One of the most frustrating parts of my job as an insurance recovery lawyer is hearing from homeowners who were “dropped” (i.e., non-renewed) by their big-box insurers, like State Farm, just months or even weeks before a disaster. After the Palisades and Eaton fires, I’ve spoken to homeowners who decided to forego insurance when they …
Merlin Law Group, P.A.
Merlin Law Group is a national insurance claim litigation firm that handles commercial property insurance claims, residential property insurance claims and bad faith claims. Our dedicated team of insurance attorneys are committed to resolving your property insurance claims.
Website:
http://www.merlinlawgroup.com/
Merlin Law Group, P.A. Blogs
Blog Authors
Latest from Merlin Law Group, P.A.
Ensuing Loss Clauses Are Often Confusing
By Chip Merlin
Ensuing loss clauses give rise to a lot of coverage debate. They also give rise to a lot of litigation. I was about to write about a recent ensuing loss decision, but that decision cited a Maryland judge’s discussion of the ensuing loss clause as he wrestled with its meaning. So, I am writing about that ……
Peril Based Risk Scoring Is a Growing Trend
By Chip Merlin
Every once in a while, a piece of nerdy insurance legislation catches my eye, not because it disrupts the industry overnight, but because it signals a trend about risk and how property insurance is going to operate. Colorado’s newly passed HB 25-1182 is a bill that may not make national headlines, but it should. Colorado ……
Chris Aldrich in The Public Adjuster Spotlight
By Chip Merlin
Leadership isn’t just about holding a title—it’s about taking action, teaching, inspiring others, and leading by example, even when the formal role has ended. True leaders don’t step back; they step up. I have noticed that as a Past President of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), Chris Aldrich embodies this philosophy in ……
Colorado’s Cooperation Code: A Win for Policyholders That Didn’t Pay Off
By Chip Merlin
Colorado’s Cooperation Law, enshrined in C.R.S. § 10-3-1118, was designed to protect policyholders from unfair denials based on alleged failures to cooperate. It sets a clear legal standard: If an insurer wants to rely on a non-cooperation defense, it must first follow a series of procedural steps, including sending formal written notice, giving the insured time ……
California FAIR Plan: Ignoring Laws and Gouging Californians on Smoke Damage Claims
By Chip Merlin
Imagine a state-run insurance program so brazen that even when explicitly ordered by the Department of Insurance to remove unlawful policy language, it shrugs and continues business as usual. Welcome to the California FAIR Plan, an entity overseen by executives from California’s major admitted insurance carriers—carriers who evidently believe rules are for other people. This ……
Should We Call It the California Unfair Plan?
By Chip Merlin
The California FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort for Californians struggling to find homeowners insurance, might be better renamed the “California Unfair Plan.” While intended to be a safety net, recent investigations and a comprehensive operational assessment 1 paint a troubling picture of an institution plagued by significant inefficiencies, questionable management practices, and poor ……
Why Are California Insurers Putting Their Policyholder Customers at Risk For Their Health?
By Chip Merlin
Derek Chaiken and I visited a number of burned-out homes where our clients lived until the recent Los Angeles wildfires destroyed everything they owned. Seeing firsthand the devastating aftermath and hearing the deeply emotional stories from these homeowners is heartbreaking—but what’s even worse is witnessing how some insurance companies continue to compound their customers’ trauma ……
Proof of Loss Filed Late—Is Coverage Lost?
By Chip Merlin
Proofs of loss and examinations under oath will be my speech topic at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) in June. My speech commemorates the same topic I gave 40 years ago at NAPIA ‘s Annual Meeting in Carmel, California. If you missed the one 40 years ago, you ……
Smoke Damage Claims
By Chip Merlin
Public adjusters, policyholders, and attorneys keep asking me about the recent California smoke damage case where the court held that the smoke damage was not covered under the policy. I wrote about that decision in California Wildfire Attorneys Consider Impact of New Smoke Caselaw. I noted: The key takeaway from the case is that the mere ……