October 13, 2017 6 things fire disaster victims should do now If your home was destroyed or damaged in the North Bay fires, here are six things you should do now. Take care of yourself and family. Get a roof over your head, talk to your employer, get your kids back in school when it’s possible…
October 11, 2017 Amid Wildfire Destruction, Report Reveals Most US Homes Underinsured As catastrophic wildfires incinerate homes and prompt evacuations across Northern California, an unsettling report has revealed that a majority of American homes are underinsured. According to data company CoreLogic, roughly 60 percent of homes are underinsured by an average of about 20 percent. In San…
October 11, 2017 As California burns, here’s what you need to know about fire insurance Most homeowners insurance policies cover fire damage. But heads-up: That’s not the whole story. If you live in a high-risk area, such as near a canyon, you may need to pay more for additional coverage. And if, God forbid, a fire has devastated whole communities,…
October 11, 2017 California Today: Now Comes the Insurance Challenge New York Times – Hundreds of anguished Californians who lost their homes in an outbreak of wildfires this week now get to face another burden: dealing with insurers. Some are almost certain to experience a rude awakening. Roughly 60 percent of American homes are underinsured…
October 6, 2017 UP Petitions for CA Wildfire Insurance Investigation United Policyholders launched a Wildfire Mitigation and Insurance Project in California in 2016 to help households in brush areas maintain insurance protection on their homes, and participate in related public policy discussions with public officials, insurance companies and other stakeholders. In addition to publishing tips for consumers, UP is…
October 5, 2017 Amy Bach Honored by the Florida Association for Insurance Reform Amy Bach of United Policyholders was honored as the Consumer Champion by the Florida Association for Insurance Reform. I was privileged to deliver the introduction for Amy as seen in the above video. Merlin Law Group has been an active and long-time financial and pro…
October 1, 2017 “Total Control” Tip of the Month, October, 2017 An insurance company’s decision whether to classify your severely damaged car as fixable or a total loss has big dollar significance to you, the policyholder. You can influence that decision with proof of the vehicle’s pre and post loss value. Depending on the extent of…
September 28, 2017 Keeping the Faith in Pennsylvania In a landmark decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently affirmed in Rancosky v. Washington National Ins. Co. that a policyholder victimized by unreasonable conduct by an insurance company does not need to also show the conduct was malicious or intentional. The holding, which upheld the arguments…
September 27, 2017 Survivors Speak: The bottom line on recovering from a disaster Part of the “Survivors Speak” Tip Series If you have insurance – home, flood, and/or auto – and you have had damage, then before you clean or clear or change anything, consider first 1) photographing/videotaping things as you found them, and 2) sending an email to…
September 26, 2017 Why Puerto Rico faces a monumental recovery effort USA TODAY – Almost a week after Hurricane Maria pounded its way across Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, the outlook for anything but a long and arduous recovery is bleak. FEMA reported Tuesday that only 11 of…
September 22, 2017 New York Today: Do I Need Flood Insurance? Hurricane Jose weakened to a tropical storm this morning, but it could still bring rain during the morning commute and whip up strong winds during the day. New York City was spared a direct hit by Jose, but the storm flooded areas from New Jersey…
September 22, 2017 San Diego Could Face $40B In Earthquake Damage. So Why Are So Few People Insured? San Diego got an eye-opening report last week about its earthquake risk. The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute reported that San Diego’s Rose Canyon fault could trigger a 6.9 magnitude quake, resulting in up to 2,000 fatalities and $40 billion in property damage. The study underscored…
September 21, 2017 States Need Better Protections for Insurance Consumers in Natural Disasters: Rutgers Report As homeowners continue to file insurance claims in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, a research report released by the Rutgers Center for Risk and Responsibility at the Rutgers Law School in Camden, N.J., suggests many could find that their level of protection depends…
September 19, 2017 Rutgers/UP Report Recommends Law Changes to Protect Home Insurance Consumers As homeowners affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma file insurance claims, many will find out that the level of protection they have when there are problems dealing with their insurance companies depends on the state where their damaged home is located. Research by Jay Feinman…
September 19, 2017 Local insurance agents busy with Irma claims from WNYers in Florida BUFFALO, N.Y. WIVB)- Millions of dollars are at stake as homeowners from Texas and Florida submit insurance claims to help cover the damage caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. For the Vice President of Personal Insurance at Key Insurance and Benefits Services, this means a…
September 19, 2017 Lakers Get Support [from United Policyholders] In Bid To Undo TCPA Coverage Loss A nonprofit policyholder advocacy group on Monday urged the full Ninth Circuit to ax a panel’s decision that the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t covered for class allegations that the team sent unwanted text messages to fans in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, saying…
September 19, 2017 Florida’s Insured Losses From Irma Reach Nearly $2B and Growing Florida policyholders so far have filed nearly $2 billion in claims to insurers for damage from Hurricane Irma, the state’s insurance regulator said on Monday. The estimate of insured losses is based on preliminary statewide data that insurers filed with the Florida Office of Insurance…
September 18, 2017 Collecting insurance benefits for a hurricane-damaged car Hurricane Harvey (2017) damaged as many as 500,000 vehicles in the Houston area alone, according to preliminary estimates. This number is much higher than Superstorm Sandy (2013) or Hurricane Katrina (2005). Hurricane Irma (2017) damaged an additional 1 million vehicles across the southeast, including Florida where it hit hardest. If…
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