Man Who Lost Everything Grateful For Opportunity To Become Expert In Insurance Law
'Every cloud has a silver lining. I used to be a software engineer. Now I can cite California Insurance Code Section 790.03 from memory.'
[Tom Garrett holding thick binder of insurance regulations]
Garrett with his reference materials. The binders are organized by claim type, denial reason, and level of absurdity.
Tom Garrett, a 48-year-old former software engineer, says the January 2025 wildfires that destroyed his Altadena home have given him an unexpected gift: a comprehensive education in California insurance law that he never asked for and would very much like to return.
“Every cloud has a silver lining,” Garrett said, gesturing toward the three-ring binders that have taken over his temporary apartment. “I used to write code. Now I can cite California Insurance Code Section 790.03 from memory. I can explain the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost coverage. I know what ‘bad faith’ means in six different legal contexts. I am become bureaucracy, destroyer of worlds.”
Tom's New Expertise
- 790.03 — California Insurance Code section on unfair practices (memorized)
- 17 — Insurance law textbooks owned
- 3 — Bar exams he’s considering taking “just to prove a point”
- 0 — Desire to know any of this information
Garrett’s journey into insurance law began shortly after State Farm denied his initial claim, citing “incomplete documentation.” He submitted additional documentation, which was also deemed incomplete. He submitted more. The cycle continued.
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They kept asking for the same documents I’d already sent. So I started keeping a spreadsheet. Then the spreadsheet needed its own spreadsheet. Then I realized I was doing their job for them, except I wasn’t getting paid.
“The first time they denied my claim, I called my brother, who’s a lawyer,” Garrett explained. “He said, ‘Read Section 790.03.’ I didn’t know what that meant. Now I can recite it in my sleep. My wife has confirmed this. Apparently I do recite it in my sleep.”
Over the past ten months, Garrett has become an unofficial resource for other displaced residents navigating the claims process. He holds informal “office hours” at a Pasadena coffee shop, where he helps neighbors understand their policies, draft appeal letters, and process their collective grief through the therapeutic medium of regulatory analysis.
“Last week, I helped an 80-year-old woman file a complaint with the Department of Insurance,” he said. “She baked me cookies. That was nice. The cookies were worth more than the emotional compensation I’ve received from State Farm, which is zero dollars.”
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Our dinner conversations used to be about movies and weekend plans. Now it’s all ‘did you know the statute of limitations for bad faith claims is three years?’ I did not know that. I still don’t want to know that.
When asked if he’s considered actually going to law school, Garrett laughed hollowly. “I’ve thought about it. But honestly, I’ve already done more insurance law work in the past year than most first-year associates. I just don’t have the student debt to show for it.”
He paused, then added: “Although I do have other debt now. Different debt. The kind you get when your house burns down and you have to rent an apartment while waiting for your insurance company to acknowledge that you had a house.”
State Farm declined to comment on Garrett’s case specifically but noted that all claims are handled “according to policy terms and applicable regulations.”
“I know what those regulations are now,” Garrett responded when informed of the statement. “That’s the problem. I know exactly what they’re supposed to do. And I know they’re not doing it.”
As of press time, Garrett was drafting his fourth appeal letter. He described the process as “calming, in a nihilistic way.”