The trauma fire victims face is devastating, and in our experience over years helping thousands of clients, we believe the last thing any fire victim should have to worry about after surviving a fire is losing their insurance as well.
In the case of the most recent string of California fires, the Governor and the California Department of Insurance agree — fire victims deserve protection.
Recently, the California Department of Insurance extended its one-year moratorium on insurance cancellation or non-renewals to people impacted by the recent chain of California fires. Among the fires included are the McKinney Fire, the Mill Fire, the Fairview Fire, and the Mosquito Fire.
In effect, the moratorium prevents insurers from canceling or not renewing an insurance policy during the year after a state of emergency declaration. It is also important to highlight that this one-year protection applies to all residential policyholders within the affected areas.
This includes those who suffer less than a total loss, and those who suffer no loss as well.
Insurance Protection for California Wildfire Victims
In the event you are a victim of the McKinney, Mill, Fairview, or Mosquito Fire, but still receive a notice from your insurer canceling or not renewing your policy, it is important to stress that you have protections.
If you receive an erroneous notice, the California Department of Insurance recommends that you notify your insurance company to seek reinstatement of your policy. If your insurer fails to correct their mistake, the California Department of Insurance encourages Californians to file a Request of Assistance through the Department of Insurance website.
Additionally, you can find more information about what these insurance notices look like and how to remedy your insurance company’s error in greater detail in our article on acquiring fire insurance after your emergency protection lapses.
Legal Assistance for Wildfire Insurance Claims
Singleton Schreiber's California wildfire attorneys will work to ensure that you don't lose any protection from future incidents — and that you receive full compensation for your losses. If you were a victim of a recent California wildfire, learn more about our insurance claim assistance services or schedule your free consultation today.