The Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner published a bulletin reminding insurers of their obligation to process claims within 30 days, emphasizing the importance after recent floods.
A series of storms starting from August 9, 2025, hit Southeast Wisconsin and caused heavy flood damage. Governor Tony Evers requested federal assistance on August 13, 2025, and on September 11, 2025, FEMA announced a disaster declaration for Milwaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties, meaning that residents from those areas can apply for disaster assistance. However, residents cannot receive FEMA assistance without proof of a claim denial from their insurer.
Per Wisconsin Statutes, insurers are required to approve or deny a claim within a reasonable amount of time. A claim is considered overdue if not paid within 30 days of an insurer receiving written notice of a covered loss and the amount of the loss.
The deadline to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA is November 12, 2025. The commissioner stresses the importance of homeowners and auto insurers to process claims promptly as required by Wisconsin Statutes, and especially since they can affect a policyholder’s ability to apply for assistance by the deadline.
The bulletin can be found here.