All Roads Lead to the JPMDL: Another COVID-19 Business Interruption Declaratory Judgment Is Stayed Pending MDL Decision
All Roads Lead to the JPMDL: Another COVID-19 Business Interruption Declaratory Judgment Is Stayed Pending MDL Decision

Insurers nationwide are awaiting the forthcoming decision of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation JPMDL) on consolidating COVID-19 business interruption coverage lawsuits. In the meantime, some federal courts are staying proceedings, declining to rule on fully-briefed motions and deferring decisions that could bring clarity to…
Sonoma County rebuilds two-thirds of homes lost in 2017 wildfires
Sonoma County rebuilds two-thirds of homes lost in 2017 wildfires

On the morning of her 34th birthday last July, Katrina Lassen woke up in her new house in Larkfield Estates, a suburban subdivision where all 163 homes had been incinerated by the Tubbs fire in 2017. “It was surreal,” she said. “I just felt at…
Most PG&E Fire Victims Won’t Be Able to Appeal Claim Decisions in Court … With Some Exceptions
Most PG&E Fire Victims Won’t Be Able to Appeal Claim Decisions in Court … With Some Exceptions

When the trustee overseeing the compensation fund for PG&E fire victims determines the values of some 80,000 claims, the vast majority of claimants won’t have the opportunity to appeal the decision in court. But the judge overseeing the utility’s bankruptcy case has granted exceptions to…
Fire Victim Trust Funded July 1st
Fire Victim Trust Funded July 1st

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The PG&E Fire Victim Trust announced today that it has been funded effective today. The Trust received the Fire Victim Trust settlement proceeds from PG&E which includes 476,995,175 shares of PG&E Common Stock and the first installment of…
July 30th Webinar – POSTPONED
July 30th Webinar – POSTPONED

We will be rescheduling our July 30th, 2020 Roadmap to Recovery Orientation Webinar.  Please email info@uphelp.org to receive an email when a new date is scheduled. For additional Claim Help Resources, visit: 2019 SoCal Wildfires – Insurance Claim Help
Wildfire Season Is Here
Wildfire Season Is Here

With all that’s happening, it’s hard to wrap your mind around another worry. But yes, it is wildfire season and time to take steps to make your home more fire-resistant. If you’ve been Sheltering in Place, you probably know your home better than ever and…
Join UP in opposing AB 2167
Join UP in opposing AB 2167

Californians are experiencing a challenging insurance marketplace and there are two bills we are watching that could make the affordability crisis worse.   We are talking about AB 2167 and its companion SB 292.  We OPPOSE these two bills and hope you will join us by writing to your…
As focus turned to coronavirus crisis, insurers pushed for a sneaky rate hike on homeowners
As focus turned to coronavirus crisis, insurers pushed for a sneaky rate hike on homeowners

It’s fair to say that most Americans see the coronavirus outbreak as an enormous and fearsome burden. Not the insurance industry. In California, the industry is using the crisis to bring about a sneaky change in insurance rules that could lead to massive increases in…
California Appoints Curriculum and Insurance Guarantee Board Members
California Appoints Curriculum and Insurance Guarantee Board Members

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced the newest members of the California Department of Insurance’s Curriculum Board and the California Insurance Guarantee Association’s Board of Governors. The Curriculum Board oversees the development of pre-licensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers, which includes a…
Returning residents grapple with overgrown abandoned neighboring properties
Returning residents grapple with overgrown abandoned neighboring properties

Some solutions are emerging, but funds are short PARADISE — Abandoned properties overgrown with flammable vegetation vastly out-number new homes under construction in the burn scar, and there’s little cash-strapped local officials can really do. The fire risk caused by overgrown empty lots is putting…
Insurance Covers Vandalism, But Not COVID-19 Claims
Insurance Covers Vandalism, But Not COVID-19 Claims

SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, June 4, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in insurance claims filed by businesses in the Bay Area, but some insurance companies have been denying the payouts. “Almost all business ranging from small to medium to…
A Primer On The Push To Combine COVID-19 Coverage Cases
A Primer On The Push To Combine COVID-19 Coverage Cases

Law360 June 9, 2020, 7:00 PM EDT) — Insurers and policyholders have weighed in on two petitions to centralize disputes over businesses’ coronavirus-related losses in multidistrict litigation, with supporters touting the efficiency of consolidation and opponents arguing that differences in companies’ policies and claims make…
Insurance companies deny COVID-19 claims, but cover vandalism damage
Insurance companies deny COVID-19 claims, but cover vandalism damage

SAN FRANCISCO KGO) — Businesses across the nation have been devastated by the COVID-19 shutdown. Now, many are suffering the added losses of vandalism and looting. But an odd twist to the dual crises: insurance. Businesses were outraged to find their insurance refused to cover…
Calif. Insurance Commissioner opposes new wildfire bill; warns of unfair rates
Calif. Insurance Commissioner opposes new wildfire bill; warns of unfair rates

California Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara, alongside the California Department of Insurance and a host of other organisations, have stressed that a new wildfire bill set to be voted on this week would harm policyholders in the region with higher rates. Assembly Bill 2167 is scheduled…
Does auto insurance cover cars damaged in demonstrations?
Does auto insurance cover cars damaged in demonstrations?

SAN JOSE, Calif. KGO) — We’ve seen the videos of cars on fire, and windows smashed. One of the earliest was on the freeway in San Jose last Friday. A couple of drivers, caught behind a blockade, drove away with broken windows. So is anyone…
Does auto insurance cover cars damaged during protests or riots?
Does auto insurance cover cars damaged during protests or riots?

Streets filled with damaged cars are a common sight in the wake of civil unrest and even peaceful mass gatherings. Whether intentionally inflicted or incidental, both parked cars and those driven by passers-by can sustain scratches, broken mirrors, smashed windows, or get covered in paint…
Wise UP and save on your insurance
Wise UP and save on your insurance

Wise UP and save on your insurance As households across the nation look for ways to cut costs while dealing with record job losses and sheltering in place, UP has suggestions for reducing insurance premiums without sacrificing asset protection. – Consider increasing your auto and…
Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection — UP’s WRAP Initiative
Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection — UP’s WRAP Initiative

By launching and advancing a “Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection” (WRAP) initiative in 2017, UP is helping property owners across California keep their assets insured during a home insurance availability and affordability crisis that is affecting many parts of the state. This crisis is hitting people hard in…