HR Specialist: California Employment Law

California employers face more laws – and more chances to get sued – than in other states. Aggressive attorneys don’t stop with federal laws like FMLA, ADA and FLSA: they use state and local living-wage statutes, rural codes, plus discrimination and other laws to sue employers for sky’s-the-limit damages. This California-specific newsletter arrives monthly to help sue-proof every aspect of HR. Written in plain English, it’s your insurance policy for staying in step with current interpretations of state and local laws – and staying out of court. Learn more about HR Specialist: California Employment Law and the free report you’ll get when you subscribe...

The commissioner of California’s Department of Insurance has reached a $37.3 million settlement of four lawsuits stemming from Fremont Indemnity Co.’s 2003 bankruptcy.

Fremont, once one of California’s largest workers’ compensation insurers, failed in 2003 due to rising claims costs.

Under the terms of the settlements, the Fremont liquidation estate will use the $37.3 million to pay policyholder claims. The lawsuits stem from a 2003 investigation into Fremont conducted after the insurance commissioner was appointed liquidator of the company. The lawsuits sought to recover funds for policyholders, injured workers and other creditors.

When Fremont’s parent company Fremont General filed for bankruptcy in 2008, the state insurance commissioner filed several claims in the bankruptcy case. Those claims resulted in two separate settlement agreements in the amount of $37.3 million.