A group of property owners affected by the January wildfires is suing major California insurer carriers, including the state’s largest, State Farm, for allegedly violating California’s antitrust and unfair competition laws.
The lawsuits follow others regarding insurers’ handling of the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the California FAIR Plan (specifically about smoke damage), the state’s beleaguered insurance plan of last resort.
The group complaint and demand for jury trial filed Saturday in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that in a “nefarious conspiracy,” major insurers conspired to “eliminate competition between them,” thereby “intentionally and systematically” forcing homeowners to accept the California FAIR Plan…