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New Rules May Coax More Insurers Back into California Market
In an effort to bring more insurers back into California’s homeowner’s and commercial property insurance market, the state Department of Insurance (DOI) has approved a system that will allow insurers to use forward-looking wildfire risk models to price policies in areas susceptible to wildfires.
The DOI hopes this and other measures it’s been taking, will provide some relief to businesses and homeowners in high-risk areas. Up until this point, insurers have been barred from using risk models that predict future wildfire claims costs and instead have been forced to use historical data.
Insurers have been pushing for this change for years, saying restrictive regulations have kept them from adequately factoring in wildfire risk.
What these models do
The DOI in August established the Pre-Applications Required Information Determination (PRID), a process that insurers can use to get their predictive models approved.
“The PRID process has introduced the potential for bringing relief to the many insurers who have struggled to provide coverage across California,” the DOI said in a press release. “With the ability to use more innovative risk forecasting model technologies, many carriers may return to provide coverage in the wildfire prone regions of California.”
Through PRID, the DOI has already approved prospective wildfire models, created by three companies, that insurers can use to price policies in the Golden State.
One such wildfire model was created by the risk-modeling company Verisk, which uses decades of wildfire science, engineering expertise and climate data to provide a forward-looking view of risk.
Another model approved through PRID is by Kimberly Clark & Co. That model, which has already been accepted in 24 other states, incorporates the impacts of climate change and accounts for mitigation efforts at property and community levels to encourage the reduction of wildfire risk.
What it means for the market
This could give homeowners and business owners more options in areas where it has been difficult or impossible to find coverage in the private market. The DOI is requiring insurers that use the new models to also commit to writing more policies in wildfire-prone regions.
With the new models in place, Mercury, Allstate and CSAA have announced plans to write more property insurance policies in California.
Rates are likely to shift as insurers adopt the models. Properties in areas shown to be at higher wildfire risk may see premium increases, while those in lower-risk areas or where fire-safety measures are in place may benefit from discounts.
Other changes in the works
The wildfire models are part of a larger effort to improve California’s strained property insurance market. Other steps include:
Expanded discounts for mitigation: Homeowners and businesses can qualify for premium reductions by taking specific wildfire safety steps.
Temporary FAIR Plan expansion: The FAIR Plan has raised its commercial property coverage limits from $10 million to $20 million for single facility and up to $100 million for a multi-unit property.
Reinsurance reforms: Insurers will be able to better manage their exposure to catastrophic losses, which regulators say should help keep the market stable.
Takeaway
For homeowners and businesses, these changes mean more choices may soon return to the market.
Prices will likely vary more widely depending on location and wildfire readiness, but insurers may start competing again to write policies in parts of the state where coverage has been scarce.
The Five Most Common Types of Employee Fraud, Theft
At some point, the odds are that a company will be affected by some form of employee theft or outright fraud.
Fraud can severely crimp a company’s finances and put the firm in a serious bind if the theft is large enough. With technology, fraud has in some ways become easier, but at the same time it typically leaves a trail of electronic breadcrumbs that may be hard to disguise.
According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) global “Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse” report for 2024, the median loss in the U.S. from a single case of:
- Employee fraud was $61,000,
- Manager fraud was $150,000, and
- Executive fraud was $300,000.
Here are the five main types of employee fraud and what you can do to thwart it.
Purchase order fraud
This is typically carried out in one of two ways:
- The employee initiates purchase orders for goods that are diverted for personal use, or
- The employee sets up a phantom vendor account, into which they pay fraudulent invoices, with funds eventually being diverted to the employee.
Company credit cards
Employees who have company credit cards may use them for illegitimate purposes to purchase items or on entertainment and travel. Some common types of fraudulent use of credit cards are fuel purchases, airfares, home supplies, meals that are not work-related and entertainment.
Payroll fraud
There are typically three ways that an employee can pull off payroll fraud:
- Setting up phantom employees on your payroll systems who are paid like regular employees but whose funds are diverted to the perpetrator’s account.
- Paying out excessive overtime.
- Continuing to pay employees after they die or after they leave your employ.
