FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 13, 2025
Contact: Joy Chen | joy.chen@efsurvivors.net | 310-488-8938

MEDIA CONTACTS:
For statements by EFSN:
Joy Chen, Executive Director, Eaton Fire Survivors Network
joy.chen@efsurvivors.net  | +1 310 488 8938

For State Farm policyholder survivors ready to speak on the record:
Sandra Stanisa, Communications Director, Eaton Fire Survivors Network
sandra.stanisa@efsurvivors.net  | +1 323 447 1505

 

“After ten long months of delays, denials, and heartbreak, we are grateful to Supervisor Kathryn Barger for demanding accountability from State Farm. Her leadership gives survivors hope that recovery -- long stalled by insurer misconduct -- can finally move forward.

For months, survivors have pleaded with the state to act. The EFSN has documented over 400 firsthand accounts from Eaton and Palisades fire families that reveal a clear pattern of misconduct by State Farm. We brought together elected leaders from across Los Angeles to call on Commissioner Lara to stop illegal delays and denials. Yet he has failed to take meaningful action. As a result, a staggering 70% of insured Los Angeles fire survivors report that delays and denials are derailing their recovery.

In the absence of state leadership, today’s county investigation is a major step forward. It matters not only for Los Angeles fire survivors, but for every Californian who pays premiums and expects the protection they paid for when disaster strikes.

On behalf of families across California, we thank Supervisor Kathryn Barger for taking this action. We also urge Governor Newsom to install new leadership at the state who will rebuild an insurance system that works.”

 

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• See the County's press on the investigation here:

 https://counsel.lacounty.gov/los-angeles-county-opens-investigation-into-state-farms-handling-of-wildfire-claims/.
 

• Los Angeles fire survivors insured by State Farm are available to speak on the record about their experiences. To connect with them, contact Sandra Stanisa, EFSN Communications Director, at sandra.stanisa@efsurvivors.net or +1 323 447 1505.
 

• To read The State Farm Files, the EFSN report documenting nearly 500 firsthand accounts of delays and denials from Eaton and Palisades fire survivors and how they violate California laws, click here.
 

• To learn more about EFSN’s call for accountability and new leadership at the California Department of Insurance, visit lararesign.org.

 

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