7 spoke with Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner, about what you should do if you have fire damage or if you’ve lost your home in the wind-driven wildfires.
Lara told us the most important thing you need is a copy of your home insurance policy.
“You also have to take note of your additional living expenses, limits in your policy and also track all of your additional expenses.”
“And you have to make sure you document all conversations with your insurer or an adjuster,” said Lara.
Lara emphasized that first and foremost you should access safety, stay away from the disater area and don’t rush into any decisions.
Lara added, “Insurance can be very complicated, especially during these very stressful times.”
You also have to look out for fraudsters. There is a three-day cooling off period.
“Please do not sign anything with any public adjuster until you speak to your insurance company, or you can call our office. We can check their license and verify them, he continued.”
“It’s very important that you know you have somebody on your side. The department is here to be your advocate during this very stressful and really traumatizing time for our community.”
Lara advised that you should call the California Department of Insurance. They have live operators on the phone that can help address your issues.
You can contact them at 1-800-927-4357 or visit insurance.ca.gov.
To find out if you’re protected or if your zip code is included in the moratorium on non renewals, click here.
For more information on staying safer from wildfires, click here.
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