During her tenure at the agency, Ossias served as project manager and lead counsel for CDI's activities following various natural catastrophes, including the Oakland firestorm of 1991, the Southern California wildfires of 1993, and the Northridge earthquake of 1994.
In testimony before the State Assembly committee (which provided her with complete immunity from criminal prosecution), Ossias detailed how CDI's upper management had suppressed findings of insurer wrongdoing after the Northridge earthquake of 1994 and instructed her to shred documents.
According to testimony by CDI employees, including Ossias, and Assistant Chief Counsel Robert Hagedorn, the commissioner and his top aides abused their positions for personal gain and acted against consumers’ interests for many years.
In the wake of Ossias' whistleblowing, a measure was passed (AB 363) permitting lawyers representing governmental clients at any level to report crimes and fraud to law enforcement or to government oversight bodies "in order to prevent or rectify substantial harm to the public."
Under Garamendi, Ossias served as lead counsel/project manager in CDI's case involving the claims and business practices of the nation's largest disability income insurance holding company, UnumProvident Corp.