Derek Chaiken and I visited a number of burned-out homes where our clients lived until the recent Los Angeles wildfires destroyed everything they owned. Seeing firsthand the devastating aftermath and hearing the deeply emotional stories from these homeowners is heartbreaking—but what’s even worse is witnessing how some insurance companies continue to compound their customers’ trauma by putting their health directly at risk.
In my book, Pay Up!: Preventing a Disaster with Your Own Insurance Company, I highlighted the story of the Piburn family. After losing their home in a catastrophic fire, the insurance company forced them to conduct a detailed inventory of their belongings by sifting through dangerous debris themselves. This experience was not just emotionally devastating; it put their physical health in serious jeopardy:
Taking an item-by-item inventory of their losses was not only difficult for the Piburns—it was dangerous and traumatizing. They couldn’t remember everything they had lost. They had to search the debris for reminders and evidence of their losses. This should have been the job of professional insurance adjusters, but the insurance company had their own customers doing the work instead. The insurance company had a seventy-year-old woman literally digging through the rubble of her own life. This was emotionally taxing, even traumatizing. Just imagine finding charred picture frames with the photos burned to a black crisp behind the glass. It breaks your heart.
What I described then is still happening today in Los Angeles. After a wildfire, many policyholders receive instructions from their insurers to list every single personal belonging they’ve lost. This painstaking task—often portrayed by insurers as a mere inconvenience—is anything but. It forces traumatized, grieving families to revisit scenes of disaster, sifting through ashes and toxic debris to remember what they once owned, piece by piece. It’s an unconscionable burden that no policyholder should ever bear, especially when the risks to their health are so severe.
The rubble of a burned-out home isn’t just ash and debris; it’s a toxic soup of hazardous chemicals and materials. Many fire scenes contain dangerous elements such as asbestos from old insulation, lead from old paint, and countless carcinogenic substances produced by burning plastics, synthetic materials, and household cleaners. Even the flame-retardant chemicals used to slow down fires can themselves be highly toxic, increasing the risk of cancer. These substances are invisible, airborne threats that can quickly enter the lungs and bloodstream or be absorbed through the skin.
Professional adjusters understand these risks and receive specialized training in safely navigating fire-damaged environments. They are equipped with proper protective gear—respirators, gloves, protective suits—and they must follow strict Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations when working in hazardous conditions. Insurance companies know this, which is why their own adjusters rarely enter these scenes unprotected. Yet, because policyholders aren’t employees, OSHA’s rules don’t apply to them. Insurers conveniently ignore this loophole, essentially shifting responsibility—and risk—to the very customers who rely on them most.
So, the pressing question remains: Why aren’t insurers hiring, training, and deploying sufficient numbers of inventory and contents adjusters to investigate and document losses professionally and safely? Why are California insurance companies comfortable exposing their policyholders—many elderly or vulnerable—to serious physical and psychological harm rather than properly staffing and equipping their claims teams?
Policyholders who have just lost everything deserve empathy, care, and professional assistance. They deserve adjusters who do the job safely, professionally, and thoroughly. No one who has survived the trauma of a wildfire should ever be forced by their insurer to relive that trauma while endangering their health. The insurance industry’s continuing practice of placing their customers directly in harm’s way is unacceptable and inhumane.
As advocates for policyholders, we have to raise our voices, demanding change and accountability. This obligation extends to engaging with our lawmakers who shape the policies that impact the people we serve. Three weeks ago, I visited the office of California State Senator Ben Allen, who introduced the “No List” Inventory Act following the devastating California wildfires. Meeting with his staff, I pledged my support for legislation that protects and levels the playing field for policyholders, including those affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
It’s time insurers prioritized the health and safety of their customers—not just profits and convenience. Our communities deserve better, safer, and more compassionate treatment in the aftermath of disaster.
Thought For The Day
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
—Mark Twain