Wildfires

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Property owners and property managers need to face the reality if they have a property that is smoke damaged from wildfires. Following my recent post, A Safety Video Every Homeowner In a Wildfire Area Should Watch, two articles in Restoration and Remediation Magazine should be read by property owners, property managers, restoration contractors, and property insurance adjusters.
Continue Reading Dioxins Are Extremely Dangerous and Cannot Be Overlooked Following Wildfires

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

Patrick Moffett was at the First Party Claims Conference in Marina Del Rey this week. Another speaker, Matt Blumkin, mentioned Moffett’s update in 2020 of a paper, Wildfire Impact Assessments Completed by an Industrial Hygienist and Other Qualified Experts. Those handling wildfire insurance claims should read and study.
Continue Reading Wildfire Insurance Claims—Considerations From An Expert

The Colorado Division of Insurance has regulators that are standing up for consumers to encourage full and prompt payment of losses. The Division issued a comprehensive news release yesterday which delves into the problems policyholders are facing following wildfires that have destroyed many homes and businesses over the past two years. Many recurrent problems complained of by our Colorado wildfire clients are addressed in the news release which we are copying in full as part of this post:…
Continue Reading Colorado Wildfire Claims Problems? Colorado Division of Insurance Is Congratulated for Getting to the Most Commons Wildfire Claims Concerns

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

Partial losses from smoke, ash, and soot are some of the most complex and challenging claims facing policyholders when insurers will not fully agree to help investigate and evaluate the extent of damage. All you have to do is read the transcript from a recent virtual town hall meeting in Colorado to get a flavor for what is going on when policyholders are faced with dealing with their insurance adjusters. This post is a follow-up to Soot, Ash, and Char Claims Are Hot Topic At Colorado Insurance Commission Virtual Town Hall Meeting.
Continue Reading Partial Fire Losses Involving Smoke, Ash, and Soot From Wildfires—A Transcript of the Colorado Town Hall Meeting

The Colorado Division of Insurance got an earful from Colorado policyholders dealing with insurance claim problems at a virtual town hall meeting last night. The event, Insurance Town Hall – Partial Losses in the Boulder Fires & Straight Line Winds, had panelists discussing the issues of soot, ash, and char claims following the recent Marshall Fire. Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway was obviously frustrated hearing how Coloradans are being treated with their claims. He stated that “his blood pressure was going up” and that he intended to call Liberty Mutual and Travelers. The event was recorded and will be on the Division’s website.
Continue Reading Soot, Ash, and Char Claims Are Hot Topic At Colorado Insurance Commission Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Even though California was running below its seasonal average for precipitation, a set of winter storms hit the state this week. California’s Department of Insurance (“CDOI”) timely released a Notice to all property and casualty insurance carriers who provide homeowners and commercial property insurance to California consumers about their obligations to cover mudslide events, specifically in areas recently impacted by wildfires.
Continue Reading California Department of Insurance Reminds Carriers to Cover Mudslides Following Wildfires