麻豆原创

An analysis of the claims paid out after the Gray and Oregon Road fires in Washington last year found that most of the homes destroyed were underinsured.

The fires destroyed 366 homes, burning more than 20,000 acres outside of Spokane in August 2023.

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s office initiated a data call in June to collect information from insurers that had a loss associated with the fires.

The results showed 355 significant dwelling claims ($10,000 in dwelling loss and $10,000 in personal property loss), and 244 had paid out 100% of their coverage for damage and 162 are still open and ongoing.

“That’s a sign that in most cases, the coverage limits were reached,” Kreidler said in a statement. “It’s a tragic loss for the people involved in these fires and an unfortunate situation to not be made whole after a life-changing event.”

Kreidler urged homeowners to review their policies regularly to ensure coverage meets the costs to fully replace their home and possessions should a loss occur.

The data call showed:

• 737 claims were made relating to the wildfires, and 664 of those claims resulted in a payment. Companies paid out $212 million as of July 31, for an average payment amount of almost $320,000.
• Of the 244 claims that paid out 100% of their coverage, 75 did not have extended replacement loss coverage. The 169 homes with extended replacement loss coverage were able to recover more than their policy limit.
• 111 claims had personal property damage, outbuilding damage or loss of use coverage.
• 32% of the people filing the claims that had significant loss were dropped from their previous insurance company; 36 policies were nonrenewed, while 79 were cancelled mid-term.
• The limits on loss of use coverage varied among claims: 154 had a dollar amount limit, with no time restrictions; 73 claims had a time limit (12 to 36 months), with no dollar amount restrictions; 98 claims had both a time limit and dollar amount restriction, the most common being 24 months.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Washington