Californians Sue DOI For Allowing Unlicensed, Out-Of-State Adjusters After Wildfires

Californians have filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Insurance for allegedly allowing unlicensed out-of-state insurance adjusters to offer their services after major wildfire events. The lawsuit alleges that the state agency welcomed many adjusters from outside California, particularly after the fall 2017 and summer 2018 wildfires — these adjusters not only lacked licenses to operate in the state, but many were also unfamiliar with state laws. The case was filed by Jeff Sengstack, a local who lost his Santa Rosa home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire and his attorney Jon Eisenberg. Eisenberg had reportedly been helping Sengstack and other local wildfire victims with their insurance claims when they learned that many insurers operating in the state were using out-of-state adjusters.