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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RECORD

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

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Insurance Information Institute CEO: 'there are multimillions of dark money investor dollars' behind lawsuits

By R. B. Pepalis |
Sean Kevelighan, CEO of the Insurance Information Institute (III), stated that "there are multimillions of dark money investor dollars" fueling litigation that ultimately escalates insurance costs for consumers. This assertion was made in a press release dated Feb. 27.

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Governor restricts legal challenges to L.A. development in push for more housing

By Michael Carroll |
Gov. Gavin Newsom is streamlining a major mixed-use development near Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles to speed the building of housing and urban infrastructure, using new state laws aimed at reducing environmental litigation.

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The Utility Reform Network calls for relief for California ratepayers

By Northern California Record |
The Utility Reform Network (TURN) has raised concerns about the financial burden on California's ratepayers, who are grappling with "record-breaking bills" that are allegedly pushing families into poverty and homelessness. The organization points out that Californians are dealing with escalating costs for basic necessities such as housing, food, utilities, and insurance.

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Tenderloin residents, biz sue SF city hall, say city abandoned their streets to crime, homeless, drugs

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The plaintiffs have asked a federal court to order the city and county of San Francisco to end an unwritten policy to "contain" criminal activity in the Tenderloin, which they say has created a drug-filled, unsanitary, violent and unlivable neighborhood, violating their constitutional rights

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Realtors to pay $418M to end home seller commission class action; Big changes coming to home sale process

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Lawyers who brought the lawsuits could be in for a big payday, as well, potentially claiming $140 million from the deal, plus $69 million from earlier settlements with large real estate brokerages facing similar claims of alleged collusion to boost real estate agent commissions

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California driver: Car insurance cost 'increased by 300%' after statewide rate adjustment

By A. D. Bamburg |
Tonia Roberts, a resident of California and the founder of Legacy Innovative Builders, has noticed a significant increase in her car insurance costs. This rise has occurred despite her having no driving violations on record. While there are multiple factors influencing car insurance pricing, recent reports have underscored the role that an escalating number of lawsuits is playing in the rising insurance costs for Californians.

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Excessive lawsuits, backed by third-party funding, raise insurance costs, hurting low-income Californians

By A. A. Sanchez |
Third-party entities, such as hedge funds, are increasingly providing financing for lawsuits in exchange for a share of the settlement. This practice is driving up insurance costs, disproportionately affecting low-income policyholders.

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Class action: OpenAI should pay for 'scraping' data to train GPT AI, come under outside control

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court asserts OpenAI has violated privacy laws in developing its GPT group of AIs, while allegedly disregarding safeguards that take into consideration the risk of its AIs to humanity

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Excessive litigation contributes to California’s high cost of living

By A. I. Benavidez |
California, known for its high cost of living, also has the highest poverty rate in the nation. A significant factor contributing to these high costs is a large volume of litigation, which escalates insurance costs for policyholders.

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Insurance, inflation impose regressive tax increase on Californians

By D. L. Deener |
A recent report from Insurify reveals that car insurance costs, after surging by 24% last year, are projected to increase by another 7% in 2024. This escalating cost of car insurance is outstripping inflation and is particularly burdensome for low-income drivers.

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Low-income Californians hurt by rising car insurance costs

By J. D. Suayan |
A recent report by the Insurance Information Institute (III) suggests that excessive litigation is driving up car insurance costs for consumers. Low-income and minority Californians are particularly affected by these rising prices.

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Where did the water go? 'Environmental lawsuits have had a very chilling effect' on CA water resiliency efforts

By Donna Rolando |
Wettest January on record ended California's megadrought. But environmentalist lawsuits, together with inertia from bureaucrats and elected officials who tout their commitments to conservation above all else, have played a leading role in preventing the state from building infrastructure needed to bring about water resiliency

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California’s high cost of car insurance hurts low-income, minority residents

By A. A. Sanchez |
The average cost of car insurance in California is almost 21% higher than the national average, as reported by MarketWatch, a subsidiary of Dow Jones. The elevated cost of insurance, which is uniformly distributed among all Californians, has been particularly burdensome for low-income and minority residents who are already struggling to afford basic necessities. This surge in prices is attributed to "unnecessary" lawsuits.

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Biden administration, left-wing allies 'colluding' to shove court fight over immigration past November, judge says

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A federal appeals court judge in San Francisco blasted the Biden administration and his fellow judges for allowing left-wing activists to help the president quietly tuck from public view a court fight over the politically fraught crisis at the southern border

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California can't enforce minor gun ad ban law while court case plays out over speech restrictions

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The full U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said it won't grant the Attorney General's request for a review of a three-judge panel's decision to slap an injunction on AB2571, which they said amounted to an unconstitutional 'muzzling of speech'

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Growing number of large verdicts, class action lawsuits driving up costs, hurting low-income Californians

By M. N. Tirado |
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a nonprofit research institution, has revealed that over half of California's residents are grappling with financial hardship due to inflation. In a separate report, the state's escalating prices are attributed to an increase in liability risk and costs, fueled by a surge in class action lawsuits and large jury verdicts.

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California employers hammered by record number of PAGA lawsuit filings in 2023, analysis finds

By Sarah Downey |
It was a record-breaking year for California’s PAGA (Private Attorneys General Act) in 2023, with nearly 8,000 notices filed, even after a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found PAGA is subject to terms of the Federal Arbitration Act.

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Report finds California drivers spend 2.95% of income on car insurance

By Northern California Record |
Bankrate, a company specializing in consumer financial services, recently published a report revealing that drivers in California pay an average auto insurance premium of $2,697. This figure surpasses the national average of $2,543. The report also indicated that Californians spend approximately 2.95% of their household income on car insurance.

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Carano sues Disney over firing from 'Mandalorian,' says retaliated against her over politics

By Jonathan Bilyk |
TV and film star Gina Carano says Disney illegally attempted to blast her career from orbit over conservative online speech, costing her untold millions of dollars in future career opportunities built on her popular recurring character on Star Wars series, 'The Mandalorian'

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A question of limits: CA lawmakers want to ban youth football, but court challenges would inevitably follow

By Sarah Downey |
Under veto threat, state lawmakers appear to have throttled down efforts to ban youth tackle football statewide. But it doesn't mean they can't try again in the future, setting the stage for potential lawsuits over their constitutional ability to interfere with parents' rights to raise their kids, says a prominent sports lawyer