Consumer Groups Ask Court to Nix Smoke Damage Insurance Ruling

Consumer groups asked California’s high court to depublish an intermediate appeals court ruling limiting insurance coverage for wildfire debris damage, days after the state’s insurance regulator issued a bulletin clarifying the ruling wasn’t widely applicable to smoke damage claims.

“Given the devastating impact of recent wildfires in Los Angeles County, the signatories are deeply concerned about the Gharibian opinion’s potential to harm California policyholders seeking coverage for fire-related losses,” the groups told the California Supreme Court in a widely anticipated letter submitted Monday.

The letter was signed by Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Watchdog, ...