Alabama insurance struggles: Disputes from tornadoes begin to gain traction
Alabama insurance struggles: Disputes from tornadoes begin to gain traction

Across tornado-affected areas of Alabama, thousands of property owners are grappling with insurers about how much money they are owed to rebuild. Already, nearly 500 people have contacted the state Insurance Department. State regulators now expect around 90,000 claims because of April’s storms, and even…
Want to sue your insurance company? Here’s what will happen
Want to sue your insurance company? Here’s what will happen

If you’re angry enough to consider filing a lawsuit against your insurance company, make sure you do so only as a last resort, after all negotiations have failed. If there is an acceptable alternative, a courtroom is the last place you want to be. Peter…
Catastrophe reveals insurance woes for homeowners
Catastrophe reveals insurance woes for homeowners

SAN BRUNO, Calif. KGO) — Most homeowners have insurance, but few ever find out if their coverage is adequate until disaster strikes. The San Bruno pipeline explosion is one example of a major catastrophe putting home owner’s insurance to the test. Tammy Zapata is a…
Tornado or other insurance beef? Chat with consumer advocate today at 2
Tornado or other insurance beef? Chat with consumer advocate today at 2

In a series of stories Sunday, the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Press-Register showed the insurance struggles scores of Alabama homeowners are going through in the wake of the April 27 tornadoes. And hurricane season, which regularly creates insurance questions along the coast, has only…
5 lies home insurance agents tell
5 lies home insurance agents tell

Sometimes insurance agents tell you what they think you want to hear in order to sell a home insurance policy and secure a commission. When misfortunes occur, homeowners who count on insurance to carry them through tough times sometimes get an unpleasant surprise: They don’t…
At Workshop, Residents Learn How to Go Green When Rebuilding Homes
At Workshop, Residents Learn How to Go Green When Rebuilding Homes

Nonprofit United Policyholders offered presentations to residents interested in rebuilding their homes green after the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion and showed that there is help available. Jerry Guernsey was always talking about making his house more green. In fact, he has considered himself green for…
Missouri Storm Victims Battle for Insurance Payouts
Missouri Storm Victims Battle for Insurance Payouts

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com)— Not quite two months after the good Friday tornado in St. Louis county, property owners report a wide variation in progress toward reconstruction. Some repair jobs are underway but dozens of property owners are still battling over insurance payouts. These three…
Wallow Fire: Property owners facing insurance issues
Wallow Fire: Property owners facing insurance issues

While consuming hundreds of thousands of acres of forest lands and meadows, the Wallow Fire has destroyed more than 50 structures in its path, with more than 5,000 still in danger. Whether the owners of destroyed or damaged buildings will be able to rebuild and…
Fourmile Canyon rebuilding slowed by claims disputes
Fourmile Canyon rebuilding slowed by claims disputes

Nearly nine months since a wildfire ripped through Fourmile Canyon, frames for new homes are beginning to dot the once ash-covered foothills west of Boulder. But for many victims, the rebuilding process is moving excruciatingly slowly, as they continue to grapple with insurance companies over…
Tornadoes: Extreme Weather Revs Up Insurance Costs
Tornadoes: Extreme Weather Revs Up Insurance Costs

In the wake of more than 245 tornadoes that slammed into parts of North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and other southern states last weekend, leaving 45 people dead and leveling hundreds of homes, insurance companies have been flooded with thousands of claims, which ultimately could mean…
San Bruno victims get tax breaks on donations
San Bruno victims get tax breaks on donations

San Bruno victims get tax breaks on donationsSurvivors of the San Bruno gas line explosion won’t have to pay state taxes on donations received, state leaders decided this week.Gov. Jerry Brown late Wednesday signed a bill from Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, previously approved by…
Allstate faces whistle-blower suit
Allstate faces whistle-blower suit

Another whistle-blower lawsuit alleges fraudulent handling of federal flood claims after Hurricane Katrina.The case, filed against Allstate, has just been unsealed in Louisiana’s Eastern District. (H/T to slabbed) Policyholder attorney Johnny Denenea filed the lawsuit back in May 2007. He amended it in November 2009,…
Maximizing Protection Against Disruptions to Your Supply or Distribution Chain
Maximizing Protection Against Disruptions to Your Supply or Distribution Chain

Focus as soon as possible on establishing the extent and scope of your insurance coverage in order to be able to present an insurance claim that will maximize recovery for any losses.Calculating Loss: Calculating the total loss for an interruption claim is not as easy…
Forged MetLife “Checks” Show Retained-Asset Account Risks
Forged MetLife “Checks” Show Retained-Asset Account Risks

After her mother died, Jasmine Williams was assured by MetLife Inc. that her $101,819 in life insurance benefits were safe and was sent what the company called a guaranteed money market “checkbook” in 2002. The next year, Williams, then 19, told New York-based MetLife that…
Accidental Death Becomes Suicide When Insurers Dodge Payouts
Accidental Death Becomes Suicide When Insurers Dodge Payouts

Jane Pierce spent nine years struggling alongside her husband, Todd, as he fought cancer in his sinus cavity. The treatments were working. Then, in July 2009, Todd died in a fiery car crash. He was 46. That was the beginning of a whole new battle…
New Zealand earthquake preparedness: Authorities battled complacency
New Zealand earthquake preparedness: Authorities battled complacency

Wellington, New Zealand New Zealanders have received a violent wake-up call: It’s past time to be prepared for the “Big One” – the long-feared major earthquake authorities have been warning about for years.As this small island nation picks up the pieces from the 6.3-magnitude earthquake…
Are Insurance Companies Letting Down Colorado Forest Fire Victims?
Are Insurance Companies Letting Down Colorado Forest Fire Victims?

Buyer beware: Residents grappling with rebuilding costs after the Fourmile Fire near Boulder may receive only a fraction of the money they need to restore their homes. Do insurance companies underinsure customers as a means of staying competitive? For many victims of the Fourmile Fire…
Property Insurance Issues are Primary Focus of 12th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference
Property Insurance Issues are Primary Focus of 12th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference