New lawsuit alleges that Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company wrongfully withheld insurance payouts leaving family displaced and paying out-of-pocket for living expenses after their home was contaminated by fire-related smoke and toxins.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A lawsuit has been filed against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company for allegedly denying their policyholders owed coverage and benefits to help them restore their residence as livable after the devastating Eaton Fire. The lawsuit, brought by Singleton Schreiber LLP on behalf of the Greer family, claims that Nationwide denied and is actively avoiding providing them with the insurance and coverage for the damage and related expenses caused by the fire’s smoke and ash contamination.
For eight years, the Greers poured their love and hard work into their home, where they watched their children take their first steps and taught them how to ride bicycles. When the Eaton Fire erupted, its flames and smoke quickly spread and caused significant damage to the Greer property, physically depositing dangerous quantities of combustible materials, contaminants, including ash, soot, char, and heavy metals throughout their home.
All four family members began to experience serious respiratory issues that required emergency medical treatment. As a result of the damage, the Greers quickly filed a claim with Nationwide, seeking reimbursement and compensation for their covered losses and additional living expenses, including temporary relocation expenses and coverage for their personal property.
However, despite an outpouring of evidence, Nationwide withheld the Greers' payments for more than a month after the fire was contained. Unable to safely wait any longer, the Greers moved out of their contaminated home into a temporary residence, where they are now forced to pay rent on another property while still paying their home’s monthly mortgage.
For several months, Nationwide continued to deny the Greers’ attempts to obtain the compensation and insurance they were promised, asking unreasonable demands and harassing the family for unnecessary and excessive damage evidence. Once provided, Nationwide allegedly invented excuses and placed additional obstacles in their path, treating them like adversaries rather than policyholders.
"The Greers are a hard-working small-business owning family and Nationwide, a massive corporate entity, is knowingly taking advantage of a vulnerable party,” said Michelle Meyers, partner at Singleton Schreiber LLP. “I worry there are other families like the Greers that are enduring the same experience, and we hope this lawsuit sets a standard that this behavior, especially amidst such a catastrophic fire, is unacceptable for an insurance company.”
The lawsuit seeks compensation for economic and non-economic damages, including medical costs, emotional distress, and other related losses, as well as punitive damages for alleged insurance bad faith.
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, focusing on mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, tribal law, and sex abuse/trafficking. Home to the nation’s largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented over 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims caused by utilities, government negligence, railroads, and corporate misconduct.
Its nationally recognized team has played a leading role in high-profile cases including the 2025 Eaton Fire, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Fire, 2025 Esparto Fireworks Explosion, 2023 Maui Fires, and is also actively litigating wildfire cases throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Washington. They are also pursuing groundbreaking litigation against Tesla for misrepresenting their autopilot system, which recently resulted in a historic verdict.
Additionally, the firm advocates for survivors of abuse involving hotel chains in California and Washington. With deep experience in complex claims, the firm is committed to helping individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild.
