8 Ways to Help after a House Fire
8 Ways to Help after a House Fire

Here are the top items survivors may need for health, safety and comfort A family whose home goes up in flames may lose everything — but simple items from friends, neighbors and relatives can help them make it safely and comfortably through the next days,…
Thousands of homes damaged by Sandy remain uninsured
Thousands of homes damaged by Sandy remain uninsured

Thousands of Long Island homes damaged by superstorm Sandy are still not covered by flood insurance, leaving much of the region dependent on government aid if another catastrophe hits, a Newsday analysis of federal data has found. Since the 2012 storm, the number of properties…
Valley Fire Roadmap to Recovery Workshop 12/3/15
Valley Fire Roadmap to Recovery Workshop 12/3/15

UP is hosting a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Valley Fire survivors Thursday, December 3rd at 6pm at Middletown High School. This workshop will cover how to effectively communicate with your insurance company, underinsurance, and your insurance legal rights in California.  There will be a Q&A…
Don’t Make These Mistakes When Filing an Insurance Claim
Don’t Make These Mistakes When Filing an Insurance Claim

The biggest insurance mistake you can make is not having insurance. That sounds like an advertisement for an insurance company, but generally, it’s true. If you’re driving without car insurance, you’re breaking the law. If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll likely pay a fee…
Challenging insurers’ hired guns – Bach Talk
Challenging insurers’ hired guns – Bach Talk

When you buy insurance, you pay for coverage and good service if and when you file a claim.  Good claim service includes estimating the extent and value of your claim fairly and promptly. Insurance company claim adjusters often bring in outside experts to inspect and give their…
Unscrupulous Insurers Are Stalling Sandy Recovery
Unscrupulous Insurers Are Stalling Sandy Recovery

Three years ago, New York City was devastated by Superstorm Sandy. While we are making progress in the post-Sandy rebuild and recovery, too many New Yorkers are still fighting with their insurance companies about what type of damage is covered. And many have simply given…
FEMA’s Sandy Flood Insurance Review Taking Longer Than Expected
FEMA’s Sandy Flood Insurance Review Taking Longer Than Expected

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s review of Superstorm Sandy flood insurance claims is taking longer than expected, with fewer than 200 checks issued. FEMA announced in March the review for as many as 142,000 claims after homeowners complained they were shortchanged. A FEMA official expected…
Gulf Coast Insurance UPrising
Gulf Coast Insurance UPrising

Vacant homes, “For Sale” signs, public protests, and media coverage over the past ten years are the visible signs that home and business owners in Eastern and Southern coastal areas are really struggling to pay their rising insurance premiums.  The cost of home insurance in…
Host of factors contributed to Hurricane Sandy claims fallout
Host of factors contributed to Hurricane Sandy claims fallout

The lawsuit and judge’s remarks made the headlines, but a deeper investigation into the issues involved in many Hurricane Sandy claims finds that while there may have been underpaid claims, a host of factors contributed to the underpayments. “Many homes were damaged by Sandy and…
Insurance expert offers tips to Butte Fire survivors
Insurance expert offers tips to Butte Fire survivors

Property owners should keep daily journals Property owners who lost homes in the Butte Fire should keep their own records and not rely solely on insurance company claim adjustors to determine the value of their losses, an expert on the industry said Wednesday in Mountain…
Butte Fire Workshop: October 14th at 6pm
Butte Fire Workshop: October 14th at 6pm

UP is hosting a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Butte Fire survivors Wednesday, October 14th at 6pm at Mountain Ranch Town Hall. This workshop is an insurance recovery orientation and will provide information on navigating the insurance claim process. There will be a Q&A session after the workshop if…
Valley Fire Workshop: October 8th at 6pm
Valley Fire Workshop: October 8th at 6pm

UP is hosting a Roadmap to Recovery workshop for Valley Fire survivors this Thursday at 6pm at Middletown High School. This workshop is an insurance recovery orientation and will provide information on navigating the insurance claim process. There will be a Q&A session after the workshop if you have…
With Flood Insurance Rare, Homeowners Have Little Recourse
With Flood Insurance Rare, Homeowners Have Little Recourse

New York Times – Many people in areas deluged by rains and flooding tides fed by Hurricane Joaquin are likely to be surprised to find that standard homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover damage from floodwater. Property owners seeking that kind of protection need to…
Reflections from a post-wildfire Local Assistance Center
Reflections from a post-wildfire Local Assistance Center

Over the past month, UP has been engaged with recovery efforts for the Valley and Butte Fires. I and other staff members and volunteers have sat across the table from countless fire survivors who lost everything, trying our best to give them some hope that they will…
A pictorial journey of recovery
A pictorial journey of recovery

Follow UP Outreach Coordinator Karen Reimus’ pictorial journey of recovery from the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego, California.
How Hurricane Sandy created ‘the perfect storm’
How Hurricane Sandy created ‘the perfect storm’

Three years after Hurricane Sandy swept up the East Coast, homeowners are still working to collect money for the damage they sustained. It has been a long and frustrating fight for many. Media reports highlighted their efforts and some accused insurers and engineers of colluding…
Lake County Office of Emergency Services to host Valley fire community meeting Sept. 24
Lake County Office of Emergency Services to host Valley fire community meeting Sept. 24

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Emergency Services OES) is hosting a community meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Middletown High School football field. Residents, homeowners and contractors are invited to attend the community meeting. Federal, state…
Understanding Insurance Policies for Homes in Wildfire-Prone Areas
Understanding Insurance Policies for Homes in Wildfire-Prone Areas

The worst wildfire season in years is forcing many Californians from their homes and has caused the destruction of hundreds of houses, cars and other property. Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit group that assists consumers with insurance issues, urges homeowners who…