News Releases Archives

Statement of Consumer Watchdog on Violations of California Law by Mercury Insurance Uncovered by the California Department of Insurance

Harvey Rosenfield - August 1, 2022

Los Angeles, CA - Today’s revelation by the California Department of Insurance(CDI) that Mercury Insurance Company has engaged in massive violations of Proposition 103 and...

Consumer Watchdog Challenges $202 Million Auto Club Insurance Rate Increase & Job-Based Insurance Rate Discrimination

Ben Powell - July 28, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should reject the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club’s (“Auto Club”) proposed $202 million auto insurance...

Consumer Watchdog Calls on Insurance Commissioner Lara to Reject Mercury’s Job-Based Insurance Rate Discrimination

Carmen Balber - July 19, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should reject Mercury Insurance Company’s proposed $131 million auto insurance rate hike and its job- and...

Opening Brief Filed in Public Records Lawsuit Against Insurance Commissioner Lara & Agency Over Pay-to-Play Records

Jerry Flanagan - July 14, 2022

Los Angeles, CA -- Consumer Watchdog filed its Opening Brief in a California Public Records Act (“CPRA”) lawsuit against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and...

Insurance Companies Use Unlawful Policy Provisions to Burn Homeowners on Wildfire Claims: Report

Harvey Rosenfield - July 11, 2022

Los Angeles, CA -- A Consumer Watchdog examination of public filings reveals that insurance companies have inserted provisions into the fine print of their home,...

Regulator Investigates Insurance Companies Funneling $122,500 To Lara Campaign After Complaint Filed Over Failure To Disclose Source

Carmen Balber - May 31, 2022

Los Angeles, CA -- Seven insurance companies have contributed $122,500 to the LGBTQ Caucus, which in turn spent the money on an independent expenditure campaign...

The Department of Insurance Obstructs Access to Public Records Regarding “Connected Cars” in Wake of Industry Lobbying

Jerry Flanagan - May 17, 2022

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...

Department of Insurance Ethics Legislation Blocked By Assembly Insurance Committee Today Without A Vote; Committee Members Collected $1.5 Million In Insurance Campaign Cash

Carmen Balber - April 21, 2022

Sacramento, CA – Ethics legislation to shine a light on insurance industry influence over decision-making at the Department of Insurance was killed by the Assembly...

California Climate Insurance Disclosure Bill Stalls

Carmen Balber - April 18, 2022

PUBLIC CITIZEN AND CONSUMER WATCHDOG RELEASED THE FOLLOWING TODAY – The California Assembly Insurance Committee has declined to hold a hearing on a bill...

Consumer Groups Back Wildfire Mitigation Insurance Discounts, Call for Protection From Non-Renewals

Pam Pressley - April 13, 2022

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...

Rule to Require Discounts for Wildfire Mitigation Measures Must Also Regulate Scores Secretly Used to Deny Home Insurance, Consumer Watchdog Urges Insurance Commissioner

Carmen Balber - February 25, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog said a regulation proposed by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to require discounts for homeowners who protect their homes...

Rules To Mandate Insurance Discounts Are Necessary to Give New CA “Safer From Wildfire” Prevention Guidelines Teeth

Carmen Balber - February 18, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – A new state wildfire protection framework released this week is an empty promise for homeowners if the Insurance Commissioner does...

Consumer Watchdog Calls on Insurance Commissioner Lara To Issue Refund Rules In Response to CA Supreme Court

Pam Pressley - February 16, 2022

Los Angeles, CA -- The California Supreme Court has refused to review a lower court ruling that stripped the Insurance Commissioner of critical powers...

Department of Insurance Changes Course on Email Deletion Policy that Threatened Records of Pay-to-Play Scandal Days After Consumer Watchdog Threatened to Go to Court

Jerry Flanagan - January 31, 2022

The Department of Insurance pulled back a policy to delete agency email databases days after Consumer Watchdog warned it would go to court to...

New Evidence Reveals That Commissioner Lara and Top Staff Hid Communications About Meetings With Workers’ Compensation Insurer At Heart of Pay-to-Play Scandal

Jerry Flanagan - January 18, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – Despite attempting to conceal it, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and top lieutenant Bryant Henley communicated with two former lawmakers representing a...

Consumer Watchdog Calls on Federal Insurance Office to Expose Financial, Climate Risks of Insurance Industry’s Fossil Fuel Underwriting After California Fails to Act

Carmen Balber - November 16, 2021

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog joined 39 other public interest organizations in comments calling on the Federal Insurance Office to spotlight how the insurance...

Proposed Regulation to Require Discounts for Wildfire Mitigation Measures Must Also Regulate Scores Secretly Used to Deny Home Insurance, Consumer Groups Urge Insurance Commissioner

Pam Pressley - November 10, 2021

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer groups said a regulation proposed by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to require discounts for homeowners who take home-hardening steps...

Insurance Commissioner Cannot Force State Farm to Pay Refunds for Overcharges, San Diego Court Says

Harvey Rosenfield - November 2, 2021

San Diego, CA – The Insurance Commissioner cannot force insurance companies to repay consumers when they charge excessive rates, the state Court of Appeal in...

Insurance Companies Overcharged Californians by $Billions During the Pandemic – Here’s How to Get it Back

Harvey Rosenfield - July 30, 2021

Los Angeles, CA - Insurance companies have overcharged Californians by billions of dollars since the COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020, sixteen months ago....

Lara Defies Transparency: Refuses To Confirm Or Deny Whether He Or Department Met With Nunez, Serna and Other Known Applied Underwriters Lobbyists In PRA...

Jamie Court - July 22, 2021

Los Angeles, CA -- In responses to requests for admissions in pending litigation, Insurance Commissioner Lara’s Department has refused to answer straightforward questions about...

The Coast News Group – Elias: Lara does insurance companies’ bidding

Los Angeles Times – The L.A. wildfires exposed a broken insurance market. Why wasn’t it fixed?

Los Angeles Times – International travel. Fancy meals. Missing receipts. Who paid the tab for this top official?

Spectrum News 1: Palisades Fire Rebuild Insurance Concerns

Smoke & Mirrors Podcast Exposes Troubling Tactics of Insurance Subcontractors in Wildfire Recovery

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