San Francisco, CA and Washington, D.C. — Consumer Watchdog yesterday filed amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs in two cases—one in the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, and one...
Los Angeles, CA — At a hearing today before the California Department of Insurance, State Farm opposed Pacific Palisades homeowner Merritt David Farren’s petition to participate in the ongoing...
Second Federal Court Ruling Yesterday Echoes Concerns Raised in Brief
San Francisco, CA — A federal court yesterday granted Consumer Watchdog’s motion for leave to file an amicus curiae – or “friend...
UPDATED 1:40PM Los Angeles, CA – A proposed decision recommending approval of State Farm General’s request for an interim rate hike was issued by an Administrative Law Judge yesterday and...
Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog sued the California Department of Insurance and Commissioner Ricardo Lara to protect California homeowners from hundreds of millions in surcharges that could soon appear...
Consumer group urges regulators to reject rate hike as unsupported and unfair
Los Angeles, CA – In the first day of hearings, Consumer Watchdog made its case before Administrative Law Judge...
Sacramento, CA – On Tuesday, April 8, at 10:00 AM, Consumer Watchdog will be presenting its case at the California Department of Insurance against State Farm’s unprecedented request for an...
As urged by Consumer Watchdog, California's Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has called a hearing on State Farm’s unprecedented request for a $900 million "emergency" rate hike for homeowners, renters,...
Los Angeles, CA - Consumer Watchdog wrote a letter to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara with new information showing why State Farm should not be granted an emergency 22%...
Los Angeles, CA - Consumer Watchdog reached a settlement this week with General Insurance Company of America and the California Department of Insurance, resolving the company’s application with the Department...
Los Angeles, CA – Following today’s meeting with California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, State Farm General Insurance (SFG), and the California Department of Insurance (CDI), Consumer Watchdog reiterated its...
Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog has submitted two letters to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara objecting to State Farm’s request for an emergency interim rate increase, citing a lack of...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog reached a settlement with United Financial Casualty Company and the California Department of Insurance last week, resolving the company’s application with the Department for a...
Chief Judge Says CA Insurance Regulators Flouted Consumer Protections
Los Angeles, CA - The Chief Administrative Law Judge of the California Department of Insurance has concluded that the agency is...
Los Angeles, CA – Jerry Flanagan, a 22-year veteran of Consumer Watchdog, has stepped aside as Litigation Director to join the firm of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP.
Flanagan will be...
Internal Documents Show CVS Adopted an HIV Prescription Drug Mail-Order Program to Increase Revenue Despite Health Risks
Los Angeles, CA - CVS was aware of the threat its prescription drug mail-order...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog issued the following statement about Commissioner Lara’s action today threatening consumers’ voice in insurance rate review.
“For the past two months Consumer Watchdog has shared...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog is asking Insurance Commissioner Lara to hold a public hearing on State Farm’s new request for a 30% increase in its homeowners insurance rates...
Los Angeles, CA - Proposition 34, currently scheduled to appear on the November 2024 ballot targeting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (“AHF”), violates the California and United States Constitutions and threatens...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog called on the Department of Insurance to stop erecting roadblocks to public oversight and confirm the organization’s eligibility to challenge excessive insurance rates and...
Los Angeles, CA – Late yesterday the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that four HIV-positive “John Doe” plaintiffs adequately alleged CVS acted intentionally under...
Los Angeles, CA -- Yesterday afternoon the non-profit Consumer Watchdog and the Los Angeles Times petitioned a federal court in Los Angeles to release 33 FBI warrants and related documents that...
Allstate, State Farm Also Agree to End Restrictions on Sales of New Auto Policies
Los Angeles, CA – Challenges by Consumer Watchdog to double-digit auto and homeowners insurance rate hikes requested...
Los Angeles, CA – Checks for $1,821.58 were mailed late last week to hundreds of Californians whose confidential medical information—including their HIV status—was allegedly accessed and shared without their consent. The...
Los Angeles, CA - CVS acted intentionally when it implemented a drug program that discriminates against people living with HIV, according to Consumer Watchdog and Whatley Kallas, LLP in...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog today filed a Petition to Intervene in an enforcement action brought by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) against Mercury Insurance Group for overcharging,...
Sacramento, CA --- Today’s announcement by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara that he would allow insurance companies to use secret algorithms to set rates for homeowners’ coverage for wildfire and...
Sacramento, CA -- The leaders of Consumer Watchdog today wrote Governor Newsom to dissuade him from declaring a state of emergency on insurance that would give Insurance Commissioner Ricardo...
Consumer Watchdog Urges Attorney General Bonta to Investigate Industry Collusion on Homeowner Insurance Shortages
"Insurers collected more than $150 billion in premiums from California homeowners over the last 25 years...
Sacramento, CA -- Insurance companies are seeking a multi-billion dollar bailout of the insurance industry for its exposure to wildfire losses, pushing for a last-minute deal at the end of the legislative session.
The...
70% of CA Voters Approve of the Measure According to a Recent Poll
Los Angeles, CA - Embracing the principle that “sunshine is the best disinfectant,” a new ballot initiative would...
