Jonathan Bukowski

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Colorado Revised Statutes Section 10–3–1115 prohibits an insurance company from unreasonably delaying or denying payment of a claim for benefits owed to a first-party claimant. C.R.S. § 10–3–1115(1)(a). Section 10–3–1116 further provides that “[a] first-party claimant as defined in section 10–3–1115 whose claim for payment of benefits has been unreasonably delayed or denied may bring an action in a district court to recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs and two times the covered benefit.”1 An insurer’s delay is unreasonable “if the insurer delayed or denied authorizing payment of a covered benefit without a reasonable basis for that action.”2…
Continue Reading What is the Bad Faith Standard Under the Colorado Insurance Code?

The desire to compensate shareholders creates a direct conflict of interest between insurance carriers and their policyholders. As a result, most jurisdictions, including Colorado, have enacted laws to protect their consumers and hold insurance carriers accountable to their promise to timely pay and to fully indemnify policyholders. States have also enacted laws allowing licensed adjusters to work directly for consumers to assist in ensuring recovery of all benefits that may be owed under a first-party property insurance policy. These adjusters are called “public adjusters.” These public adjusters are licensed and regulated by the State of Colorado. In Colorado, the leading public adjusting organization is the Rocky Mountain Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.
Continue Reading Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway Continues Efforts to Help and Assist Policyholders Impacted by the Marshall Fire

Nearly two months after the Marshall Wildfire, news stories and articles continue to express the frustrations and difficulties Marshall Wildfire policyholders are experiencing with partial losses from smoke, ash, and soot where insurers will not fully agree to help investigate and evaluate the extent of damage. Colorado Division of Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway has held several town hall meetings where Marshall Wildfire policyholders continue to echo frustrations of smoke, ash, and soot damage to their homes and personal property.
Continue Reading Marshall Wildfire Policyholders Continue to Experience Difficulty with Insurance Companies to Evaluate Full Extent of Damage from Smoke, Ash, and Soot

Many insurance policies contain an appraisal provision which provides a mechanism to insurance companies and policyholders to resolve disputes between themselves relating to the amount of the loss resulting from a storm or loss causing event without a formal lawsuit. The appraisal is “an act of estimating” or “a valuation of property by the estimate of an authorized person.”1 The provision permits a panel of qualified and disinterested individuals to review the loss and determine a fair valuation of the loss without influence or direction from the parties.
Continue Reading How to Avoid Waiving Your Right to an Appraisal to Determine the Amount of Damage to Property in Iowa

The defense of late notice has increasingly been used as a technical defense to preclude coverage for covered losses caused by covered perils. While some states have issued bulletins (targeting these strategies,1 often the determination of whether coverage will be afforded will depend upon whether a particular state requires that an insurance company demonstrate that the untimely notice caused prejudice in the investigation of the claim. While it would seem the denial of coverage due to an action that has no material effect on the insurer would further the purpose of having insurance, several states still apply a traditional notice rule that does not require a showing of prejudice.2…
Continue Reading Montana Requires Insurance Company to Demonstrate Prejudice When Denying a Claim for Late Notice

We are often asked by insureds about the timeframe in which they must file a lawsuit against their insurance carrier related to property damage caused by a storm where the insurance carrier refuses to fully pay for the damage or has denied the claim for damage. This is referred to as the statute of limitations in the legal realm and typically starts at the time of the breach or failure to do the thing that is the subject of the insurance agreement.1…
Continue Reading Time Limit for Filing Lawsuit in Nebraska Related to Insufficient/Nonpayment of Your Property Damage Claim

It is not uncommon for a hail or windstorm to cause damage to only one or two sides of a structure, leaving the remaining sides undamaged. Expecting replacement materials to match in color and quality, many policyholders are perplexed when their insurance carriers suggest they owe only for the damaged materials without any consideration for the altered appearance of the mismatched building.1 The result is magnified where damaged materials are no longer available, resulting in an obvious aesthetic difference between the undamaged and repaired areas of the structure.
Continue Reading Line of Sight Rule for Matching of Undamaged Materials in Iowa

It is important that a policyholder review and understand the various conditions and duties required of them in the event of a loss. One of the most important conditions contained in many insurance policies is the limitation placed on a policyholder’s right to sue an insurance carrier when there is a disagreement on the amount of damage or loss caused by the event.
Continue Reading Understanding Your Colorado Insurance Policy – Legal Action Against Us Clause

Every insurance policy outlines certain duties a policyholder is required to perform following a loss. However, the prompt notice provision appears to be increasingly gaining traction by opportunistic insurance companies and their defense attorneys who seek to use this as a technicality to avoid liability for an otherwise covered loss.
Continue Reading New Mexico Requires Insurance Company to Demonstrate Substantial Prejudice Before Denying a Claim for Late Notice