United Policyholders offers the best advice to policyholders about how to recover from the recent wildfires. Merlin Law Group California attorney Dan Veroff, who was a former staff attorney for United Policyholders (UP), advised policyholders suffering from a California wildfire to attend events by United Policyholders in “There’s a Wildfire Burning – What Do I Need to Know About Insurance?” UP’s Roadmap to Recovery Program provides online information and instructions that I use as a reference because it is based on 30 years of experience and is updated after each catastrophe.

Here is an example of one practical tip worth thousands of dollars, which can be found online in the Roadmap to Recovery:

TIP: If you lost your home in the wildfire, when you file your insurance claim, be sure to ask for a cash advance to help you get situated.  Under California law, after an officially declared disaster, your insurer is required to give you an advance of no less than 30% of your “dwelling” insurance limit and at least 4 months of your available coverage for temporary rent and other additional living expenses you incur due to having lost the use of your home. Be sure to ask for it in writing (email counts). If you are insured through the CA Fair Plan, your coverage for temporary/additional living expenses is a based on the Fair Rental Value of your dwelling.

Your adjuster may be from out of state and unfamiliar with California law. California has special rules related to insurance and deadlines that are designed to make it easier for you to collect all available funds after a total or partial wildfire loss. Our goal is to empower you to be your own best advocate in the recovery process and get professional or government help when you need it.

Here is a video presentation about Wildfire Recovery & Insurance Orientation made by United Policyholders last fall:

We are proud long-term supporters of United Policyholders. Unlike some, who are now setting up town hall meetings with a hidden agenda to obtain clients, United Policyholders is a true non-profit with only one agenda: Supporting policymakers after a loss and advocating for policyholder rights before a loss ever occurs. I have encouraged others to support United Policyholders in Support Policyholder Champions: United Policyholders – Helping Policyholders Long Before They Need Assistance. I also noted how UP personally inspires me:

Amy Bach is a true leader. She has inspired me and countless others to aid victims in recovering the benefits owed to them by insurance companies. Survivors of one disaster often share the lessons they’ve learned from the insurance claim process with others….

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United Policyholders commands the attention of insurance commissioners. They often secure a place in important discussions, frequently being the sole significant consumer advocate at the NAIC. They operate without profit motives, always placing policyholders first.

Amy Bach has led UP for 34 years. I consider Amy the best and most dedicated champion for policyholders in the United States. I am fortunate to call her a colleague and friend.

The best first advice to anybody suffering from the recent California wildfires is to tell them to go to the UP website and text them the link to the Roadmap To Recovery.

Thought For The Day

“The time is always right to do what is right.”
—Martin Luther King Jr.