A recently released report from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by California Representative Henry Waxman, found that denial of individual health insurance policies increased almost 50% between 2007 and 2009, and that companies are denying more claims based on pre-existing conditions. Four of the largest insurance companies, WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., Humana Inc.,…
California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal OSHA) announced that it has fined the Desert Sands Unified School District $7,700 for the electrocution death of a worker in 2009. A California man was killed on the job while working on the school district’s irrigation system in Indio, near Palm Springs. James Jeffredo, a fifty-year-old sprinkler…
A Los Angeles Times investigation has found that PG&E has more “high consequence” gas line leaks in populated areas compared to other utilities. The report was in response to the San Bruno, California gas pipeline explosion in September that killed 8 people and caused an estimated $65 million in property losses. (The eighth death occurred…
In the wake of the gas pipeline blast in San Bruno, California last month, citizens are asking some tough questions about where potentially dangerous pipelines are located and why they do not have access to the information. Before the September 11th, 2001 attacks it was relatiely easy to find out where pressurized gas lines were…
The recent San Bruno, California gas main explosion was a horrifying tragedy that claimed many lives, and even more homes. As Californians attempt to piece their lives together after the blast, they naturally want to know what they can expect from PG&E or their homeowner’s insurance companies. In general, if you are covered by homeowner’s…
Some of the things you and I take for granted every day are nothing but dreams to victims who have been seriously injured in an accident. Twenty six year old Mark Bouvier suffered brain damage in an auto accident nearly a year ago, when his fiancée was still pregnant with their son. Now dreams of…
Surgin Surgical Instrumentation Inc. was a manufacturer of certain devices for cataract surgery and had about ten percent of the market with projected annual profits of $7 million when Alcon, a competitor, filed a series of patent infringement and unfair competition lawsuits against the company. Truck Insurance, a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance Group, denied Surgin’s…
While most Orange County small business owners are aware of the basic types of business insurance they should carry, there are a few areas of coverage that many overlook. Identity theft and Internet fraud are two new areas of potential exposure that have emerged in recent years. Insurance companies have stepped up with products that…
Callahan & Blain’s client, Sentex Systems, Inc. designs and manufactures access control systems for commercial and residential buildings and gated complexes. When Electronic Security Services sued Sentex, alleging that a former sales manager from their company had joined Sentex and used confidential, trade secret information to recruit its customers, Sentex turned to its insurance company.…
While the state of California offers earthquake insurance to residents, many homeowners choose not to buy policies – opting instead to rely on government aid if an earthquake strikes. If you are trying to decide which option is best for you, consider the following: If a quake is declared a disaster, the government will provide…
