CA Wildfires Vol. 5 – California’s Insurance Crisis: How Did We Get Here?
CA Wildfires Vol. 5 – California’s Insurance Crisis: How Did We Get Here?

In this vital episode of The Legal Lens Podcast, Angela Reddock-Wright speaks with Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders, about the California insurance crisis, wildfire recovery, and what homeowners need to know about filing claims. Amy and her organization, United Policyholders, have spent over…
Fire insurance woes
Fire insurance woes

How do I get my insurance to pay for testing of my home for toxins after the fires that raged through L.A. neighborhoods in January? What if my insurance adjuster says they won’t cover a long-term rental? How can I get help navigating the claims…
Your insurance might not cover everything you think it does: Here’s how to check how much coverage you have
Your insurance might not cover everything you think it does: Here’s how to check how much coverage you have

As many as 3 in 4 U.S. homeowners could be underinsured, claims a recent CBS News report with policy holders urged ensure they are fully aware of the details relating to their respective insurance policy. Paying attention to the small print is also highly advised…
Climate’s unsolicited payout
Climate’s unsolicited payout

Rising weather extremes is destabilising the insurance industry, driving up premium prices and pushing insurers out of high-risk markets. The crisis is also spurring re-invention of insurance sector Probability is business-critical for the insurance industry. The insurer applies the “probability” factor to assess and value…
California Bill Would Force Insurers to Pay Full Coverage Without Requiring Itemization
California Bill Would Force Insurers to Pay Full Coverage Without Requiring Itemization

California’s insurance commissioner joined with state legislators on Friday to propose a new law that would force insurers to pay homeowners 100 percent of the coverage for belongings inside destroyed homes, releasing them from the mentally taxing process of listing every object they lost —…
What Defines a Constitutional Crisis?; California Insurer Gets $1 Billion Bailout After LA Fires
What Defines a Constitutional Crisis?; California Insurer Gets $1 Billion Bailout After LA Fires

0:08 — John Nichols, National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation on the numerous unfavorable court rulings enjoining the Trump Administration and the defining characteristics of a constitutional crisis 0:34 — Joel Laucher, insurance expert and Program Specialist at United Policyholders explains the $1 Billion assessment…
Updated CalFire map shows increase in ‘very high’ fire hazard acreage in Northern California
Updated CalFire map shows increase in ‘very high’ fire hazard acreage in Northern California

CalFire released a new map this week, expanding hazardous fire zones in Northern California. It’s part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order after the Los Angeles fires. Updated for the first time since 2007, CalFire’s new fire hazard severity zone map offers a resource in…
Insurers, Homeowners on the Hook for $1 Billion California FAIR Plan Bailout
Insurers, Homeowners on the Hook for $1 Billion California FAIR Plan Bailout

California insurance regulators have approved a request from the California FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, to get money from regular insurers to help pay customer claims from the Los Angeles Fires. The $1 billion will be collected from private insurance companies in…
After the Los Angeles Fires, Many Won’t Get Enough Insurance To Rebuild Their Homes
After the Los Angeles Fires, Many Won’t Get Enough Insurance To Rebuild Their Homes

Nobody likes to pay their monthly homeowners insurance premiums. Or at least, we haven’t met anyone who does. But the protection of an insurance policy is worth the annoyance. That is, provided it actually pays out enough. Unfortunately, however, amid the rise of skyrocketing insurance…
Climate-driven insurance crisis
Climate-driven insurance crisis

The climate crisis is costing us a lot of money — higher utility bills, higher health-care costs, skyrocketing housing prices in some areas and nosediving home property values in others. Climate change, as well as the pollution that causes it and the natural disasters caused…
Wildfire Survivors Get a Lifeline as California Pushes for Full Coverage Payments
Wildfire Survivors Get a Lifeline as California Pushes for Full Coverage Payments

California Insurance Commissioner Calls on Insurers to Ease Wildfire Survivors’ Burdens A Compassionate Plea for Full Coverage Without Detailed Inventories California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is taking a strong stance to support survivors of recent wildfires in Southern California. Recognizing the emotional and logistical toll…
Higher rates, few options for Calif. home insurance
Higher rates, few options for Calif. home insurance

Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group. Insurers pulled back from California after severe wildfires in … Read more
Inequity seen after wildfires in California
Inequity seen after wildfires in California

Before a wildfire ravaged their street in northwest Altadena, Louise Hamlin and Chris Wilson lived next door to each other in nearly identical houses. “I chose an old home in an old neighborhood because it has soul,” said Hamlin, a 51-year-old single mom with a…
For most LA fire victims, insurance won’t cover rebuild
For most LA fire victims, insurance won’t cover rebuild

“we fully expect it to be higher than two-thirds underinsured in la,” said amy Bach, the cofounder of United Policyholders, a public interest advocacy … Read more
Major insurance company sparks outrage with decision that affects thousands of policies: ‘The opposite of what we’ve been hoping for’
Major insurance company sparks outrage with decision that affects thousands of policies: ‘The opposite of what we’ve been hoping for’

Increasing frequencies of wildfires are pushing insurance companies out of California. Liberty Mutual is one of the latest insurance groups to abandon insurance coverage for California residents, the North Bay Business Journal reported. What’s happening? In late December, Liberty Mutual announced plans to roll back…
What to know about home insurance coverage after a major natural disaster
What to know about home insurance coverage after a major natural disaster

It’s one thing to fix your home after something basic has gone wrong, but it’s a different beast to rebuild and recover after a major natural disaster has destroyed multiple properties on your street, in your neighborhood or across the region. Don’t wait until you’re…
Plaintiffs Lawyers Swarm Los Angeles Post-Fires
Plaintiffs Lawyers Swarm Los Angeles Post-Fires

A deadly wildfire may be among the first covered by a new state fund that reimburses at-fault utility companies. This could mean billions of dollars for plaintiffs lawyers, and, if past fires are any indication, frustration and confusion for some victims. Read more.
Up to two thirds of homeowners underinsured for wildfires
Up to two thirds of homeowners underinsured for wildfires

Up to two thirds of homeowners are underinsured for wildfire losses, according to the consumer advocacy group, United Policyholders. Kristine Lazar speaks with an Altadena couple who lost their home and explains how you can make sure you’re covered.