Reed Smith’s Insurance Recovery Group Named Law360’s 2025 Practice Group of the Year
Reed Smith’s Insurance Recovery Group Named Law360’s 2025 Practice Group of the Year

Global law firm Reed Smith announced that its Insurance Recovery Group was named as a 2025 Practice Group of the Year by Law360, honoring the team for their significant litigation wins for policyholders this past year. This highly regarded policyholder-side team within Reed Smith’s global…
California fire survivors got a rude surprise that could hit more Americans
California fire survivors got a rude surprise that could hit more Americans

A year after the Los Angeleswildfires, many survivors face the same problem: Their insurance policies aren’t paying out enough to cover the cost of rebuilding. It’s a tragic predicament. And it will happen again when the next disaster hits. Since the 1990s, American homes have…
5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026
5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026

If you’re looking to simplify the process of transferring your home to your heirs after you pass, you may have considered transferring it to a living trust. This is a maneuver some estate planners recommend in order to avoid the dreaded probate process. It’s an…
Climate Change Exposes a Major Home Insurance Gap
Climate Change Exposes a Major Home Insurance Gap

A year after the Los Angeles wildfires, many survivors face the same problem: Their insurance policies aren’t paying out enough to cover the cost of rebuilding. It’s a tragic predicament. And it will happen again when the next disaster hits. Since the 1990s, American homes…
A un año de los incendios en Los Ángeles, sobrevivientes siguen esperando por las aseguradoras y sin poder regresar a casa
A un año de los incendios en Los Ángeles, sobrevivientes siguen esperando por las aseguradoras y sin poder regresar a casa

Un año después de los letales incendios del condado de Los Ángeles, el mercado de seguros de propiedad de California sigue siendo problemático; los sobrevivientes están demandando a las aseguradoras por reclamos demorados o denegados; y es probable que la mayoría de los asegurados del…
California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding
California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding

Nine months had passed since a wildfire destroyed Mark Johnson’s southern California home, and he was still waiting for State Farm to pay his claim. Desperate for a resolution, Johnson asked the insurer in October to negotiate a settlement so his family could rebuild. “I…
LA residents still battling toxic hazards a year after historic wildfires
LA residents still battling toxic hazards a year after historic wildfires

ALTADENA, Calif. — “DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.” Block after block there are reminders that contaminants still linger. House cleaners, hazardous…
Their homes sur­vived the his­toric L.A. area wild­fires A year later, they fear liv­ing in them
Their homes sur­vived the his­toric L.A. area wild­fires A year later, they fear liv­ing in them

ALTADENA, Calif. — “DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Alt­adena home. “May dam­age fer­til­ity or the unborn child. Causes dam­age to the cent­ral nervous sys­tem.” Block after block there are remind­ers that con­tam­in­ants still linger. House clean­ers, haz­ard­ous…
California fire victims say slow insurance payouts have stalled efforts to rebuild
California fire victims say slow insurance payouts have stalled efforts to rebuild

California fire victims say they’re struggling to rebuild because insurance payouts have been slow or insufficient. Some lawmakers say home insurance is failing those facing climate change. Transcript: MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: A year after wildfires began sweeping across Los Angeles County, many homeowners are just…
Many L.A. fire survivors face insurance delays and can’t return home a year later
Many L.A. fire survivors face insurance delays and can’t return home a year later

A year after the deadly Los Angeles County fires, California’s property insurance market remains problematic; survivors are suing insurers over delayed or denied claims; and most of the state’s policyholders are likely to see their premiums rise. Seven in 10 L.A. fire survivors have yet…
Their homes survived the historic LA area wildfires, but a year later they fear living in them
Their homes survived the historic LA area wildfires, but a year later they fear living in them

A year after devastating Los Angeles wildfires, homeowners in Altadena and Pacific Palisades face dangerous levels of lead, asbestos and other toxins in their surviving homes. Many are forced to live in contaminated environments as insurance companies resist covering proper remediation. “DANGER: Lead Work Area”…
LEFT IN RUINS Inside burnt-out LA ghost town a year on from deadly wildfires that destroyed thousands of celebrity homes & killed 12
LEFT IN RUINS Inside burnt-out LA ghost town a year on from deadly wildfires that destroyed thousands of celebrity homes & killed 12

Its been a year of heartbreak and worry since raging wildfires destroyed 7,000 homes – including those of celebrities like Anna Faris, Miles Teller, and Adam Brody – claimed dozens of lives and displaced nearly 100,000 residents. The cost of the devastation reached an estimated…
Homes that survived historic LA wildfires now face dangerous levels of toxic compounds
Homes that survived historic LA wildfires now face dangerous levels of toxic compounds

“DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.” Block after block there are reminders that contaminants still linger. House cleaners, hazardous waste workers and…
Guest Blog: Will New York Ever Become a Bad Faith State?
Guest Blog: Will New York Ever Become a Bad Faith State?

Guest Blog by: Garrett J. Coleman J.D., Class of 2025, University of Virginia School of Law As it stands now, New York insureds have few options when they are wrongfully denied coverage or face unjustified delays from their insurers.  While New York does regulate the conduct of…
New insurance laws: Will they help homeowners?
New insurance laws: Will they help homeowners?

What we know: As the struggle with cost, availability of policies with adequate coverage at a price that doesn’t break homeowners’ backs continues, there has been progress and movement, but insurers still maintain the upper hand. Perhaps the most important change for homeowners is that…
Nevada’s New Wildfire Law Signals a Shift in Property Insurance Risk Allocation
Nevada’s New Wildfire Law Signals a Shift in Property Insurance Risk Allocation

Beginning January 1, 2026, Nevada home insurers will be permitted to remove wildfire coverage from standard homeowners policies. The new law, passed by the Nevada Legislature this fall, clarifies that insurers have statutory authority to exclude wildfire losses while also allowing them to offer wildfire-only…
Nevada Law Lets Insurers Drop Wildfire Coverage; Is California Next?
Nevada Law Lets Insurers Drop Wildfire Coverage; Is California Next?

Starting January 1, 2026, a new law in Nevada will allow home insurers to exclude wildfire coverage from standard homeowners policies. Passed by the Nevada Legislature, this law will permit insurers to offer wildfire-only policies, marking a significant shift in how property insurance is handled…
Home insurance costs soar in North Bay
Home insurance costs soar in North Bay

Sonoma County’s median rate for home insurance premiums shot up more over the past decade than in any other part of the ninecounty Bay Area, while Lake and Mendocino counties, where wildfires have exacted a wider if not deeper toll, have seen rates climb even…