Tudor Ranches, Inc. v. State Compensation Insurance Fund

Tudor Ranches, Inc. (Tudor) stipulated to judgment in favor of State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) in order to seek immediate appellate review of numerous in limine rulings. While we conclude the judgment is appealable, on the record before us we cannot conclude the court abused its discretion in making the rulings. Accordingly, we affirm.

I

Factual and Procedural Background

A. Nature of the Present Dispute

SCIF is a public enterprise fund created for the purpose of transacting workers’ compensation insurance. (Ins. Code, §§ 11770, 11773.) It was established to ensure that affordable workers’ compensation insurance would be available to employers when coverage became mandatory. (Courtesy Ambulance Service v. Superior Court (1992) 8 Cal.App.4th 1504, 1511 [ 11 Cal.Rptr.2d 161 ].)

SCIF “may transact workers’ compensation insurance required or authorized by law of this state to the same extent as any other insurer.” (Ins. Code, § 11778.) It is directed by statute to be “fairly competitive with other insurers,” and ultimately to become “neither more nor less than self-supporting.” (Ins. Code, § 11775.) If SCIF accumulates an excess of assets over *1426 liabilities,…