How do I request my insurance claim file in California?
Send a written request — email or certified letter — to the assigned adjuster and claims manager asking for the complete claim file, including adjuster notes, activity log, all estimates, expert reports, photos, correspondence, and internal reserve/authority documents. California insurers must maintain these records under 10 CCR §2695.3, and while pre-litigation production is voluntary, refusal is itself documentable evidence of unreasonable conduct.
What to ask for by name
Specificity matters. A generic 'send my file' request gets a thin production. Ask for each category by name so any omission is obvious on the face of the response:
- Complete activity log / claim diary / adjuster notes
- All estimates (Xactimate, engineer, contractor, independent adjuster)
- All photos and inspection reports
- All expert and cause-of-loss reports
- All correspondence: letters, emails, portal messages, recorded call logs
- Reserve history and settlement authority documents
- Copy of the complete policy in effect at the date of loss, including endorsements
If they refuse or produce a thin file
A refusal or partial production is itself a §790.03(h)(3) and §2695.7(d) issue — failure to adopt reasonable investigation standards and failure to preserve claim documentation. Full production usually only happens in discovery after suit is filed, but the pre-suit request builds the record.
Need the evidence organized?
We build the bad faith evidence file for California policyholders: correspondence log, line-item estimate comparison, §790.03 citation map, and an exhibit-ready binder. $95/hour, client-directed.
Open an evidence fileRelated questions
Educational information only. Legal Document Assistants provide evidence services under California Business & Professions Code §6400 et seq.; we do not provide legal advice.