Wildfire Survivors Launched Insurance Experiences Survey
California homeowners are documenting claims and denial processes to track insurer accountability following major fires.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Insurance
Live Poll
Do you trust that insurance companies fulfill their promises to customers after major wildfire disasters?
Every Fire Survivor's Network and UCLA researchers have launched a survey to catalog how insurance companies handled claims for California wildfire victims. This effort aims to create a public record of insurer conduct following the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Why it matters
The project seeks to identify potential illegal practices by insurers and improve accountability for residents navigating the claims process. By aggregating household experiences, researchers plan to issue recurring scorecards to help the public monitor insurance performance.
The survey has gathered more than 1,100 responses from California residents to date. Participants complete a 15-minute questionnaire that contributes to a dataset used to track insurer accountability and potential bad-faith patterns.
The players
State Farm
A major insurance provider that has faced litigation regarding its handling of wildfire claims.
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
An academic institution partnering with advocates to analyze insurance data and document consumer experiences.
Every Fire Survivor's Network
An advocacy organization focused on supporting wildfire victims and tracking insurance company accountability.
The details
The survey questions were developed by consumer-fraud attorneys and insurance bad-faith litigators to identify potential misconduct. Participants provide property addresses for security purposes, while researchers mask individual identities to aggregate findings into public scorecards. This work builds on prior data collection efforts that supported a 170-page lawsuit against State Farm following the 2025 Eaton fire.
Timeline
The survey officially launched on Sept. 14, 2026.
Researchers plan to share initial survey results in early November 2026.
Scorecards for insurance providers will be updated every six months.
Money Landscape
This initiative marks a shift toward data-driven consumer advocacy in the California insurance market. It follows the pattern set by the recent lawsuit against State Farm, which leveraged household-level data to challenge corporate claims practices.
If you are a wildfire survivor in California, participating in this survey may help build a record of your claims experience. Consult with a qualified legal or financial professional before signing any settlement agreements or waivers with your insurer.
The takeaway
Documenting your specific claim and denial experiences creates a historical record that can support collective accountability efforts. Keep detailed, dated copies of all correspondence and claim-related communications with your insurer in a secure location.
Further reading
For more information on managing coverage and claims, visit our Insurance section.
More information
To contribute your experience or review the initiative, visit the wildfire survivor insurance survey.
Live Poll
Do you trust that insurance companies fulfill their promises to customers after major wildfire disasters?
