.The governor’s office tweeted a photo of Brown signing the bill on a beer bike in Sacramento Sunday with his wife, Anne Gust Brown,...

$43M in Fire Prevention Fees Goes Unspent in California

Oct 6 2015 // A state fire prevention account has ended recent fiscal years with tens of millions of dollars unspent despite bone-dry conditions across much of California’s wildland area.The state ended the fiscal year in June...

Former Southern California Insurance Agent Sentenced for Felony Fraud

Oct 5 2015 // Hesham Saleh Ibrahim, 57, of Palmdale, Calif., pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and was sentenced to three years felony probation, 30 days community labor and ordered to pay nearly $1,000 in restitution and...

Hub Acquires Assets of California-based Johnson & Wood

Oct 5 2015 // Hub International Ltd. has acquired the assets of Carlsbad, Calif.-based Johnson & Wood Insurance Services Inc.Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Johnson & Wood President Ed Johnson, and Stuart Wood, vice...

JLT Specialty Names O’Sullivan Senior Vice President in California

Oct 5 2015 // JLT Specialty USA has named Charity O’Sullivan senior vice president in its Los Angeles, Calif. office. O’Sullivan’s primary focus will be on client development and leading JLT teams. O’Sullivan has...

Supreme Court to Hear Eurail Case on Foreign Entity Liability

Oct 5 2015 // The new Supreme Court term will include high-level discussions of affirmative action, free association and religious liberty. But the first Monday in October is starting with a suit about a Eurail pass. Specifically, the...

Early Data on Workplace Fatalities in California Show Decline

Oct 5 2015 // The Department of Industrial Relations has posted preliminary workplace fatality statistics for California in 2014 that show a decline.The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data reflect a total of 334 fatal work...

People – West

Oct 5 2015 // Der Manouel Insurance Group in California has named Jim Wood as director of marketing.Wood will work with the DMIG consultants and service staff in finding the carrier solutions for clients. He will also help to develop...

California Court Rules Batmobile Entitled to Copyright Protection

Oct 5 2015 // Batman won’t have to worry about Batmobile knockoffs after a federal appeals court ruled the caped crusader’s vehicle is entitled to copyright protection.The Batmobile’s bat-like appearance and other...

Southern California City Unveils Mapping Tool for Wildfire Hazards

Oct 2 2015 // As fire season ramps up, San Diego County, Calif. has unveiled a new online interactive map that allows residents to search out wildfire dangers in specific areas.The San Diego Union-Tribune reported he digital tool...

California Lab Settles Age Discrimination Suit for $37.25M

Oct 2 2015 // Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is paying $37.25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by 129 workers who say they were fired because of their ages.The Contra Costa Times reported Mike McElfresh says he was a...