First Steps for Disaster Relief: A “Navigating Insurance” Webinar

First Steps for Disaster Relief: A “Navigating Insurance” Webinar

California Western School of Law Professor Kenneth Klein, Amy Bach and Annie Barbour answer common questions about navigating insurance after a fire.

In this webinar -
Question: If there is someone responsible for their fire (let’s say Edison) and they join a class action lawsuit, does joining such a suit complicate any of the homeowner’s insurance benefits? Do homeowner’s policies typically have subrogation rights or offsets on any recovery?

Answer: First, you have 2 years to sign with an attorney if there is a lawsuit. Please take your time. Insurance companies do a great job of getting reimbursed during a lawsuit before survivors get anything. Should not impact your recovery.

Question: Are there any resources providing guidance for securing coverage for personal property that was destroyed but so were any receipts/invoices/etc you would need to prove ownership of the lost property? Any personal advice?

Answer: Amazon and Costco can access receipts from 6-10 years back. Getting past bills from credit cards. You can only do what you can do. Your job is to let them know what you lost and supply what you can as proof but since you had a total loss that would include proof.

Question: For those affected by the Alta Dena fire who are renters who lost everything, are there resources available to them at your table at the center in Alta Dena? Or would they be best directed to seek out organizations specializing in renter’s rights? Thank you!

Answer: We have information on navigating renters’ insurance. If they did not have renters’ insurance then they should come to the Disaster Resource Center to see what they can help you with.

Answered Live:
Can you please share any tips on handling claims with Fair Plan policies? How does that claim process differ from those with private insurance?