California Wildfire Lawyers

Even fires that were not preventable present many paths, such as home insurance, for recovering compensation.

But claiming a share of these sources of compensation can present difficulties for most California residents. Here are some of the ways that California wildfire lawyers can help you to recover compensation for your damages.

Lawsuits

Some wildfires were caused by negligent or intentional acts of individuals or businesses. These acts expose those responsible to lawsuits. For small wildfires, you may only compete against a few other property owners for compensation. But after a large wildfire, you might be one among the thousands who lost a home or personal property to the fire.

Sometimes, these lawsuits are consolidated as class actions against giant corporations like Southern California Edison. Having a lawyer stake your claim to the eventual judgment or settlement can give you an important resource for rebuilding your home and life.

Victims’ Trust Funds

In response to class action lawsuits, some of the companies responsible for starting wildfires settled by establishing victims’ funds. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) took this route before declaring bankruptcy.

The benefit of these funds is that they cover property losses, personal injury, and emotional distress. The drawback of these funds is that they will cover the losses of some, but not all, victims. Even with $6.75 billion in cash and $6.75 billion in stock, the PG&E Fire Victim Trust could run dry before all the claims are fully paid.

To make sure that you get a fair shot at compensation from PG&E’s Fire Victim Trust and other victims’ funds, the fund provides a questionnaire to be filled out by each law firm representing victims. Your chances of receiving compensation depend on you and your lawyer filling out the questionnaire accurately and completely.

Insurance Claims

Most homeowner’s policies cover both real property and personal property lost in a wildfire. But homeowners’ policies usually do not cover damages for personal injuries, pain, or suffering. As a result, insurance claims provide a start for rebuilding, but they may not cover all your losses.

Documenting and filing a claim for losses in a California wildfire can be complicated. Fortunately, injury lawyers have extensive knowledge and experience in the insurance claim process.

Hiring California Wildfire Lawyers

Unfortunately, wildfires may constitute the new normal for Californians. Knowing how to protect yourself against wildfires and obtain compensation if one strikes your home could be essential for every California resident. A California wildfire lawyer can help you to understand your options and seek compensation for your wildfire losses.