05/21/2025
🚨 UPDATE: Assurant Reverses Course — Full Limits Paid for Debris and Code 🙌
A month ago, we shared a troubling denial from Assurant on a total loss fire claim — where the insurer attempted to exclude asbestos abatement from debris removal and ignored code upgrade coverage, both clearly mandated by the policy and California law.
Despite statements like:
🗣️ “Abatement is not debris removal.”
🗣️ “Unless the fire caused the debris it would not be covered...”
🗣️ “It is part of Coverage A which is exhausted.”
We held the line. We cited policy language. We referenced California Code of Regulations §2695.9(d). We pushed back — professionally, persistently, and with the policyholder’s rights front and center.
And it worked. 💥
Assurant has now paid full policy limits for:
✅ Debris Removal (10% additional)
✅ Building Code Upgrades (10% additional)
To their credit, they corrected course. This is what accountability looks like. When insurers are willing to re-evaluate and make things right, it deserves acknowledgment.
🔍 Let this be a message to the industry:
Policy language matters.
California’s Fair Claims Act isn’t optional.
Hazardous debris from a fire is not a gray area — it’s covered.
📣 Assurant: Thank you for ultimately honoring the claim. It makes a real difference in a policyholder’s recovery.
To fellow adjusters and attorneys: Stay vigilant. Be thorough. Fight smart. And always, always protect the insured.