By ALICE WRIGHT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
California‘s insurance commissioner has issued urgent advice to any residents that have lost their homes and businesses in the ongoing fires in Los Angeles.
Ricardo Lara cautioned those affected not to sign anything from insurance companies immediately, as they may try to settle quickly with low offers.
Lara said a little patience in these traumatic times could help fire victims receive the full compensation they deserve and also avoid falling victim to scams.
Wildfires in the Southern California region have ravished parts of Los Angeles, including Pacific Palisades where stars including James Woods have lost their homes.
Officials have revealed that at least 2,000 structures have been destroyed so far.
Lara told ABC7 that residents should first and foremost access safety, keep away from the disaster area and don’t rush in to any decisions.
He reminded residents that they are entitled to a three-day cooling-off period before they need to make any decision with a public adjuster.
‘Often what we’ve seen, unfortunately, throughout multiple fires in different years throughout the state, is you start seeing out-of-state adjusters come in, trying to, you know, cut a deal with homeowners,’ Lara told the programme.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has warned resident not to rush decisions
Lara said that people who have just lost their homes can be vulnerable to fraud during such a stressful moment.
Pausing before signing any kind of payout deal can help people catch potential fraud before it’s too late.
Lara also recommended double-checking an adjustors’ credentials by calling the insurance department and asking for their license.
He also recommended calling their insurance company before signing anything with an adjuster.
‘We’re just asking people to call our department, do not sign anything under duress,’ Lara said.
‘This is a very traumatic moment… and we want to let them know that please look out for fraud, do not sign anything, and we’re here to be able to help them through the entire process.
‘It’s very important that you know you have somebody on your side,’ he told Los Angeles residents.
Lara advised those affected to keep a copy of their home insurance policy safe as well as make note of any additional living expenses occurred since the fire began.