Amy Bach has been a professional advocate for insurance policyholders since 1984 and an attorney since 1989. While practicing insurance regulatory law and representing clients in litigation matters, she co-founded United Policyholders in 1991. Bach migrated from the private practice of law in 2005 to become the organization’s full-time Executive Director and primary spokesperson; shaping and overseeing the Roadmap to Recovery™, Roadmap to Preparedness, and Advocacy and Action programs. She is a nationally-recognized expert on insurance claim and legal matters; frequently interviewed in print and broadcast media, and the author of numerous legal and consumer publications including “The Disaster Recovery Handbook,” “WISE UP: The Savvy Consumer’s Guide to Buying Insurance,” and tips and guides in the UP Claim Help Library. Recognized by Money Magazine as a Money Hero, Bach has served as an official consumer representative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners since 2009 and is in her second term as an appointed member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance. She also currently serves on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response.
I had smoke damage only in the Marshall Fire. Insurance paid for the cleaning which of course is less than the cost basis of the house. Insurance also paid to replace mattresses. As I understand it due to the DR classification for the Marshall fire,…
Hi, Thanks for your answer to my evacuation question, and for further clarification, our home is in the CZU fire area. Our property was not burned, but we were evacuated for weeks. We have had many subsequent evacuations due to threat of landslide. We have…
I was issued a check by the Fire Victim Trust and never received it. Later I got a communication from the FVT that my check and 4 other people had their checks stolen and wrongfully cashed. For over 3 months I have been communicating with…
Is an adjuster authorized to overrule the mailing address of an insurance policy without the policyholder’s consent? My insured object is non residential so all checks and paperwork needs to be sent to my residential mailing address as indicated on the policy. My adjuster however…
I just filed a storm claim in July of 2022 with my insurance company. They put the date of loss as June of 2020. My contractor has been working since then but with labor and material shortages he has just now completed all the work.…
We received 2 insurance claim checks totaling $47,914.39. As instructed by our mortgage company, LoanCare,LLC, I cosigned the checks and overnighted them on December 23, 2022 with all receipts for materials and work completed to that point. They said they would have to send an…
I purchased my home in September 2022. Excited that I have finally got to a place in my life I could purchase a home, and it being the first home I ever purchased, I was checking the boxes with what was needed. I got insurance!…
Hello- we lost our home in the Marshall Fire. The one year anniversary is approaching and a recent email sent by the city implied that there may be a one-year limit to suing your agent for underinsurance. We are severely underinsured with a new policy…
Our house was damaged by Hurricane Ian. We have heard nothing from our insurance company in more than a month, despite repeated inquiries and emails. Field adjuster visit was Oct. 9. We have received a couple of estimates for repair/replacement of our roof. Is it…
I am a victim of hurricane Ian. My insurance company gave me a low settlement–do I have the right to request a copy of the field adjuster’s estimate? Thank you.
I will try to keep this simple. I had a major house fire in 2018. Took over a year to rebuild–not wildfire related. I filed a claim in 2018 with my insurance company. First one ever in 26 years. Then in 2019 while NOT in…
My insurance company is not renewing policy and the end of term is here. There is still an open claim, but no one else will insure us with an open claim. Looks like we will need to close the claim prematurely just to get a…
We have comprehensive insurance with Nationwide. My wife recently rear ended her covered Tesla. During the damage assessment stage, Nationwide’s investigative officer called us and demanded a copy of my son’s driver’s license and the copy of the title on a 2nd Tesla that is…
Can an insurance company at renewal change your policy limits from full replacement value to ACV if you never requested the change?
The estimate from my insurance company is very low, and doesn’t cover the lanai knee wall. The estimate I got from a contractor was $13,000 to replace windows, rebuild the knee wall and the front door to the lanai. How can I get work done…