You should have systems in place to detect whether you have more than one employee with the same bank account number or the same address, unusually high overtime payments and whether dead or terminated employees are still on your payroll.
Sales and receivables
Some employees may collude with vendors to make payments for services never rendered or products never received.
Other times, you may have sales reps who inflate sales to receive higher commissions or bonuses.
Data theft
This involves an employee stealing important company data like trade secrets, personally identifiable information, client credit card numbers or client lists. In some cases, the employee would provide this data to third parties.
You may be able to detect this kind of theft by running tests to see if a database has been accessed by an employee without access privileges or if reports were generated by employees without authorization. You may also be able to run tests to find out if any employees have sent e-mail with attachments that include sensitive company data.
What you can do
According to the report, most theft occurs at one or more of the following stages:
- Procurement
- Payment
- Expense
If you are going to do any employee monitoring, these are the places you may want to focus on first.
The ACFE said that by analyzing transactions in these areas (such as with continuous monitoring systems driven by data analysis), it is often possible to test for a wide range of employee fraud as well as bribery and conflicts of interest.
Also, three out of four fraudsters displayed at least one of the following behavioral clues:
- Living beyond means (39%)
- Financial difficulties (27%)
- Unusually close association with vendor/customer (20%)
- Control issues/unwillingness to share duties (13%)
- Irritability, suspiciousness or defensiveness (12%)
- “Wheeler-dealer” attitude (12%)
- Bullying or intimidation (11%)
- Divorce/family problems (10%)
Construction Defect Litigation on the Rise
Construction defect lawsuits, a constant presence in the building industry, are on the rise, and legal observers expect the trend to continue over the next few years.
There are several factors driving the increase, including a continuing construction industry labor shortage, contractors working on tight schedules to rebuild properties in areas devastated by natural disasters and growing high-dollar court judgments.
Since insurance coverage for construction defect claims is not iron-clad, it’s important for construction firms, contractors, architects, engineers and even material suppliers to understand the drivers behind this trend.
Why defect claims are increasing
Skilled labor shortage — The construction industry has faced a sustained shortage of skilled workers for more than a decade, with recent estimates showing a gap of roughly 500,000 workers nationwide. According to Seyfarth Shaw’s 2025 Commercial Litigation Outlook, 30% to 40% of the construction workforce is made up of immigrants, and a significant portion is undocumented. Immigration policy shifts and the long-term difficulty in attracting new workers to the trades have kept the talent pipeline thin.
A smaller labor pool increases the likelihood of errors, substandard workmanship and oversights that later become the basis for defect claims.
Urgency in post-disaster rebuilding — Natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires are another factor driving defect risk. Rebuilding efforts after disasters have sometimes involved loosening or waiving certain permit and inspection requirements to speed up construction.
These measures can increase the risk of workmanship or design issues that later surface as legal disputes.
More complex and higher-value projects — In many markets, builders are taking on increasingly complex projects, from high-end custom homes valued at tens of millions to major medical facilities and infrastructure projects.
Larger budgets and intricate designs often mean more stakeholders, more specialized materials and more potential points of failure.
Litigation dynamics and ‘nuclear verdicts’ — Plaintiff attorneys are increasingly filing defect claims as close as possible to the statute of limitations, typically up to 10 years after project completion.
At the same time, the growing number of multi-million-dollar verdicts is pushing jury awards higher, particularly when property damage or perceived negligence is involved. This trend is making construction defect cases more attractive to plaintiffs’ firms.
Examples of recent construction defect verdicts
- A Chester County, PA jury rendered a verdict in favor of three homeowners, finding that the builder’s negligence resulted in construction defects and water damage to their homes. Jury award: $3.3 million.
- A condo association in Maryland was awarded $5.6 million due to faulty construction by Ryan Homes.
The insurance gap
There is no single insurance policy that specifically covers construction defects. While certain policies may respond to related losses, coverage is often limited and dependent on the circumstances:
- Commercial general liability — May provide coverage if the defect results in property damage or bodily injury, often through the products-completed operations portion of the policy.
- Builder’s risk — Protects a project during construction but generally does not respond after completion unless the defect arises and is addressed before handover.
