Carbon Monoxide Suits Not Excluded, Nonprofit Tells 9th Circ.
Carbon Monoxide Suits Not Excluded, Nonprofit Tells 9th Circ.

Nonprofit policyholder advocacy group United Policyholders urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to reverse an Oregon federal court’s decision that a pollution exclusion in a pool contractor’s policy negates coverage for underlying suits over carbon monoxide poisoning, arguing the lower court’s reading of the exclusion…
Holes in your safety net?
Holes in your safety net?

UP has been in the news lately working hard to help Americans focus on the dry but important topic of properly insuring assets. Victims of devastating hurricanes and wildfires in Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and California are getting a second shock of having to scramble…
California’s epic wildfires show rebuilding a ‘daunting’ prospect
California’s epic wildfires show rebuilding a ‘daunting’ prospect

Two years after the 2003 Cedar fire, nearly 4 in 10 households burned out at the upscale Scripps Ranch subdivision in San Diego had yet to complete their rebuilding projects. Two years after the 2007 wildfires destroyed more than 1,600 homes around San Diego County,…
Fire survivors reunite to mark 10th anniversary
Fire survivors reunite to mark 10th anniversary

A “low-key” reunion of more than 130 Witch Creek fire survivors and recovery coalition members was held Sunday to mark the wildfire’s 10th anniversary. “This is a celebration of homecoming and friendship,” Jan Rasmussen told attendees. She was co-chair of Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church’s…
Roadmap to Recovery Workshop – Santa Rosa: 10/25/17
Roadmap to Recovery Workshop – Santa Rosa: 10/25/17

Free Recovery and Insurance Orientation Workshop  United Policyholders is hosting its first Roadmap to Recovery workshop in Santa Rosa for North Bay wildfire survivors in partnership with Jewish Family and Children’s Services.  The workshop will start at 6PM and will be right down the street from the Local…
How to get help after a fire
How to get help after a fire

Suggestions for getting help in recovering from disaster Getting help from a mess of bureaucracies, insurance companies and nonprofits can be difficult. Here are some of the best tips from Chronicle writers: FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Association has continued to expand the number of…
Upfront: Fair Questions
Upfront: Fair Questions

High-risk fire insurance pool grapples with new normal of urban wildfires Homeowners insurance is not mandated by the state of California, but is a requirement for anyone who wants to get a home mortgage from a bank. As the historic North Bay fires are brought…
Public adjusters can help consumers with fire claims, but tread cautiously
Public adjusters can help consumers with fire claims, but tread cautiously

People who lost homes in the Wine Country fires might be approached by public adjusters offering to represent them in their insurance claims. While some disaster victims have had good experiences with public adjusters, consumer advocates and the California Department of Insurance warn against rushing…
Guest Blog: What is the scope of the “professional services” exclusion in D&O liability policies issued to private companies?
Guest Blog: What is the scope of the “professional services” exclusion in D&O liability policies issued to private companies?

The Hotchalk case highlights a coverage defense that some D&O insurers have aggressively asserted and courts across the country have struggled to address. What is the scope of the “professional services” exclusion in D&O liability policies issued to private companies? Such policies issued to private…
Advice for Homeowners After a Wildfire: Keep a Diary
Advice for Homeowners After a Wildfire: Keep a Diary

The last thing on the minds of most people whose homes were devastated by wildfires like those in Northern California may be keeping a journal. But, consumer advocates say, a journal can help in successfully filing an insurance claim. After damage from a wildfire —…
How Much Insurance Do You Need To Rebuild?
How Much Insurance Do You Need To Rebuild?

Transcript: This is KPBS Midday Edition . I’m Maureen Cavanaugh. people returning to their neighborhoods to see what is left after the firestorm. Are reminders of what people experience 10 years ago. The fires that tore through San Diego county destroyed an estimated 1700 homes.…
2007 Wildfires: Losing Their Homes Changed Their Lives
2007 Wildfires: Losing Their Homes Changed Their Lives

The wildfires that tore through San Diego County 10 years ago this week destroyed an estimated 1,600 homes. Two couples who lost everything when their homes burned to the ground talk about how the experience changed them. Bobby Lofton was at home with his wife,…
Napa, Sonoma ‘insurance villages’ help with fire claims
Napa, Sonoma ‘insurance villages’ help with fire claims

For those evacuated during the wildfires, as well as others who discovered that homes and vehicles were destroyed, their first thought after ensuring the safety of family members was how to pay for lodging and out of pocket expenses in the wake of this disaster.…
Wildfire Q&A: 12 Consumer Questions Answered
Wildfire Q&A: 12 Consumer Questions Answered

Q: My home is gone. May I stop making mortgage payments? A: Maybe, but not forever. Definitely contact your lender now — and, ideally, before your next payment is due. You can request a pause. It’s possible you’ll hear the term “forbearance agreement.” That’s bank…
Oakland hills firestorm survivors to North Bay: ‘You’re not alone’
Oakland hills firestorm survivors to North Bay: ‘You’re not alone’

OAKLAND — Except for the mailbox, there was nothing to identify the home Risa Nye had known for the past seven years. Blackened box springs and the skeletal remains of appliances protruded from the still smoldering rubble, even though the fire had been extinguished two…
Fire victims who lost homes face insurance challenges
Fire victims who lost homes face insurance challenges

State Farm insurance agent Miguel Alfaro has taken hundreds of client calls since Monday from those who have lost so much in the region’s massive wildfires. Some are concerned that they may be underinsured. Some have smoke damage in their homes. Some lost their cars.…
What you need to know when filing an insurance claim from the Sonoma County fires
What you need to know when filing an insurance claim from the Sonoma County fires

State Farm insurance agent Miguel Alfaro has taken hundreds of client calls since Monday from those who have lost so much in the region’s massive wildfires. Some are concerned that they may be underinsured. Some have smoke damage in their homes. Some lost their cars.…
A wildfire burned your home; here’s what you do next
A wildfire burned your home; here’s what you do next

5 tips to start rebuilding your home after a wildfire. While thousands of people are still evacuated, hundred have returned to their neighborhoods and found their homes in ruin. For those who lost their homes in the wildfires, there is a long road ahead as…