Stephen Raucher Co-Authors Insurance Law Update for CLA’s 2026 California Litigation Review
in Insurance Law by Stephen RaucherReuben Raucher & Blum attorney Stephen Raucher co-authored the Insurance Law section of the California Lawyers Association’s 2026 California Litigation Review, published by CLA’s Litigation Section.
The annual publication provides California litigators with updates on significant legal developments across key practice areas. Raucher’s Insurance Law section reviews recent decisions affecting first-party and third-party insurance coverage, bad faith claims, and insurance-related litigation procedure.
The update addresses several issues of practical importance to policyholders, insurers, and counsel handling insurance disputes, including:
– Coverage for smoke damage following California wildfires, including how courts are analyzing whether smoke, soot, ash, or char constitute direct physical loss or damage to property
– Coverage disputes involving California FAIR Plan policies
– Auto policy exclusions, including compensated carrying exclusions
– Workers’ compensation and insurance-related issues involving employee commute injuries
– Life insurance notice statutes and the causation requirement for breach of contract claims
– Third-party coverage issues, including molestation exclusions and whether intentional conduct qualifies as an accident or occurrence
– Bad faith claims involving the duty to defend and policy limits demands
– Procedural issues involving appraisal, ripeness, diversity jurisdiction, and the amount in controversy in insurance coverage litigation
The section is designed as a practical resource for attorneys and businesses following developments in California insurance law. It highlights how courts are applying recent precedent to property damage, coverage exclusions, insurer obligations, and litigation strategy.
A PDF of the Insurance Law section is available below.
California Litigation Review – 2026 edition
For questions about insurance coverage disputes, policyholder rights, bad faith claims, or related litigation, please contact Stephen Raucher.