- Professional liability — Covers architects, engineers and design professionals for claims stemming from design errors or professional negligence.
Many defects — especially those related solely to poor workmanship without resulting property damage — may fall outside these policies. That leaves builders and contractors exposed to significant out-of-pocket costs for remediation and legal defense.
What industry professionals can do
With litigation pressure building, contractors should consider:
- Tightening quality control — Implement formal inspection and sign-off processes at every stage of construction.
- Vetting subcontractors thoroughly — Require proof of adequate insurance and consider naming them as additional insureds.
- Documenting everything — Maintain detailed records of design changes, materials used, inspections and client approvals.
- Reviewing insurance programs — Work with us to identify gaps in coverage, confirm policy terms and explore endorsements or additional limits where possible.
- Planning for the long tail — Be aware of statutes of limitations and understand that claims may surface years after completion.
Ransomware Escalates: Physical Threats Against Company Leaders
A new survey has found that in 46% of ransomware incidents in the U.S., CEOs or other executives were physically threatened if their organizations did not pay the ransom demanded by hackers.
The findings in Semperis’ “2025 Ransomware Risk Report” highlight other pressure tactics, such as ransomware criminals threatening to file regulatory complaints to force payment. The study’s findings emphasize the need for businesses to remain vigilant against ransomware threats that can completely shut down their networks and websites until they pay ransom.
Many organizations cited a lack of experienced personnel or employee training as top challenges, opening the door to mistakes like clicking malicious links in e-mails that trigger ransomware.
Additionally, hackers are using new tactics to increase pressure on their victims.
Study findings
- 78% of organizations reported being targeted within the past 12 months.
- 55% of those that paid a ransom did so more than once, with 29% paying three or more times.
- 15% of organizations that paid never received usable decryption keys, or received corrupted ones, leaving equipment and data inaccessible.
- Less than one quarter (23%) recovered within a day, compared with 39% last year. Meanwhile, 18% needed between one week and one month, up from 11% in 2024.
- 42% paid ransoms of $500,000 or less, while 50% paid between $500,000 and $1 million.
New tactics
Physical threats — Ransomware actors are resorting to extreme measures to pressure victims into paying, including threats of physical harm to business executives. In the past 12 months, 40% of incidents involved physical threats against executives, according to the Semperis report.
Threats of reporting to regulators — in 47% of attacks, ransomware criminals threatened to file regulatory complaints against victim companies if they refused to pay.
This tactic was especially common against U.S. companies, likely due to cyber incident reporting requirements, including the Securities and Exchange Commission’s four-day disclosure rule for publicly traded firms. For example, ransomware group BlackCat reported one of its victims to the SEC in 2023 in a bid to pressure payment.
Other tactics — In early 2025, Cisco Talos reported that the Chaos ransomware group threatened additional damage by launching DDoS attacks and spreading news of the breach to competitors and clients if payment was withheld.
What businesses can do
- Address vulnerabilities and strengthen defenses to improve the ability to recover if an attack occurs.
- Regularly back up your data to an offline or secure location.
- Train staff to spot e-mails that may contain ransomware and avoid opening attachments or clicking on links from unknown or suspicious senders. Run cross-functional tabletop exercises every six months so executives, managers and technical teams know their roles.
- Ensure your organization has well-documented, clearly communicated crisis response and recovery processes, and practice them in test scenarios that mirror real-world conditions.
- Hold vendors and partners with system access accountable to the same security and recovery standards you require internally.
- Install updates to your operating system, web browsers and other software as soon as they become available and use a firewall.
If you are hit
- Contain the attack quickly. Isolate affected networks, revoke and rotate credentials, and preserve forensics. Then restore from clean, verified backups.
- Call your incident-response partner and legal counsel immediately. Parallel communication, legal and technical workstreams speed recovery and help limit secondary harm.
- Notify your cyber insurer right away. Expect tighter underwriting and potential premium impacts; nearly half of respondents reported coverage disruption after attacks.
- Treat ransom payment as a last resort. Require proof that a decryptor works on samples before transferring funds, and plan for the possibility that keys may never arrive.
