Insurers’ Secret Playbook: How “Hidden Rules” Shortchange Wildfire Survivors

A San Francisco Chronicle investigation on 12/18 found that California home insurers use “hidden rules” and internal claims-handling practices to reduce wildfire payouts, often cutting legitimate damage and cleanup costs well below actual market rates and leaving homeowners to battle for adequate compensation. These internal guidelines—which insurers rarely disclose and regulators seldom review—shape every step of the claims process, from adjuster assignment to repair estimates, and have contributed to many wildfire survivors receiving significantly lower settlements than needed to safely repair and restore their homes after disasters like the Eaton and Palisades fires. Read the article here.