San Francisco, CA - Late Friday a federal court in San Francisco allowed a case brought by HIV-positive “John Doe” plaintiffs against CVS to proceed, denying CVS’s third motion...
Supreme Court Action Needed To Protect Hundreds Of Thousands Of Californians From Harm
Los Angeles, CA—Public interest groups filed amicus letters with the California Supreme Court seeking review of a...
Los Angeles, CA -- Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara yesterday approved a 4%, $16 million, rate hike on Allstate home insurance policyholders, despite the fact that the company misled regulators...
Los Angeles, CA -- State Farm’s announcement on Friday that it would immediately stop selling homeowners insurance to new customers in California is unlawful under Proposition 103, and appears...
Consumer Watchdog Proposes Actions to Address Climate Change and Industry Abuses
Sacramento, CA – Thirty-five years after California voters passed Proposition 103 to protect themselves against skyrocketing insurance rates, insurance companies’...
In an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Sacramento to be heard on Monday, the Newsom Administration will be challenged over positions that breach a longstanding agreement to require all radioactive waste from the Santa Susana Field Lab be disposed of at sites licensed and designed for such waste.
Insurance Commissioner Lara’s approval last week of a $263.7 million rate hike by California’s largest insurer, State Farm, marks the latest in a flurry of approvals of unjustified 2023 auto insurance rate hikes by the top 6 auto insurers, collectively totaling over $1 billion.
The non-profit Consumer Watchdog has filed an appeal in its California Public Records Act (“PRA”) lawsuit against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the California Department of Insurance.
Los Angeles, CA – In response to Consumer Watchdog’s challenge to Medical Insurance Exchange of California’s (“MIEC”) proposed rate increase on doctors’ and medical providers’ medical malpractice insurance, MIEC...
Los Angeles, CA -- A recent decision in a public records case brought by Consumer Watchdog against the California Department of Insurance could encourage more government secrecy and undermine...
Los Angeles, CA – The California Department of Insurance has approved a $268 million increase in auto insurance premiums for GEICO customers without following the public participation requirements of Proposition...
Los Angeles, CA – Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should reject Allstate’s proposed $165 million auto insurance rate hike and its two-tiered job- and education-based discriminatory rating system, wrote Consumer...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog filed its final briefs in a California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) lawsuit against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the Department of Insurance. The...
Los Angeles, CA – Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should reject GEICO’s proposed $268 million auto insurance rate hike and its job- and education-based discriminatory rating system, wrote Consumer Watchdog...
Late Friday a federal court in San Francisco allowed a case against subsidiaries of CVS Health Corporation brought by HIV-positive “John Doe” plaintiffs to proceed, denying CVS’s motion to...
Los Angeles, CA – Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should reject the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club’s (“Auto Club”) proposed $202 million auto insurance rate hike and its job-...
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog filed its Opening Brief in a California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) lawsuit against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the Department of Insurance. The CPRA...
Los Angeles, CA - The Department of Insurance has engaged in a “pattern and practice of obstructing access to public records,” according to Consumer Watchdog.
The latest public records failure for...
PUBLIC CITIZEN AND CONSUMER WATCHDOG RELEASED THE FOLLOWING TODAY – The California Assembly Insurance Committee has declined to hold a hearing on a bill that would require insurance companies...
Insurance Commissioner Lara Must Close Loophole in Regulation Allowing Insurers to Ignore WIldfire Mitigation for Denial or Non-Renewal Decisions
Los Angeles, CA – A regulation proposed by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo...
Los Angeles, CA -- The California Supreme Court has refused to review a lower court ruling that stripped the Insurance Commissioner of critical powers granted by California voters to...
The Department of Insurance pulled back a policy to delete agency email databases days after Consumer Watchdog warned it would go to court to stop it. Emails that are...
Los Angeles, CA – Despite attempting to conceal it, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and top lieutenant Bryant Henley communicated with two former lawmakers representing a workers’ compensation insurer at the...
Los Angeles, CA -- CVS Health Corporation’s dismissal today of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a health care civil rights lawsuit involving the rights of numerous...
Los Angeles, CA -- Today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision holding that five “John Doe” HIV patients could pursue a discrimination claim against CVS...
Los Angeles, CA -- Farmers Insurance systematically overcharged its most loyal, longtime California customers from 2008 to 2018, according to evidence uncovered as part of an investigation ordered by the California...
Los Angeles, CA -- A state Court of Appeal in Orange County has upheld $27 million in civil penalties imposed by former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones against Mercury Insurance...
In a tentative ruling today, the Sacramento Superior Court rejected an insurance industry attack on regulations that limit the amount of advertising costs insurers can pass through to consumers in their premiums. The regulation is part of the landmark Prop 103 insurance reform initiative that has saved California drivers $102 billion since 1988, according to the Consumer Federation of America.
There were twenty-five lawyers in gray suits waiting in a Los Angeles Superior Court courtroom yesterday afternoon when I walked in to try to make sure that $455 million...
Los Angeles, CA – A Los Angeles Superior Court this morning granted a former Farmers Insurance customer, represented by Consumer Watchdog’s attorneys, the right to challenge portions of a...