The takeaway
Consider purchasing cyber insurance, which can help your organization recover from a ransomware hit or other cyberattack. In some cases, the insurer can help you avoid paying the ransom without compromising your ability to continue operating.
If you have questions about cyber insurance, give us a call.
Cumulative Trauma Claims Driving Workers’ Comp Costs
One of the largest writers of workers’ compensation insurance in California recently sounded the alarm about the growth of costly cumulative trauma claims in the state.
In a recent earnings call with analysts, the insurer, Employers Holdings, highlighted the drag these claims have on its results. This came a month after the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau noted in its recent rate filing the oversized impact of CT claims on overall workers’ comp claims. While some claims are legitimate, many are filed by workers after they are terminated, thanks to lawyers who approach them after they are laid off.
The typical claims allege gradual injuries sustained over years of repetitive motions, exposure or strain, rather than from a single accident or incident. They’re common in industries involving repetitive motion, heavy lifting or prolonged exposure to harmful conditions.
California is the only state that allows cumulative stress claims in workers’ compensation and one of only a few to permit claims after termination.
In 2023, CT claims accounted for 21.8% of all workers’ comp claims in the state, compared to 18.5% the year prior and 15.6% in 2021, according to the Rating Bureau.
CT claims often have similar characteristics:
- They are more likely to involve multiple injured body parts,
- Long delays between the time of injury and when the claim is filed, and
- Involvement of an applicant’s attorney hired by the claimant.
The Rating Bureau report found that:
- 40% of CT claims in California are filed after a worker is terminated.
- 98% of CT claims are litigated.
- Fully denied CT claims still end up costing over $10,000 on average, and many remain open even after five years.
The main injuries that workers claim when alleging CT:
- Soft tissue disorders 25%
- Dislocation and sprain 20%
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 13%
- Multiple injuries, including CTS 13%
- Mental & behavioral disorders 9%
The Rating Bureau found in a recent report that post-termination CT claims were initially less costly, but the longer they stay open, the more quickly costs accelerate.
That’s compared to regular CT claims filed by workers who are still working for their employer, which start off more expensive but tend to develop more slowly over time.
Example
The owner of a produce company said he had to lay off 46 workers, and a few of them started filing CT claims using the same attorney. Eventually, word got around among the other laid-off workers, and 16 of them had filed claims alleging CT injuries.
The firm’s workers’ comp carrier eventually set aside more than $500,000 in reserve for these claims. The employer’s X-Mod shot up to 350, and his premiums increased significantly as a result.
The takeaway
While these claims have long been a persistent problem in Southern California, they are spreading to other parts of the state, including the Bay Area and Sacramento, Katherine Antonello, CEO of Employers Holdings, said during the company’s earnings call in August 2025.
They’ve become such a burden on the system that California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara acknowledged the rising frequency of these claims when approving a recent workers’ comp benchmark rate increase.
Employers should strive to reduce the risk of repetitive motion and cumulative injuries as part of good safety practice. At the same time, it’s important to document all injuries and near misses.
If a CT claim is filed, employers should conduct thorough investigations, meticulously document workplace hazards and training, and assess possible links between the injury and work.
Also check with your insurer to ensure the claim was filed within the state’s statute of limitations, which is one year. For post-termination claims, the clock starts on the worker’s last day of employment. For claims by active employees, the statute of limitations has not yet begun.
Multi-Unit Facilities Get Better Deal from FAIR Plan
The California FAIR Plan on July 25, 2025, started offering a new “high-value” commercial property coverage option for larger housing developments, farms and businesses with multiple buildings at one location.
The new limits are up to $20 million per building, with a total maximum of $100 million per location — up from the previous limit of $20 million per location. These coverage limits are available to all eligible applicants for both new and renewal policies.
The FAIR Plan covers the following commercial structures:
- Habitational buildings — Buildings with five or more habitational units, such as apartment buildings, hotels or motels.
- Retail establishments — Shops such as boutiques, salons, bakeries and convenience stores.
- Manufacturing — Companies that manufacture most types of products.
- Office buildings — Offices for professionals such as design firms, doctors, lawyers, architects, consultants or other office-based functions.
