Disclaimers

Last updated: 2026-04-26

This page explains who PolicyholderAid is, who we aren't, and what you can — and can't — rely on from reading this site. If something here is unclear, email us at [email protected].

What PolicyholderAid is

PolicyholderAid is an independent editorial publication for California property insurance policyholders. We publish researched, sourced, plain-English guides on FAIR Plan disputes, smoke and wildfire claims, the public-adjuster-vs-attorney decision, carrier-specific denial patterns, and the practical mechanics of recovering fair compensation when an insurer hasn't paid what your claim is worth.

We are not a law firm. We are not your lawyer. We are not your insurance carrier or its representative. Reading this site does not create an attorney-client, adjuster-client, broker-client, or fiduciary relationship of any kind. Nothing on PolicyholderAid.org constitutes legal advice or insurance advice. For advice about your specific claim, consult a California-licensed public adjuster or a California-licensed attorney.

The dual-brand structure

PolicyholderAid is the editorial brand. The free claim-review pathway routes qualified policyholders to an affiliated California public adjuster firm, which operates as a separate licensed entity. The publication earns trust because it reads as a resource, not a sales funnel; the affiliated PA firm captures qualified intent through the free-review pathway. This is the same pattern used by NerdWallet (publication) / NerdWallet+ (financial services), Wirecutter (publication) / Wirecutter affiliate partnerships, and Policygenius (publication) / Policygenius brokerage.

The affiliated PA firm is currently launching. While the firm is launching, free-claim-review intake is being collected and queued. Once the firm is fully operational, it will be named, its California Department of Insurance license number will appear in the site footer, and a written engagement letter will be required before any public adjusting services are performed. Until then, no PA-client relationship exists between you and the firm — even after you submit a review request.

Solicitation rules — California Insurance Code §15007

Public adjusters in California are prohibited from soliciting business in the seven days following a Governor-declared disaster. PolicyholderAid respects this rule: when California declares a disaster, our claim-review intake from the affected zone is paused for seven days, and we do not direct outbound communications into the affected zip codes during that window. See our wildfire coverage for current intake status during active disasters.

No guaranteed outcomes

Insurance claim outcomes are fact-specific. Every settlement, verdict, and recovery discussed on this site reflects the specific facts of that claim — the policy language, the carrier's conduct, the available evidence, the venue, and the people involved. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Settlement amounts, timelines, contingency fees, and recovery percentages vary widely. Anyone who promises you a specific outcome before reviewing your file is selling, not advising.

Editorial independence and corrections

Our editorial team chooses what to cover. We do not accept payment from insurance carriers, outside public adjusters, or attorneys for editorial coverage. We do not run sponsored content, native advertising, or paid placements in our guides. The only commercial relationship the editorial site has is intake routing to our affiliated California PA firm.

Every guide cites primary sources — California Department of Insurance bulletins, reported court decisions (with case caption, court, and date), statutory text, and California news outlets. Citations reflect the editorial team's research as of the article's last-updated date. If a statute, regulation, or court decision changes the answer, we update the article and note the correction.

For a full description of how we research, source, review, and update content — including our author-credentials policy, our AI-assistance policy, and our funding model — see our Editorial Standards page.

Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the page URL and a description. Substantive corrections are logged with date and a brief description at the bottom of the affected page; typos are silently fixed.

TCPA consent for SMS

Submitting the free-claim-review form with the SMS-consent box checked authorizes us (and our affiliated PA firm) to send you transactional and follow-up SMS messages about your inquiry. Standard message and data rates apply. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP. Opt-out is honored regardless of any other consent. Submitting the form without the SMS box checked means we will not text you — only email and phone (where provided) will be used.

Carrier names, case names, and statute citations

We name California insurance carriers descriptively when discussing public denial patterns, California Department of Insurance market-conduct examinations, reported court decisions, and California news reporting. Citations are made in good faith based on public records, public filings, or contemporaneous news reporting. Naming a carrier in editorial coverage is not an accusation, an endorsement, or a representation that any specific policyholder will receive any specific outcome. Case names and statute citations are provided so readers can verify our work and read the underlying source.

Affiliate and referral disclosure

We do not earn commission from third-party services. We do not run sponsored content. We do not accept payment from outside public adjusters, attorneys, or contractors for referrals. The only commercial pathway from PolicyholderAid editorial content is the free claim-review intake routed to our affiliated California PA firm.

Contact for legal notice

Legal notices, takedown requests, and corrections: [email protected]. Mailing address: PO Box 36234, Los Angeles, CA 90036.