Jan. 21, 2026
Burned twice: 5 signs of bad faith in total-loss wildfire claims
More than a year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many families still cannot rebuild because insurers quietly shortchange total-loss claims by delaying, minimizing or withholding benefits they owe.
Brian S. Kabateck
Founding and Managing Partner
Kabateck LLP
Consumer rights
633 W. Fifth Street Suite 3200
Los Angeles , CA 90071
Phone: (213) 217-5000
Email: bsk@kbklawyers.com
Brian represents plaintiffs in personal injury, mass torts litigation, class actions, insurance bad faith, insurance litigation and commercial contingency litigation. He is a former president of Consumer Attorneys of California.
Shant A. Karnikian
Managing Partner and Trial Attorney
Kabateck LLP
Phone: (213) 217-5000
Email: sk@kbklawyers.com
Loyola Law School
More than a year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, when the focus should be on rebuilding, the most persistent obstacle for many families remains their own insurance company. There is a common assumption that at this point in the recovery process, serious insurance disputes arise primarily in smoke, ash or partial-loss claims. Total losses, by contrast, are often viewed as straightforward: the home...
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