- Buildings under construction — Residential and commercial buildings under construction from the ground up.
- Farms and wineries — Basic property insurance for commercial farms, wineries and ranches, not including coverage for crops and livestock.
Why the increase
The decision comes as commercial property rates continue rising due to inflationary pressures, particularly for companies in areas considered urban-wildland interfaces.
Rebuilding costs have also risen substantially over the past five years, making the old FAIR Plan limits inadequate.
FAIR Plan limitations
The FAIR Plan is taking on more policyholders as more insurers pull back from the California market. Under state law, if a business can’t find an insurer that is licensed in California, the first option is to go to the “non-admitted” market, which consists of insurers not licensed in the state but often backed by established insurers like Lloyd’s of London.
If there are no takers in this market, the last resort is the FAIR Plan. However, costly FAIR Plan policies are not a complete replacement for a commercial property insurance policy. Policies only provide coverage for damage caused by the specific causes of loss listed in the policy:
- Fire
- Lightning
- Internal explosion
Optional coverages are available at an additional cost, such as for vandalism and malicious mischief.
If you have to go to the FAIR Plan, we can arrange for a “differences in conditions” policy that will cover the areas where the plan is deficient compared to a commercial property policy.
How to Implement an Effective Safety Incentive Program
Although not required by OSHA, some employers have shown that one of the best ways to positively motivate employees is through a safety incentive program that rewards safe behavior and participation in workplace safety efforts.
These programs need not be complicated, and some of the simplest have proven most effective. The best ones encourage safe behavior, teamwork and hazard recognition, while discouraging non-reporting of legitimate accidents or frivolous claims.
How safety incentive programs work
At their core, safety incentive programs offer rewards or recognition to employees or teams for meeting specific safety goals. These might include:
- Zero injuries over a period of time
- Reporting near misses
- Completing safety training
- Using personal protective equipment consistently
- Identifying and correcting safety hazards
Avoid “everything or nothing” goals, and ensure the prize is not the main motivator, as both are potential pitfalls that can discourage employees and promote cheating and under-reporting.
Getting started
Analyze past accident reports to understand the types of incidents that have occurred. Inspect your facility and correct all known hazards. Focus your incentive program on high-risk areas of operation.
Brainstorm with your safety team and employee representatives to develop goals that will promote increased workplace safety and measurable improvements. You’ll also need to decide what kind of incentives to offer staff who meet these goals.
When planning your program, your team should ask themselves:
Is it rewarding? The rewards must have a direct and immediate appeal to the targeted employees. If unsure, ask the employees.
Is it entertaining? The program should be something employees enjoy and want to participate in regularly.
Does it provide daily reminders? Communication is key to the success of a safety incentive program, so keep your staff updated on their progress. One popular method is to have a sign displaying the number of days since a safety incident.
Does the program allow rewards to grow? There should be milestones, such as every 100 days without an incident, that increase the reward over time.
Is it easy to understand? It must be clear, concise and easy for employees to follow.
Is it visual? Visual elements like safety signs or progress displays should be bright, colorful and attention-getting — and placed in conspicuous locations.
Is it flexible? An incentive plan that allows modifications gives management the latitude to keep it fresh.
Does it provide recognition? This applies to both group and individual achievements.
Is it easy to administer? Maintaining administrative records avoids potential confusion and ensures fairness.
Successful incentives
While cash rewards are frowned upon by safety professionals, you can still have appealing rewards, such as:
Gift cards: For various retailers, restaurants or online shopping sites like Amazon.
Bonus time off: An outstanding employee may get a Friday or half day off.
Recognition awards: Certificates, plaques or public acknowledgment of safety achievements in company newsletters or meetings.
Wellness rewards: Gym memberships, spa vouchers or other health-related perks.
Team celebrations: Lunches, outings or other social events that boost morale and foster camaraderie.
Experience-based rewards: Tickets to sporting events, concerts or other entertainment options.
Personalized safety gear/tools: High-quality safety equipment or tools customized with the employee’s name or initials.
Company swag: Items like shirts, hats or mugs with the company logo are often seen as a symbol of belonging and recognition.
