December 17, 2014 50 State Summary of Cancellation Rules 50-state summary of mid-term cancellation rules for auto, commercial, business, and other personal lines insurance policies. (2014, Wells Media Group via Insurance Journal) Midterm-Cancellation-States-List.pdf
December 16, 2014 NAIC Names 2015 Consumer Representatives The National Association of Insurance Commissioners NAIC) recently named 30 consumer liaison representatives for 2015. The 20 funded and 10 unfunded consumer representatives begin their terms Jan. 1, 2015. Eighteen of the funded consumer representatives participated in the program in 2014. Established in 1992, the…
December 8, 2014 Helping New Jersey residents get fair insurance settlements for Sandy damage Our ongoing work helping New Jersey homeowners get fair insurance settlements for Sandy damage includes: Distributing sample letters and tips for appealing a claim denial and getting a supplemental claim approved for payment and guiding homeowners and the local aid workers engaged in the long term recovery…
December 8, 2014 FEMA says it is investigating allegations of falsified Sandy engineering reports By JOE RYAN joe.ryan@newsday.com An attorney for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Tuesday said the organization was investigating allegations that engineering reports were secretly rewritten after superstorm Sandy to deny claims on government-funded flood insurance policies.FEMA associate general counsel Jordan Fried told a panel of…
December 8, 2014 FEMA RESPONDS TO COMPLAINTS FROM SANDY VICTIMS, AGREEING TO CONSIDER REFORMS Agency announces plan of action, including new advocate, and will reopen nearly 300 closed claimsMonths of pressure from storm survivors and lawmakers in New Jersey and New York culminated Friday with the Federal Emergency Management Agency committing to reform key parts of the National Flood…
December 2, 2014 Win for California Policyholders on Replacement Cost In its November 24, 2014 decision, the California Court of Appeal First District, Division One, reversed a judgment notwithstanding the verdict that an insurer owes a duty to its insured to communicate policy requirements and settle claims fairly. In Stephens & Stephens XII LLC v. Fireman’s Fund Ins.…
November 23, 2014 Bach Talk – The “Purely Cosmetic Damage” exclusion’s gonna be ugly Thanks to a consumer participation program offered by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, I get up close and personal with the nation’s top insurance regulators three times a year. I’m in my seventh year as an official representative of consumers at the NAIC, and…
November 14, 2014 Bach Talk – Appropriately regulating Uber and Lyft Residents of cities throughout the US now have the option to “Uber” or “Lyft” their way to a destination instead of taking a traditional taxicab. These innovative, tech-sector start-up businesses are labeled “Transportation Network Companies”, (“TNCs”). Initially, TNCs avoided having to comply with many of…
November 12, 2014 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…
November 6, 2014 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…
October 30, 2014 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…
October 30, 2014 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…
October 22, 2014 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…
September 4, 2014 The world’s most common natural disasters by country If nothing else, California’s earthquake is a reminder that nature doesn’t always play nice. Floods, cyclones and the like take a toll everywhere they hit. But just where do these disasters occur the most? According to the International Disaster Database, each country is faced with…
August 27, 2014 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,…
August 1, 2014 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…
July 31, 2014 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…
July 2, 2014 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,…