Did Your California Insurance Carrier Deny or Lowball Your Wildfire Claim?
KBK Lawyers represents California homeowners and business owners against the major insurance carriers that have denied wildfire claims, underpaid losses, or cut off Additional Living Expense. We have litigated against the largest California insurance carriers and recovered substantial verdicts and settlements. Free, confidential review. No fee unless we recover money for you.
Holding Insurance Companies Accountable
$1.8 million bad-faith recovery for a Woolsey Fire homeowner — after the carrier had already paid the insured over $1 million on the same claim. $9+ million Station Fire smoke-damage class settlement for 1,000+ policyholders. $250+ million portfolio in Northridge earthquake bad-faith claims. We have brought wildfire bad-faith cases against major California carriers — and won. (Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)
Why Your Carrier Is Denying or Underpaying Your Wildfire Claim
Every major California wildfire tends to generate the same claim-handling issues. While the insurance carrier may differ, the patterns often look remarkably similar:
- Paying Actual Cash Value (ACV) when the policy provides for Replacement Cost Value (RCV)
- Undervaluing contents claims with consumer-grade pricing that does not reflect the actual value of lost property
- Characterizing smoke, soot, and ash damage as “cosmetic” despite the need for professional remediation
- Terminating Additional Living Expense (ALE) benefits long before the home can realistically be rebuilt
- Ignoring available code-upgrade coverage even though California building codes have changed over time
- Disputing comparable housing costs and offering below-market reimbursement rates
- Mishandling coordination between FAIR Plan coverage and wraparound or supplemental policies
- Prolonging investigations for months while policyholders continue paying expenses out of pocket
A California insurance bad-faith lawyer who has handled these claim-denial and underpayment patterns against major carriers throughout the state understands where insurers often fall short and how to challenge those decisions effectively.
We Pursue Substantial Wildfire Insurance Recoveries
KBK Lawyers focuses on California wildfire insurance disputes involving substantial unpaid policy benefits — typically cases where at least $200,000 in coverage remains in dispute. Our 20% contingency fee is among the lowest in the California plaintiffs’ bar for this kind of work. No fee unless we recover money for you. If your matter is not a fit for our practice, we will tell you on the first call and, where appropriate, refer you to a firm that can help.
What KBK Lawyers Has Recovered for California Policyholders
$250M+
Northridge earthquake insurance bad-faith claims
$9M+
Station Fire smoke-damage class settlement for over 1,000 policyholders
$1.8M+
Woolsey Fire bad-faith recovery after the carrier had already paid seven figures
$1.7M+
in a water-damage bad-faith case
Our founding partner, Brian Kabateck, is a past President of Consumer Attorneys of California and a past President of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and he has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times and on national news on California insurance and consumer cases.
What We Recover for Wildfire Survivors
Depending on the facts of your case and the terms of your policy, you may be entitled to recover:
Speak With Our Experienced Team
Deadlines
Fire insurance policies must provide at least two years to file suit for wildfire-related claims under California Insurance Code section 2071.1. Bad-faith tort claims generally have a two-year deadline under California’s personal injury statute. But deadlines can vary depending on your policy, the type of claim, and when your loss occurred. Missing a deadline can bar your claim entirely. Contact us as soon as possible. We can identify these important deadlines at the outset of the case or claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it matter which California carrier denied my claim?
No. We have represented California policyholders against every major insurance carrier in the state. The carrier matters less than the denial pattern and the size of the unpaid policy benefits. Bring the carrier’s letters and your policy to a free consultation, and we will tell you whether we can help.
My carrier already paid me something. Do I still have a case?
Often, yes. Partial payment does not end the claim. Many of the strongest bad-faith cases involve carriers who paid a fraction of what they owed and then declared the matter closed. Bring the carrier’s payment letters and your policy to a free consultation.
What does it cost to have my case reviewed?
Nothing. The first consultation is free and confidential. If we take the case, we work on a 20% contingency fee — among the lowest in the California plaintiffs’ bar for this kind of work. We only get paid if we recover money for you.
Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.