How New U.S. Trade Policies Affect Insurance Costs
President Trump’s sweeping return to tariff-heavy trade policies in 2025 is sending ripples across the economy, including the cost of property insurance claims.
The latest round of tariffs, which include steep duties on imported construction materials and auto parts, many of which are sourced from China, threatens to drive up claims costs in both personal and commercial lines, particularly property and vehicle insurance. The result is likely to be higher insurance rates to account for higher claims costs.
Here’s a look at the effects on vehicle and commercial property insurance under the turbulent and constantly changing tariff regime.
Vehicle insurance effect
Depending on where they come from, vehicle parts face tariffs as high as 50% (in the case of China), which is hitting both original equipment manufacturer and aftermarket parts. Since more than half of all U.S. vehicle parts are imported, the cost of repairs has increased sharply, even for minor collisions.
According to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, this could raise auto insurance claims costs by $7 billion to $24 billion annually.
The website Insurify predicts that full-coverage auto insurance premiums could rise 19% by year’s end on the back of higher repair costs and delays in parts availability, which also increase settlement times and costs.
For commercial fleets, this dynamic is particularly problematic. Businesses may face longer vehicle downtimes and delayed operations after an accident, and higher deductibles or premiums to account for elevated risk.
Commercial property insurance effects
Many of the main construction materials are also subject to tariffs:
- 25% across-the-board on steel
- 20% on Canadian lumber
- In early July, the president promised a 50% tariff on copper (used in wiring).
- Trump increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50% on June 4 and expanded them to include household appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers on June 12.
With these tariffs in place, the cost to rebuild or repair damaged property has increased significantly. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that tariffs have added $7,500 to $11,000 to the average cost of constructing a new home.
Business interruption risk
If tariffs inflate raw material costs, this could create uncertainty across supply chains. Therefore, businesses may be more vulnerable to supply chain breakdowns and related operational delays, increasing the risk of business interruption.
If tariffs cause delays in material inputs, they could slow down or stop manufacturer operations.
Industries like electronics, automotive parts, construction materials and apparel are especially exposed. Many of these businesses rely on components or raw materials from Asia, where even slight delays or cost increases can disrupt production and reduce profitability.
What business owners can do
What makes the current situation especially difficult for insurers is the unpredictability of Trump’s tariff policies. With frequent changes and shifting targets, insurers struggle to accurately model future claims costs, which complicates underwriting and risk pricing.
The lack of clarity around how long tariffs will remain in effect or whether additional duties will be imposed introduces pricing volatility that’s not easily absorbed by carriers. In some cases, insurers may respond by tightening underwriting standards or increasing premiums in advance to safeguard against future cost surges.
With tariffs driving up claims costs and likely hitting insurance costs, business owners are faced with several considerations:
- Review replacement costs and policy limits: Ensure the policy reflects current rebuilding costs, accounting for inflation from materials and labor. We can help you review your replacement cost.
- Consider higher deductibles: A higher deductible can reduce a policy’s premium, but it means the business will have to pay more out of pocket if it incurs a claim.
- Plan for longer claims cycles: Understand your carrier’s average claim timelines and adjust your business continuity plans accordingly.
- Find new vendors: If a business relies on parts or products from a high-tariff country and is concerned about resulting supply chain interruptions, it may want to explore new sources in other countries.
How to Prepare for Rolling Blackouts
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense due to rising temperatures, utilities in high-risk areas are increasingly using public safety power shutoffs to prevent fires sparked by electrical equipment, one of the leading causes of wildfires.
These proactive outages can leave communities without power for hours — or even days — especially during dry, windy conditions. If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires and there is a possibility of rolling blackouts by your utility, you need to be prepared if the power is shut off for an undetermined amount of time.
Prepare in advance
According to the California Public Utilities Commission and Ready.gov, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, the best time to prepare for a rolling blackout is before fire season begins.
Make an emergency plan: Every household should have a plan that includes communication protocols, meeting points and access to emergency contacts.
