A Super Search Box
A Super Search Box

Need to know what exclusions to avoid when buying Directors and Officers insurance for your company? Looking for a good argument to get your insurance company to cover the cost of “matching” (restoring your property to a uniform and consistent, not patchwork quilt appearance)? Want…
Homeowners Fear Losing Insurance in Midst of California Fires
Homeowners Fear Losing Insurance in Midst of California Fires

California homeowners and regulators have a new fear about wildfires ravaging the state: that insurers will drop coverage. Massive, out-of-season fires in northern and southern California are causing billions of dollars in claims and challenging expectations of when and where to expect blazes. State law…
Hundreds of fire victims finding themselves vastly underinsured
Hundreds of fire victims finding themselves vastly underinsured

Hundreds of Sonoma County residents who lost their homes in the October wildfires say they are finding themselves underinsured and many are pressing their cases with their homeowners’ insurance carriers. Many displaced homeowners are discovering that they will likely have to pay tens to hundreds…
Nonprofit Backs Office Depot In False Claims Coverage Row
Nonprofit Backs Office Depot In False Claims Coverage Row

A nonprofit policyholder group has urged the Ninth Circuit to revive a coverage dispute between Office Depot and a unit of AIG, arguing that the lower court ruling could drastically curtail coverage in California False Claims Act cases. U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson had…
Debris Removal Decisions for 2017 North Bay Wildfire Survivors
Debris Removal Decisions for 2017 North Bay Wildfire Survivors

Clearing wildfire debris is the responsibility of each individual property owner.  Help is available to get the work done safely, completely, and legally.  For your and your neighbor’s protection, wildfire debris must be removed from your property and disposed of properly. Items such as retaining…
Guest Blog: What is the scope of the “professional services” exclusion in D&O liability policies issued to private companies?
Guest Blog: What is the scope of the “professional services” exclusion in D&O liability policies issued to private companies?

The Hotchalk case highlights a coverage defense that some D&O insurers have aggressively asserted and courts across the country have struggled to address. What is the scope of the “professional services” exclusion in D&O liability policies issued to private companies? Such policies issued to private…
A wildfire burned your home; here’s what you do next
A wildfire burned your home; here’s what you do next

5 tips to start rebuilding your home after a wildfire. While thousands of people are still evacuated, hundred have returned to their neighborhoods and found their homes in ruin. For those who lost their homes in the wildfires, there is a long road ahead as…
California Today: Now Comes the Insurance Challenge
California Today: Now Comes the Insurance Challenge

New York Times – Hundreds of anguished Californians who lost their homes in an outbreak of wildfires this week now get to face another burden: dealing with insurers. Some are almost certain to experience a rude awakening. Roughly 60 percent of American homes are underinsured…
“Total Control” Tip of the Month, October, 2017
“Total Control” Tip of the Month, October, 2017

An insurance company’s decision whether to classify your severely damaged car as fixable or a total loss has big dollar significance to you, the policyholder. You can influence that decision with proof of the vehicle’s pre and post loss value. Depending on the extent of…
New York Today: Do I Need Flood Insurance?
New York Today: Do I Need Flood Insurance?

Hurricane Jose weakened to a tropical storm this morning, but it could still bring rain during the morning commute and whip up strong winds during the day. New York City was spared a direct hit by Jose, but the storm flooded areas from New Jersey…
San Diego Could Face $40B In Earthquake Damage. So Why Are So Few People Insured?
San Diego Could Face $40B In Earthquake Damage. So Why Are So Few People Insured?

San Diego got an eye-opening report last week about its earthquake risk. The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute reported that San Diego’s Rose Canyon fault could trigger a 6.9 magnitude quake, resulting in up to 2,000 fatalities and $40 billion in property damage. The study underscored…
Florida’s Insured Losses From Irma Reach Nearly $2B and Growing
Florida’s Insured Losses From Irma Reach Nearly $2B and Growing

Florida policyholders so far have filed nearly $2 billion in claims to insurers for damage from Hurricane Irma, the state’s insurance regulator said on Monday. The estimate of insured losses is based on preliminary statewide data that insurers filed with the Florida Office of Insurance…
Collecting insurance benefits for a hurricane-damaged car
Collecting insurance benefits for a hurricane-damaged car

Hurricane Harvey (2017) damaged as many as 500,000 vehicles in the Houston area alone, according to preliminary estimates.  This number is much higher than Superstorm Sandy (2013) or Hurricane Katrina (2005). Hurricane Irma (2017) damaged an additional 1 million vehicles across the southeast, including Florida where it hit hardest. If…
Insurers ache for qualified inspectors after US hurricanes
Insurers ache for qualified inspectors after US hurricanes

Insurers are scrambling to find inspectors in Texas and Florida after fierce hurricanes battered the states one after the other, causing tens of billions of dollars’ worth of property damage in less than two weeks. Although insurers maintain some number of inspectors, known as claims…
‘Hurricane Deductibles’ Shift Home-Repair Costs to Consumers
‘Hurricane Deductibles’ Shift Home-Repair Costs to Consumers

Harvey and Irma could trigger requirement that homeowners pay percentage of insured value of property. Tens of thousands of homeowners hit by Hurricane Harvey may soon find out they are on the hook for extra payments under their insurance policies, and that number could rise…
UP request granted: NFIP waives strict rules for Harvey claims
UP request granted: NFIP waives strict rules for Harvey claims

  The National Flood Insurance Program has shown strong leadership by granting UP’s request to make it easier for households and businesses impacted by Harvey to get their insurance claims filed and paid fairly and on time.  The program operates under rules set by Congress. The…
Private flood insurance may be option for homeowners in water’s way
Private flood insurance may be option for homeowners in water’s way

Larry Blair of San Mateo buys flood insurance only because his lender requires it, and for years he thought his only option was the National Flood Insurance Program. Then he read about private flood insurance on a Facebook page for people in his North Shoreview…
Claims Teams Begin Handling Onslaught of Harvey Claims
Claims Teams Begin Handling Onslaught of Harvey Claims

Hurricane Harvey has set a U.S record, according to the National Weather Service, dumping 51.88 inches of rain in parts of Texas. As the tropical storm moves over southern Louisiana, claims catastrophe teams are moving in to devastated cities in Texas. AIR Worldwide reported severe…