1994 Quake Claims Due by Dec. 31

Multiple pleas were made Tuesday urging homeowners to meet the Dec. 31 deadline to reopen claims stemming from the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Policyholders unsatisfied with the outcome of insurance claims submitted before Jan. 1, 2001, have less than two weeks to file a lawsuit against their insurance company.

A state law, which resulted from passage of Senate Bill 1899, lifts the typical one-year statute of limitations that homeowners have to sue insurers over the handling of their claims.

A group of consumer attorneys held a news conference Tuesday in Studio City to stress the importance of the deadline.

“It’s an unprecedented opportunity,” said Dale Washington of Community Assisting Recovery, a nonprofit organization helping homeowners with insurance claims. “Don’t debate it. Don’t horse around.”

Indeed, a representative from the state Department of Insurance predicted Tuesday that this will be the final chance for earthquake victims to challenge previous insurance claims related to the disaster.

“This law was challenged up and down on a constitutional basis,” said Scott Edelen, the agency’s deputy commissioner. “If people think they meet the criteria, they need to act because this is probably the last shot.”

Homeowners can reopen previous claims resulting from the Northridge earthquake unless a final judgment was made in court before Jan. 1, 2001, or if the claim was settled between the homeowner and the insurance company with an agreement signed by the homeowner’s attorney.

With the holiday season in full swing, some homeowners may be asking themselves whether they have the time--and energy--to meet the deadline.

“Sure, there’s time, if you hurry up,” said Bruce M. Brusavich, president-elect of the Consumer Attorneys Assn. of California, who attended the news conference.

For more information, call the insurance department’s consumer hotline at (800) 927-4357.