Homeowners dealing with the loss or destruction of their homes during the brush fires that are still ripping through Los Angeles County will need to consider their insurance options next.
While many residents in Altadena and West Los Angeles grip with loss amid the devastating fires, they’ll have to navigate their insurance options once they are ready to do so. To help fire victims walk through a process that may seem overwhelming, an insurance attorney provided guidance to help.
Tips from an insurance attorney
Michael Cohen said getting organized is the first step for everyone who lost a home in a fire.
“Keep receipts for everything beginning immediately,” he advised. “I mean for the toothbrush, paper clips, everything.”
Cohen also provided the following guidance to fire victims:
- Call your insurance company immediately and submit a claim as soon as possible
- Get organized and document all purchases
- Keep receipts for all purchases
- Use a single notebook to keep detailed notes
- Ask insurance for an immediate advance for additional living expenses. If your home is a total loss, request an advance of four months; if your home is at restricted access, request an advance of at least two weeks.
- Ask insurance to pay 30% of your contents limit (homeowners whose homes were a total loss are eligible for this. The house had to have been furnished at the time of the loss).
Insurance companies must cover the expenses for those who choose not to rebuild their homes and decide to move elsewhere instead, according to Cohen.
“The law says the insurance company has to provide those extra funds even though you didn’t rebuild in the same place or buy in the same place,” he said.
Take it from someone who’s been there
Rami and Diane Brosh, whose home burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, said the first thing they did after processing their new reality was call their insurance company.
“We did something that actually turned out to be very smart, which was calling the insurance company right away,” Rami Brosh said. “And since it’s first come first serve basis, apparently, they got here very quick within a few days.”
The couple also got a public adjuster who walked them through the insurance filing process.
“We didn’t even know what our insurance policy looked like … We had no idea what kind of coverage and he looked at it,” Diane Brosh said.
Teams hired by insurance firms have been sent to LA County communities impacted by brush fires to defend homes. Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.
“He held our hand through it all,” Rami said.
The pair also assured fire victims that although everything may seem daunting now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We are home now and our home is beautiful,” Diane said. “We were able to do things to it that we would have never done.”
For a more detailed look at how to walk through insurance claims, click here.