East Bay Resident Makes Fire Prevention a Passion
East Bay Resident Makes Fire Prevention a Passion

OAKLAND (KPIX) — An Bay Area resident who has been a fire prevention activist since she lost her home in the Oakland Hills firestorm 30 years ago, Sue Piper is passionate about disaster preparedness. The Gateway Preparedness Exhibit Center educates people on how to prepare for wildfires…
Catch UP on Insurance Bad Faith with Bill Shernoff
Catch UP on Insurance Bad Faith with Bill Shernoff

California attorney Bill Shernoff is often described as the “father” of insurance bad faith law.  Amy Bach sits down with insurance expert Bill Shernoff of the law firm Shernoff, Bidart, Echeverria to talk about the status of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing…
Proposed insurance rules would give property owners access to wildfire risk score
Proposed insurance rules would give property owners access to wildfire risk score

Under new rules proposed by California’s insurance commissioner, home and business owners will have open access to their wildfire risk scores that companies use to determine rates and renew coverage. Commissioner Ricardo Lara said he has heard the frustration and confusion from residents over how…
Commissioner Lara proposes new transparency rules to help consumers better prepare for wildfires
Commissioner Lara proposes new transparency rules to help consumers better prepare for wildfires

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – After hearing from many Californians about their frustration and confusion over how insurance companies rate properties for wildfire risk, on Tuesday State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara proposed new rules to give homeowners and businesses open access to their properties’ wildfire risk…
First theft claim in 20 years leads to policy cancellation in what consumer groups call ‘use and lose’
First theft claim in 20 years leads to policy cancellation in what consumer groups call ‘use and lose’

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — An untold number of Californians lost their fire insurance due to increased wild fire risk in recent years. Now there’s yet another reason to lose your insurance, and it has nothing to do with climate change. Layla Dreyer loves to…
“Hardening” Homes Against Wildfires In California Has Been An Uphill Battle
“Hardening” Homes Against Wildfires In California Has Been An Uphill Battle

Hardening your home against wildfires is a necessity if you live in a state like California. Over the past four years, dark clouds of ash and smoke from hundreds of out-of-control blazes have blanketed the Golden State. “Every year we make records in terms of…
Few California court wins for pandemic business-interruption claims
Few California court wins for pandemic business-interruption claims

As North Coast businesses grapple with insurance claims from the 2020 wildfires on top of ongoing issues with coverage for the coronavirus lockdowns of a number of economic activities, a major advocate for policyholders said those types of losses differ but they’re connected by promises…
Speakers describe farm disaster recovery strategies
Speakers describe farm disaster recovery strategies

Business owners hit by wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic have a range of financial options to explore, along with worries over insurance claims. These were covered in detail in a virtual workshop held last week by the Napa County Farm Bureau in cooperation with California…
Smoke, Maggots, and Mold: Fire Survivors Fight Insurance Company’s Denials
Smoke, Maggots, and Mold: Fire Survivors Fight Insurance Company’s Denials

In the Santa Cruz mountains, the charred scars of the CZU fire stretch in every direction. But every once in a while, the scorched landscape yields to a house that survived. Theresa Brees’ home is one of the lucky ones. “Our house is basically an…
Who Is The California Earthquake Authority?
Who Is The California Earthquake Authority?

You might call the California Earthquake Authority a financial shock absorber for the Golden State, home to nearly 40 million people and to two-thirds of the country’s earthquake risk. Created in 1996, the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) is the largest residential earthquake insurer in the…
California Department of Insurance Commissioner Protects More Than 2 Million Policyholders Affected by Wildfires from Policy Non-Renewal for One Year
California Department of Insurance Commissioner Protects More Than 2 Million Policyholders Affected by Wildfires from Policy Non-Renewal for One Year

November 5, 2020 – LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing or cancelling residential property insurance policies—helping 2.1 million policyholders, or 18 percent of California’s residential insurance market, affected to date by the record 2020…
State insurance commissioner blocks home insurers from dropping policies near Glass, LNU Lightning fires
State insurance commissioner blocks home insurers from dropping policies near Glass, LNU Lightning fires

The California insurance commissioner on Thursday issued an order prohibiting insurance companies from canceling property insurance policies for one year for people who live in or around the areas burned by the recent Glass and LNU Lightning Complex fires. Ricardo Lara’s action will preserve property…
California protects homeowners from having fire insurance dropped — again
California protects homeowners from having fire insurance dropped — again

As this year’s historic wildfire season winds down, Californians living in fire-prone territory got temporary relief from another threat: they can’t lose their homeowners’ insurance policies for another year. Premiums and nonrenewal rates have skyrocketed in California’s fire-prone regions since 2015 as companies are loath…
Santa Rosa firm helps wildfire victims navigate battles with insurance companies
Santa Rosa firm helps wildfire victims navigate battles with insurance companies

Three years since the Tubbs fire, there have been some notable improvements for homeowners who are wrangling with their insurance carriers in the aftermath of a wildfire loss. The state Legislature enacted some reforms, such as boosting rental living expenses from a maximum of two…
Wildfire survivors facing total property loss struggle with insurance claims process
Wildfire survivors facing total property loss struggle with insurance claims process

With a destructive wildfire season still underway, Insurance Commissioner Lara is urging insurance companies to help wildfire survivors. CALIFORNIA, USA — California has had an incredibly destructive wildfire season, which have left many residences without a home or facing significant property damage. As a result,…
Gov. Newsom signs insurance bill providing quicker payments for wildfire losses
Gov. Newsom signs insurance bill providing quicker payments for wildfire losses

Wildfire victims who lose their home and possessions will be able to recoup money for their expenses faster, thanks to legislation that makes property insurance benefits easier to collect. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 872 into law Thursday, providing a suite of insurance protections…
California Insurance Commissioner Urges Insurance Companies to Cover Wildfire Property Losses Without Requiring a Home Inventory
California Insurance Commissioner Urges Insurance Companies to Cover Wildfire Property Losses Without Requiring a Home Inventory

October 3, 2020 – SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In response to California’s latest destructive fires, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is requesting that insurance companies help wildfire survivors who are overwhelmed with the task of navigating the claims process by providing up to 100 percent of personal…
California wildfires: What you need to know about insurance for your losses
California wildfires: What you need to know about insurance for your losses

As still more wildfires rage in the Bay Area, many wonder how to handle the practicalities if they must evacuate — or worse, if their home is lost or damaged. Here are answers to common questions about insurance, money and real estate. Q: I had…