Beat the Clock
Know Your Insurance Rights, Deadlines & Options Before Time Runs Out
Seven free legal education sessions for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors
Thursdays Oct 1 to Nov 12
7-8 PM PT | Live on Zoom
Statute of Limitations May Run as Early as January 7, 2027 ⏰
Statute of Limitations May Run as Early as January 7, 2027 ⏰
Do You Have a Case?
And How Much Time Do You Have to Sue?
Nearly two years after the fires, many of us are still fighting for insurance money, dealing with denials, underpayments, smoke damage, underinsurance, or wondering whether we’ve gotten everything we’re owed.
For some survivors, the statute of limitations for legal action against their insurer may run as early as January 7, 2027. Your deadline depends on your claim and circumstances.
That’s why EFSN created Beat the Clock.
For seven Thursday nights, experienced lawyers and other experts will help answer the questions that matter now:
Do I have a potential case? What am I still owed? What’s my deadline? What evidence do I need? What should I do next?
Every session features expert guidance, live survivor Q&A, and a practical 1- to 2-page handout with the key actions, deadlines, questions, and next steps you need to know..
Attend one or all seven. Choose the sessions you need.
Oct. 1 | The Clock Is Ticking: Your Claims and Their Deadlines
How much time do I have, and what do I need to understand before that time runs out?
This first session gives you the map.
We’ll explain the 24-month limitation period that may apply to certain claims against an insurer, how tolling may affect that calculation, and why January 7, 2027 may or may not be your deadline.
We’ll also look at other clocks that may affect your recovery, including additional living expenses, replacement-cost benefits, contents payments, bad-faith claims, potential claims involving agents or brokers, and nonrenewal protections.
And we’ll get practical: What does an attorney look for when evaluating a case? How do contingency fees work? How far ahead of a deadline should you talk to an attorney?
Presenters:
Shant Karnikian, Kabateck LLP
James Lee, Raizner Lee Law
Oct. 8 | Taxes: Casualty Losses, New Federal Relief & Surviving an IRS Audit
What tax decisions do I need to make now, and how do I protect myself later?
October 15, 2026 is an important federal tax deadline: the deadline for the election to deduct a 2025 disaster loss on a 2024 federal return.
Just one week before that deadline, a tax attorney and CPA will explain what survivors need to know about casualty losses, new federal wildfire tax relief, the §165(i) election, and unresolved insurance recoveries.
We’ll also cover tax decisions around rebuilding or selling, including §1033 involuntary conversions and §121, what evidence you may need to support your losses, and what records to preserve in case of an IRS examination.
Presenters:
Tax attorney with IRS examination and Appeals experience
CPA experienced in disaster-loss returns
Oct. 15 | Bad Faith: When Your Insurer Delays, Lowballs or Denies
Is this simply a frustrating insurance claim, or might I have grounds for legal action?
Months pass. Adjusters change. Documents disappear into a black hole. Estimates bear little resemblance to what rebuilding actually costs.
When is that simply an awful claims experience, and when might it have legal significance?
Policyholder attorneys will explain the insurer’s duty of good faith and fair dealing and examine delays, low estimates, changing adjusters, ignored evidence, denials, and potential violations of California claims-handling rules.
We’ll also discuss what you can do now to build a record of what has happened, including written communications, documentation, and a claim diary.
Presenters:
Michelle Meyers, Singleton Schreiber
Dylan Schaffer, Kerley Schaffer
Kevin Pollak, Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo
Oct. 22 | Underinsurance: What Are You Still Owed, and Who May Be Responsible?
Your insurance coverage isn’t enough to rebuild. Can you get more money from your policy, or could you have a claim against the insurer, agent, or broker who helped set your coverage?
First, we’ll look for every dollar that may still be available under your policy, including extended replacement cost, building-code upgrades, debris removal, other structures, rebuilding elsewhere, and other benefits.
Then we’ll investigate why your coverage fell short. How were your limits set? Were replacement-cost estimates accurate? Were inflation protections included? What role did your insurer, agent, or broker play?
Policyholder attorneys will explain potential claims involving insurers, agents, and brokers, including flawed replacement-cost estimates and the special duties agents may have in certain circumstances.
You’ll also learn which records to find now, including old policy declarations, replacement-cost worksheets, and communications with your agent, so you can better understand what you may still be owed and whether you may have a potential claim for being underinsured.
Presenters:
Renee Callantine, Corner Law
Michael Bidart, Shernoff Bidart Echeverria
Oct. 29 | Smoke Damage: Make Your Home Safe to Return To
Your insurer says your home is safe or doesn’t have covered smoke damage. How do you know whether that’s right?
An independent industrial hygienist will explain smoke contamination, testing and sampling, remediation, and how to evaluate whether your home is ready to live in again.
Policyholder attorneys will explain your insurance rights, what evidence may help challenge a denial or inadequate remediation, and potential next steps including appraisal, a Department of Insurance complaint, and litigation.
The goal: understand what your insurer may owe and what you can do to get your family safely home.
Presenters:
Michelle Meyers, Singleton Schreiber
Kevin Pollak, Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo
Nov. 5 | Dumped onto the FAIR Plan: Your Coverage Gaps, Rights & Potential Claims
If I was pushed onto the FAIR Plan before the fire and now have a coverage gap, who may be responsible?
Some survivors entered January 7 already vulnerable.
Their previous insurer had nonrenewed them. They ended up on the FAIR Plan. Only after losing their home did they discover what their new coverage did and did not include.
We’ll explain nonrenewals, notice rules, moratoriums, FAIR Plan coverage, Difference in Conditions coverage, and current renewal protections.
Then we’ll examine responsibility.
Was the nonrenewal proper? Were you adequately informed about the coverage you were losing? Should an agent or broker have obtained or advised you about additional coverage?
Presenters:
Renee Callantine, Corner Law
Dylan Schaffer, Kerley Schaffer
Nov. 12 | Ask the Lawyers: What Do I Need to Do Now?
After everything I’ve learned, what do I need to do about my claim?
This session belongs to survivors.
We’ll start with a short recap of the major deadlines. Then we open the floor.
Do I potentially have a case? How do I know whether it’s worth pursuing? When should I talk to a lawyer? How do I find the right one? What should I bring to an initial consultation? How do contingency fees work? Can I file a lawsuit and keep negotiating? What if I’m not ready to sue?
Bring the questions you still need answered.
Presenters:
James Lee, Raizner Lee Law
Michael Bidart, Shernoff Bidart Echeverria
Come with questions. Leave knowing what to do next.
Every session combines expert education with live survivor Q&A and a practical 1- to 2-page action guide covering the key deadlines, records, questions, and next steps.
No 30 pages of legalese. Just information you can use.
Beat the Clock is created by Every Fire Survivor’s Network (EFSN), a survivor-led nonprofit serving 10,000+ Eaton and Palisades fire survivors and allies. The series is led by fire survivors Larry Midler, EFSN Advisory Board Chair and former General Counsel of CBRE, and Joy Chen, EFSN Executive Director and former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles.
The lawyers and other professionals are here to educate survivors, not solicit clients. EFSN does not recommend or endorse participating attorneys or firms. Sessions provide general education, not individual legal or tax advice, and do not create an attorney-client relationship.
Free for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors. Attend one session or all seven.
Thursdays | 7-8 PM Pacific | Live on Zoom