Underinsured? It Might Not Be Your Fault.
Three free webinars this month could change how you think about your insurance claim.
Eaton and Palisades fire survivors enjoy drinks at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A.
June 9, 2026
Dear friend,
Seventeen months after the fires, EFSN is fighting on three fronts to move insurance dollars into survivor bank accounts and help families get home.
First, we're pushing insurance reform through Sacramento.
Second, we're supporting investigations into illegal insurer conduct.
Third, we're helping survivors understand their legal rights and options.
Last fall, nearly 500 survivors shared their experiences with State Farm. We brought those stories to LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who launched a formal investigation. State Farm started cutting checks.
More than $100 million in delayed insurance payments flowed into survivor bank accounts.
Your stories did that.
Meanwhile, our three insurance reform bills have passed the California Senate and are now headed to the Assembly Insurance Committee. The insurance industry is organized and fighting hard. So are we.
And now we're expanding our work to make sure we all understand our legal rights and options.
Because informed survivors are powerful survivors.
Underinsurance: Your Rights, Your Recourse
This spring, the Department of Angels found that the median gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding costs was roughly $600,000 in Eaton and $1.2 million in the Palisades.
Most of us hear numbers like that and assume the same thing: I must not have bought enough insurance. It's my fault.
But what if it isn't?
Back in 2011, then-Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones adopted a landmark consumer protection regulation, California Code of Regulations Title 10, Section 2695.183. The regulation governs how replacement cost estimates are prepared. If an insurer provides a replacement cost estimate, it must be based on current rebuilding costs and account for factors such as labor, materials, debris removal, permits, and the specific features of the home.
The insurance industry hated the regulation and sued to stop it. The case eventually reached the California Supreme Court, where it was defended by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris.
The result was a unanimous 7-0 victory for consumers.
The regulation remains California law today.
Which raises some important questions. Did your insurer provide a replacement cost estimate? Was it realistic? Did it reflect what it would actually cost to rebuild your home? And as construction costs rose over the years, did the estimate keep pace with reality?
For some survivors, the answer may be yes. For others, the answer may be no.
And where replacement cost estimates failed to reflect reality, that may have important legal implications.
Some survivors may ultimately decide to pursue legal action. Others may not. Our goal is not to steer anyone toward a particular path. It is simply to ensure every survivor understands their rights and options so they can make the decision that is right for them and their family.
Wouldn't it be fascinating to hear directly from former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones himself about what the regulation actually says, why the industry fought it so hard, and what it may mean for survivors today?
We thought so too.
A Free Three-Part EFSN Webinar Series on Underinsurance
Session 1: The Pulitzer Investigation
Already happened, which means you can watch the recording on demand!
Last week, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Susie Neilson and Megan Fan Munce of the San Francisco Chronicle joined us for a behind-the-scenes conversation about BURNED, their investigation into how major insurers used hidden algorithms that left many of L.A. fire survivors underinsured and underpaid.
Their reporting earned the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting.
Watch the Pulitzer webinar:https://www.efsurvivors.net/expert-resources
Read the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into underinsurance:https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2025/california-home-insurance-underinsured/
Session 2: Hear It From the Insurance Commissioner Who Wrote the Law
Thursday, June 18 | 7:00–8:00 PM Pacific
Dave Jones is joining us.
The former Insurance Commissioner who wrote the regulation, defended it through years of industry attacks, and watched it prevail unanimously before the California Supreme Court will explain:
• What the regulation actually requires
• Why the insurance industry fought it
• What it may mean for survivors today
Joining Dave is Michael Bidart of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria, one of California's leading insurance bad-faith attorneys.
He'll discuss how these issues are showing up in real cases and what survivors should understand about their legal options.
Bring your questions. We'll reserve plenty of time for live Q&A.
1,000 seats. Free. All Eaton and Palisades survivors are warmly welcome.
Register for Session 2:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bdRTf85cQlON6o358qPkcg
Recovery Needs Joy, Too
Seventeen months ago, most of us had never met.
Today, we've built the nation's largest survivor recovery network.
We've stood by one another through the hardest chapter of our lives.
Join us at Rally for Recovery for music, food, fun, and community.
You don't even need to play pickleball.
General admission is $25 for adults and free for kids. Want more? Join the pickleball tournament, upgrade to the VIP Brunch Club, or sign up for a coaching session.
Every ticket supports EFSN's work fighting insurer misconduct and helping survivors get home.
Because recovery isn't just about rebuilding and remediating homes. It's about building community.
Learn more and register:
rallyus.org
News Around Our Recovery
Your insurer may have just added a wildfire deductible. (Washington Post / Brianna Sacks)
Brianna Sacks has a big scoop: some California homeowners are being issued policies with separate wildfire deductibles buried in the fine print. That means a wildfire claim could require homeowners to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket before insurance pays a dime. After questions from the Washington Post, the California Department of Insurance said it will review the policies.
Smoke damage: a fight that could reshape insurance nationwide. (LA Daily News / Jason Henry)
Palisades homeowners John and Callie Momtazee are suing their insurer, a Chubb subsidiary, for their full $45 million policy. With bad faith damages, the payout could reach $100 million or more. The outcome could reshape smoke damage claims for survivors across the country.
Standing homes get science and advocacy. (Pali Post / Abbie O'Connor)
Palisadians whose homes survived the fire are now part of a federally funded, three-year study analyzing toxic contamination. A new PPCC task force co-led by Elissa Ashwood and Robert Gold is organizing advocacy, vetted vendors, and a pilot hair-testing program.
https://palipost.com/owners-of-standing-homes-form-task-force-join-study-on-postfire-safety/
Welcome back, Palisadian-Post! (Los Angeles Times / Gustavo Arellano)
After the fire shuttered the community's nearly 100-year-old newspaper, new owners Laura and Tim Schneider brought it back this spring.
Local news is an act of love. We're glad this one is back.
AROUND THE COMMUNITY
DENA Juneteenth Immersive Experience
June 19–20 | Altadena
Our friends at MyTRIBE Rise are throwing a two-day Juneteenth celebration with live bands, Jamaican food, neon arts. Plus: academic scholarships and grants for Eaton fire survivors.
DAY PARTY: Saturday, June 20 | 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Metropolitan Baptist Church, 2283 N. Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena
NIGHT PARTY (Backyard Boogie): Friday, June 19 | 5:00 PM
Same location
Apply for Eaton fire survivor grants:
http://tinyurl.com/2CareForm
Recovery follows the money. EFSN moves the money.
And one of the most powerful things you can do right now is understand what you may actually be owed.
The Pulitzer investigation. The law. The lawyers.
Three free sessions built for survivors.
Register and share this newsletter with any networks of friends who may be underinsured.
And if you're ready for a break from insurance talk, come celebrate with us at Rally for Recovery.
We'll save you a place.
Love,
Joy
The Every Fire Survivor's Network (EFSN) connects 10,000+ fire survivors and allies across Eaton, Palisades, Malibu, and Topanga. Together, we remove barriers and help families get home. Join us: efsurvivors.net
Join 10,000+ survivors and allies getting weekly updates on insurance, housing, and recovery. “This is the one email I actually read.”
