By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Since the January 2025 firestorms damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes in Los Angeles County, fire victims have repeatedly complained that insurers have delayed, denied or underpaid many of their claims, with most still displaced.
A year later, state lawmakers have introduced legislation to address those problems.
One bill, authored by newly appointed Senate Insurance Committee Chairperson Steve Padilla, (D-San Diego), and backed by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, addresses more than a half-dozen problems that have cropped over the past year.
Senate Bill 876 would double penalties during a declared emergency for violations of laws regulating claims practices, and would require insurers to pay restitution directly to policyholders.
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Two other bills were authored by Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Alhambra), whose district includes the Eaton fire zone. They were backed by Los Angeles advocacy group Consumer Watchdog and the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, which have called for Lara’s resignation.