Bach Talk – Biased expert reports plague policyholders
Bach Talk – Biased expert reports plague policyholders

United States Magistrate Judge Gary R. Brown issued a very important decision in a Superstorm Sandy case in November, 2014 that addresses a chronic problem for the policyholders UP serves:  A practice by some insurers of rejecting damage claims based on engineering reports that have…
More than the minimum
More than the minimum

The case against purchasing only your state’s mandatory minimum liability insurance limits: Starting in the 1920s, all but one state in the United States (New Hampshire) have passed laws requiring that vehicle owners maintain automobile liability insurance to cover their liabilities for personal injuries or…
Governor’s request for Presidential Disaster Declaration for Puna lava flow approved
Governor’s request for Presidential Disaster Declaration for Puna lava flow approved

PAHOA, HAWAII (HawaiiNewsNow) – In response to Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s Oct. 24 request for federal aid to supplement local emergency protective measures in response to the June 27th lava flow, President Barack Obama today signed a Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance.This will provide federal funding…
Bach Talk – The Powerful Voice of Experience
Bach Talk – The Powerful Voice of Experience

A backbone of our Roadmap to Recovery program are the volunteers and staff members who got involved with UP to make constructive use of the knowledge they themselves gained while navigating the recovery process after a catastrophic loss.  Our Survivor’s Speak publication series, workshop speakers…
Good News for Napa (and Solano) Earthquake Survivors
Good News for Napa (and Solano) Earthquake Survivors

A FEMA declaration for Individual and Household Assistance has finally been approved for Napa and Solano County earthquake survivors.  If you were affected by the earthquake and need assistance you will have 60 days from the October 27th declaration to apply with FEMA.  UP participated…
Bach Talk – Helping policyholders adapt to climate change
Bach Talk – Helping policyholders adapt to climate change

“Public dollars also need to go to the equally important, though less glamorous projects and services that will help us prepare for the coming heavy weather.  That includes things like hiring more firefighters and improving storm barriers.  And it means coming up with new, nonprofit…
Shake it UP
Shake it UP

“Out of sight out of mind, and I prefer it that way” is most Californians’ view of earthquakes. But the UP team sees disasters up close and personal and we know how a few simple preparedness steps can make the difference between recovery and ruin.…
Back home safe and sound
Back home safe and sound

We’ve worked a lot of disasters. But this month a hurricane hit too close to home. While on a well-deserved vacation in Mexico, our Program Coordinator was caught in the path of Hurricane Odile. After being stranded for 5 days without power, running water, cell…
Amicus Project UPdate
Amicus Project UPdate

UP and Running – Our Amicus Project is stronger than ever We have filed 25 briefs since our last newsletter was published and 22 in 2014 alone; state and federal courts across the country are hearing the policyholder voice loud and clear. In California, Indiana,…
Napa earthquake insured losses estimated at $2.1B, with wineries taking the biggest hit
Napa earthquake insured losses estimated at $2.1B, with wineries taking the biggest hit

BY MICHAEL B. MAROIS, BLOOMBERG, ZACHARY TRACER, BLOOMBERG, DAN HART, BLOOMBERGThe earthquake that struck northern California yesterday will lead to economic losses of as much as $4 billion, fueled by damaged wineries and shuttered businesses that rely on tourists.Insurers will probably cover about $2.1 billion,…
Department of Insurance responds to assist residents following Napa quake
Department of Insurance responds to assist residents following Napa quake

News: 2014 Press ReleaseFor Release: August 25, 2014Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566Department of Insurance responds to assist residents following Napa quakeDepartment’s consumer services and enforcement teams on site to assist NAPA, Calif. – The 6.0 earthquake that struck the Napa valley in the pre-dawn hours Sunday,…
Happy Summer!
Happy Summer!

We’re over halfway through 2014 and the UP team is busy as ever… guiding people recovering from floods and fires; helping people make good insurance decisions in preparation for wildfire, tornado, and hurricane seasons; and speaking UP for consumers in courts, the media and legislatures…
Availability and Affordability of Insurance Under Climate Change: A Growing Challenge for the U.S.
Availability and Affordability of Insurance Under Climate Change: A Growing Challenge for the U.S.

(From the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, University of California at Berkeley) In 2005, we prepared a special report focusing on this topic.Mills, E., R.J. Roth Jr., and E. Lecomte. 2006. “Availability and Affordability of Insurance Under Climate Change: A Growing Challenge for the U.S.” Journal of…
Agent scams seniors out of more than $2 million
Agent scams seniors out of more than $2 million

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (#073)NEWS RELEASEAgent scams seniors out of more than $2 millionDepartment of Insurance asks additional victims to come forward PALM DESERT, Calif. – John Paul Slawinski, 59, was arrested at his home in Palm Desert on July 29, and is being arraigned on…
Seniors win more protection with new annuity disclosure requirements
Seniors win more protection with new annuity disclosure requirements

For Release: July 23, 2014Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566Seniors win more protection with new annuity disclosure requirementsBill sponsored by the Department of Insurance is signed into lawSACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today thanked Governor Brown for signing into law AB 2347 (Gonzalez) which…
Good, Bad or Ugly?
Good, Bad or Ugly?

People often ask UP: How do I find a good insurance company and avoid a bad one? The facts and statistics on which insurers are more likely to pay your claim on time and in full have been hidden from consumers. But new tools are…
Coastal flooding has surged in U.S., Reuters finds
Coastal flooding has surged in U.S., Reuters finds

Coastal flooding along the densely populated Eastern Seaboard of the United States has surged in recent years, a Reuters analysis has found. During the past four decades, the number of days a year that tidal waters reached or exceeded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration flood…
California Court of Appeal holds that an arbitration clause is not a bar to a claim for bad faith
California Court of Appeal holds that an arbitration clause is not a bar to a claim for bad faith

Policyholders achieved a rare victory in Maslo v. Ameriprise, B294271, Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Four, June 27, 2014 (227 Cal.App 4th 626). The plaintiff, Ted Maslo, was injured in a car crash by an uninsured motorist. After filing for UIM benefits under his own policy,…