July 20, 2014 Homeowners: How to understand a wind/hail deductible If you live in a part of the United States that experiences frequent severe weather, tornadoes and hurricanes may not be your only concern. Your finances may also take a hit, as you may be expected to pick up more of the tab for wind…
July 10, 2014 Health insurance claim is denied. What now? Few things are scarier than racking up medical bills and then learning that your health insurance company won’t pay. It’s a nightmare that could panic any policyholder. But before you worry about sinking into a black hole of medical debt, know that federal law offers…
June 30, 2014 Colo. wildfire victims sue insurance companies A group of nearly 20 Colorado fire survivors are suing more than 100 national insurance companies, corporations and nonprofits, alleging they conspired to defraud those who lost property to the High Park Fire and other wildfires.Thirteen Larimer County residents are named as plaintiffs in Snyder…
June 30, 2014 Nearly 1,000 NJ Sandy victims have sued flood insurance providers Nearly 1,000 Hurricane Sandy victims in New Jersey have filed lawsuits against their flood insurance providers since late 2013, and that number is expected to double in the next year, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.The U.S. District Court Clerk’s Office said there have been…
May 28, 2014 Doubt Lingers for New Yorkers Devastated by Hurricane Sandy NEW YORK – Edith Harris was cornered in her living room, inside her brick house, deep in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Volunteers in green t-shirts swarmed around her. They banged away at new appliances in the bathrooms, studied the interior supports that held up her fragile basement…
May 15, 2014 San Diego fires prompt UP Special Alert UP Special Alert: Returning to your home after a wildfire If your home is close to a wildfire area and you’re returning to it after an evacuation order has been lifted, here is a checklist of things to consider: Visit the UP Claim Help library…
May 8, 2014 Flood insurance: Make sure you are covered After devastating the East Coast and causing an estimated $20 billion in property damage, a storm like Sandy should serve as a reminder to homeowners everywhere — and especially those near the coasts — to make sure they have the right kind of coverage in…
May 7, 2014 United Policyholders has been with us through three disasters: Lean on me Leigh Candelas was one of the lucky ones. When the Black Forest Fire consumed much of her neighborhood last summer, her house survived. But the situation wasn’t as rosy as it appeared. There was significant damage to her home, and after her insurance company paid…
April 29, 2014 Catastrophe insurance Protections are available for local consumers in wake of floods, fires One draw of Colorado living, some would say, is the endless variety. The suburbs, the city, the country, the mountains and the plains; living here means there’s something for nearly everybody. But living in…
April 29, 2014 CEA policyholders file claims, receive payments for damage from La Habra earthquake For Release: April 29, 2014 CEA policyholders file claims, receive payments for damage from La Habra earthquake But recent earthquakes show that Californians are uncertain about their insurance coverage Media Inquiries to CEA: D’Anne Ousley 916-769-5766 / ousleyd@CalQuake.com SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Earthquake Authority…
April 16, 2014 The money doesn’t pour in for Manitou business owners seeking insurance payouts Though the mud and debris from last summer’s floods was long ago cleared from the streets of Manitou Springs, business owners say they’ve been left with a financial mess instead. Just ask Chuck Murphy, owner of the Spa Building, best known as the home of…
April 7, 2014 Black Forest Residents Still Healing, Rebuilding Ten months after the most destructive wildfire in state history, residents of Black Forest have made significant headway in the rebuilding process. Today, areas where charred remains once stood are now dozens of brand new homes at various stages of construction. One hundred and forty-two…
March 31, 2014 Roadmap to Recovery Workshop in Colorado Springs The United Policyholders, a nonprofit consumer group, will hold another of its “Roadmap to Recovery” workshops Thursday to help those who lost property in the Black Forest and Waldo Canyon fires and 2013 floods. The free workshop, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Woodmen…
March 28, 2014 3 Tax Prep Tips for Natural Disasters Were you the victim of a tornado, flood, fire, hurricane or other natural disaster last year? According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there were 62 declared disasters across the U.S. last year. Aside from direct relief from Uncle Sam usually via FEMA), there are…
March 26, 2014 Taxing tasks April 15th is right around the corner, and while filing for an extension is certainly an option, disaster survivors get no automatic exception to the tax filing deadline. The IRS did just announce, however, that Colorado flood victims have until October to decide which tax year…
March 19, 2014 Farmers Insurance Ordered to Pay Woodward Tornado Victims $15M Shelly Hobbie walks through the rubble left of her son’s mobile home in Woodward, Okla. on April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)An Oklahoma judge has ordered Farmers Insurance and a subsidiary to pay a total of $15 million to three plaintiffs who filed property claims…
March 18, 2014 How mortgage servicers are strong-arming the victims of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado among others) Unnatural Disaster: How mortgage servicers are strong-arming the victims of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado among others) On May 20, a massive EF5 tornado whipped through heavily populated Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 and injuring nearly 400. That tragedy has now shifted into the drudgery of recovery.…
March 17, 2014 Short-changed by insurance, Sandy victims fight back ASBURY PARK, N.J. — Since they bought their oceanfront home in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., 12 years ago, Carla and Vincent Vitale have spent almost $100,000 on insurance premiums. So when flood waters from Superstorm Sandy damaged the heating and electrical systems, they weren’t worried.…
