June 1, 2009 Book Review: Polarizing the Case, by Rick Friedman Polarizing the Case by Rick Friedman This is a book for trial lawyers written by one of the most successful trial lawyers in the United States. But anyone who has ever been a victim of an insurance company’s tactics designed to deny or underpay a…
June 1, 2009 Board Update: June 2009 Shirley Roberson UP is thrilled to welcome non-profit executive Shirley Roberson to our Board of Directors. Shirley has been indispensable to United Policyholders since 1997 in various paid and volunteer capacities. Shirley brings a wealth of skills and dedication to the Board. She was a cofounder of…
June 1, 2009 Amicus Project Update: June 2009 Another victory for United Policyholders’ Amicus Project On March 9, 2009, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of a large policyholder – the State of California – in connection with the State’s insurance claim for the cost of cleaning up the Stringfellow acid pits…
June 1, 2009 Volunteer Spotlight: June 2009 Frank Gilbert, Esq. In addition to helping pro bono on numerous matters relating to our business operations and intellectual property matters, Frank Gilbert assisted UP in reaching an informal resolution when a for-profit company was appropriating United Policyholders’ materials and misleading the public. Frank helps protect our…
June 1, 2009 On the Road(map) to Preparedness UP’s work is divided into three program areas: Roadmap to Recovery™, Roadmap to Preparedness and Advocacy in Action. The Roadmap to Preparedness program grew out of our disaster recovery support work. Through this program, we’re promoting financial and personal preparedness and attacking recovery obstacles such…
April 1, 2009 Protect Yourself Against Uninsured/Underinsured Drivers Insurance experts are linking an increase in the number of uninsured and underinsured drivers on the road with the high unemployment rate and resulting economic pinch that so many Americans are feeling. Despite the laws in all but two states that require all drivers to be financially…
March 21, 2009 “Pay-As-You-Drive” Insurance Gaining Traction In California “Pay-As-You-Drive” (PAYD) describes the concept of linking the amount you pay for auto insurance to the number of miles you drive each year. There are various ways that insurers will track mileage under a PAYD program. Most are using telematics, i.e. GPS tracking systems that automatically…
March 6, 2009 Roadmap to Recovery Program Update: March 2009 Wildfire relief work continues in San Diego, Arrowhead/Running Springs/ Fallbrook/Escondido and in Yorba Linda and Santa Barbara UP continues our work hosting meetings, insurance break-out group sessions and providing online resources to 2007 wildfire survivors in San Diego and San Bernardino counties. Our recent meeting…
March 1, 2009 Know Thy Risks Californians can find out about potential hazards near your home or workplace through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services here: http://myhazards.calema.ca.gov. Once your hazards are identified, this website will give you action steps to make sure you and your family are better prepared when disaster strikes, no matter…
March 1, 2009 Amicus Project Update: March 2009 Since our last issue, UP went to bat in court for individual and business policyholders in New York, California and Florida and Mississippi. In New York we continued our work promoting full legal protection for policyholders who fall victim to unfair insurance practices, and in California we advocated for…
March 1, 2009 The beauty of insurance when it works, the ugliness when it doesn’t Taking property insurers’ financial temperature amidst the crisis There are varying opinions on how property insurers are faring in the current economic crisis as investment returns have plummeted. The Ernst & Young Global Insurance Center’s US property-casualty industry outlook for 2009 asserts that the property-casualty sector has…
March 1, 2009 Volunteer Spotlight: March 2009 Jan Rasmussen and David Shalinsky Prominent members of the Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, Jan Rasmussen and David Shalinsky serve as a bridge between the Church’s resources, UP’s Roadmap to Recovery program, and hundreds of fire families in need of support. Both Jan and David lost their own homes…
February 1, 2009 How are insurance safety nets holding up six months after a major CA wildfire? At the six-month mark after wildfires destroyed 2,170 structures in Southern California last October, it’s a good time to look at how insurance safety nets are holding up for homeowners. Reasonably well for some, but for most, the nets have big holes. There is a…
November 1, 2007 Firestorm: 4 Years Later as posted at www.scrippsranch.org Just a few days shy of the four-year anniversary of the disastrous Cedar Fire, another horrific firestorm broke out in roughly the same area as in 2003. Through television coverage, the Internet, and email, Scripps Ranch residents kept a close eye on…