Build an emergency kit: Stock it with:
- Flashlights and fresh batteries
- First-aid supplies
- Portable phone chargers or power banks
- A hand-crank or battery-powered radio
- At least one gallon of water per person per day (plus water for pets)
- Nonperishable food that doesn’t require cooking
- Blankets and manual can openers
Plan for medical needs: If you or a loved one relies on electrically powered medical devices, talk with your doctor about alternative power sources. Know how long medications can be safely stored at higher temperatures if refrigeration is unavailable.
Prepare your home:Bookmark your utility’s outage map, learn how to manually open electric garage doors and understand your home’s circuit breakers and fuse boxes.
During the outage
During a blackout, you can stay safe and manage daily life without power by:
- Staying informed: Use a battery-powered radio or your car’s radio to listen for emergency updates.
- Unplugging electronics: Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid damage or data loss. Unplugging also prevents power surges when electricity is restored.
- Keeping refrigerators and freezers closed: The refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours, while a full freezer can maintain a safe temperature for about 48 hours. Monitor temperatures with a thermometer and use coolers with ice if necessary.
- Using generators safely: Always run generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows or doors, and never inside garages or enclosed spaces. Improper use can cause deadly carbon monoxide buildup.
- Avoiding open flames: If using candles, keep them away from anything flammable and never leave them unattended.
- Watching for downed lines: Southern California Edison recommends staying at least 100 feet away from fallen power lines and calling 911 to report them.
When the power comes back on:
- Check food and medications: Discard anything that has been above 40°F for more than two hours or shows signs of spoilage. Replace any temperature-sensitive medication unless the label says otherwise.
- Reconnect electronics gradually: Turn appliances back on one at a time to avoid overloading circuits.
The takeaway
While homeowners in at-risk areas must be prepared for wildfires, they also have to be ready for rolling blackouts during wildfire season.
That requires preparation and a plan you share with the family. Consider working on it together so everyone is familiar with the plan should a power outage hit your neighborhood.
Insurance Commissioner Approves Workers’ Comp Rate Increase
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered an 8.7% average advisory pure premium rate hike for policies incepting on or after Sept. 1, 2025.
The rate follows a substantial uptick in claims and claims adjustment costs over the past four years, resulting in a $1.3 billion underwriting loss for the industry in 2024, the first since 2014. However the market is still competitive and carriers and carriers may price their policies as they see fit.
The 8.7% increase is an average across nearly 500 class codes, and according to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), employers in several industries may see premiums begin to rise after hitting a 10-year low last year.
The pure premium rate is a benchmark insurers use to price policies. It only accounts for the cost of claims and adjusting those claims, not expenses such as office operations, personnel costs outside of claims representatives, marketing or other overhead.
What’s driving costs
The main drivers of the rate increase, according to the California Department of Insurance and the WCIRB — which had recommended an 11.2% hike — include:
Rising medical costs. The average medical cost per claim has been steadily climbing since 2016, and reached $36,488 in 2024, up 9% from $33,573 the year prior and 28% from $28,500 in 2016. These costs are for claims that include wage replacement payouts and medical costs, meaning the injured worker was unable to work for a period of time.
Rising costs for medical-legal reports. These are prepared by a qualified physician to assess an injured worker’s condition and its relationship to their workplace injury. This report is crucial for determining eligibility for benefits. As medical costs have increased, there has been a corresponding increase in requests for these reports, which adds to the cost of a claim.
Growing effects of cumulative trauma claims. These are injuries that develop over time, typically from repetitive motions. There is an entire industry in Southern California that helps injured workers file these types of claims, which are growing significantly in frequency. The WCIRB now estimates that over one-fifth of indemnity claims involve cumulative trauma.
Rising claims adjusting costs. The average cost of adjusting workers’ comp claims that include indemnity payouts rose to $12,600 in 2024 from $9,800 in 2021, an increase of 28%. The Rating Bureau projects it will reach $14,300 in 2027.
The effects
The premium an employer pays depends on their claims experience.
According to WCIRB, more than 280 classes are projected to face a higher-than-average pure premium increase next year. Conversely, some sectors will see lower pure premium hikes, while others may see decreases.
But thanks to a robust workers’ comp market, employers with strong safety records and low X-Mods are likely to continue receiving favorable pricing.