Plaintiffs say someone started in an area known as The Cave, on the night of Nov. 23-24, 2007, after the state had ignored repeated warnings to reduce the dry chaparral at and around the party spot.
The Corral Fire burned 4,900 acres, destroyed more than 50 homes and damaged others.
Plaintiffs' lead counsel in Superior Court is Walter Lack with Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack.
Source: Court House News service - Link
Insurance Commissioner Poizner Announces Nearly $13 Million Recovered by Department for 2007 Wildfire Survivors One Year After Fires Break Out
SACRAMENTO ―On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the October 2007 wildfires, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today announced that the Department of Insurance has recovered more than $12.7 million from insurance companies by standing up for consumers who had been shortchanged.
"I am pleased that the Department's aggressive action on behalf of consumers has resulted in $12.7 million back in the pockets of wildfire survivors," said Commissioner Poizner. "Insurers understand that I simply will not allow them to give consumers the runaround. I have personally called the CEOs of major insurance companies to make sure that individual claims are paid out quickly. I will continue to put pressure on any insurer not playing by the rules, and if they still refuse to honor their agreements with fire survivors, I will take appropriate action to enforce the law."
To date, the Department of Insurance has recovered $12.7 million for 2007 wildfire survivors statewide. That includes:
- $9 million for San Diego consumers
- $1.9 million for Lake Tahoe/Angora wildfire survivors
- $1.3 million for San Bernardino residents
CDI was able to recover these funds for consumers that notified the Department of their problems and suspected unfair treatment by their insurer. CDI has received 549 consumer complaints since the fires broke out almost one year ago.
Of the 549 complaints received from consumers, 106 have involved underinsurance allegations. CDI has recovered more than $3.8 million for consumers who had complaints stemming from underinsurance issues. That includes nearly $2.6 million for San Diego wildfire survivors and nearly $1.2 million for Lake Tahoe/Angora wildfire survivors.
"I also want to remind wildfire survivors struggling with their insurance company who haven't contacted the Department that we are here to help," continued Commissioner Poizner. "I urge anyone having difficulty with their insurance company to contact the CDI Consumer Hotline at 800-927-HELP."
As a result of the 2007 wildfires, nearly 39,000 claims were filed. To date, nearly 80 percent, or 30,000 claims have been closed after consumers have received payment from their insurance company. The fires caused $2.3 billion in losses.
Since the 2007 fires broke out, Commissioner Poizner has been taking action on behalf of consumers including:
- The Commissioner hosted a series of town hall-style Insurance Recovery Forums to assist fire survivors with their recoveries.
- Commissioner Poizner also brought CEOs and top executives of leading insurance companies together to announce voluntary claims handling reforms, which have helped to expedite recovery for wildfire survivors.
- The Commissioner also cut through the red tape and enabled survivors to be paid expediently when he declared an Insurance Emergency that allowed out-of-state adjusters to come to California and assist in the claims-paying process.
- Commissioner Poizner personally called the CEOs of the major homeowners insurance companies in the state to make sure that they were paying claims quickly to help get fire survivors back on their feet quickly.
Total Logistics Solutions Extends its Services Offering to include a ‘Consumer Advocate Program’ for Post Disaster Victims
ReplyDeleteBurbank, CA – October 15, 2008 –Total Logistics Solutions, Inc. has added another beneficial service to aid in their Cover Your Assets Program; the Post Disaster Consumer Advocate.
After a disaster, individuals and families will have the emotional and time consuming task of putting a content list together for their insurance provider. The Post Disaster Consumer Advocate is available to help victims begin putting the pieces back together.
“Our goal is to help individuals in all areas of disaster preparedness by providing services that can ease the stress and emotional duress of anyone dealing with asset loss and filing an insurance claim,” stated Rene Jones, the founder and CEO of Total Logistics Solutions. He realized the importance of a home inventory when his home was destroyed by a fire in 2004.
“We realized that the best way to make the insurance claims process a little easier and less complicated for individuals affected by a crisis, is to offer specialized services that meet their needs. Our post disaster assistance provides a comprehensive approach to the claims process while giving each customer the personalized service necessary to meet their unique needs. They provide a viable and affordable option while relieving the stress and lessening the emotional burden of doing this on their own,” said Tana Jackson, one of the Cover Your Assets leading Consumer Advocates.
Total Logistics Solutions is also offering Post Disaster Workshops for groups of people that have experienced a disaster and need assistance in getting started with the claims process. The most recent workshop was held on October 4, 2008 in San Diego, CA for survivors from the 2007 Witch Creek Fire. The goal of that workshop was to assist “last minute” homeowners over the hump of starting a home inventory list so they could meet their claims deadline. The event was a huge success. The fire victims felt the “monkey on their backs” had been removed for the first time in a year. Total Logistics Solutions will be offering the Post Disaster Workshops every 3 months in areas that are recovering from a disaster.
A Post Disaster Consumer Advocate is available by appointment to work with individual home and business owners. Cover Your Assets Consumer Advocates will provide resources and guidance to assist with creating an inventory list as well as determining current prices for destroyed items prior to submission to your insurance company. By utilizing this service, customers will receive a discount on additional CYA products and services.
For more information on Cover Your Assets Programs and Services or to schedule a workshop for your group please call 1-888-807-0958.
Total Logistics Solutions, Inc., founded in 1997, was named one the “Top 100” supply chain and logistics organizations in 2007 by Supply and Demand Chain Executive magazine. Cover Your Assets is a consumer based product developed and distributed solely by Total Logistics Solutions, Inc. employees and its independent associates. CYA™ is inventory software developed for homeowners for the purposes of maximizing a return on your insurance investment. Total Logistics Solutions, Inc. asset management division uses the same concept for corporations throughout the US and Canada. To learn more about Total Logistics Solutions and their product, “Cover Your Assets” visit their website www.itstime2cya.com.
Alicia Martin, Director of Marketing
Phone: (888) 807-0958 Ext. 709
Email: info@logisticsociety.com
Website: http://www.itstime2cya.com
ABC Video Website: http://www.itstime2cya.com
Great insights on California fire legal news! It's vital for those affected to understand their rights. For businesses, securing an NBFC license can also be a key step toward financial recovery. Thanks for sharing!
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