Wildfires in California are notorious for beginning suddenly and consuming a staggering number of homes, businesses, and acres of land in a matter of hours. If you lost a loved one, suffered property damage, or sustained injuries in a wildfire, it may be difficult to know where to start to get your life back. Our California wildfire attorneys are here to help you, call for a free consultation. (619) 238-1811
As San Diego’s oldest plaintiff’s law firm, CaseyGerry has spent decades protecting the rights of people who have suffered injuries and losses in California and across the country, including those from wildfires.
California Wildfire Insurance Coverage
Wildfire victims often assume that their losses will be covered under their homeowner’s insurance policy. Sometimes insurance companies deny homeowner claims, and other times their policy limits are not enough to cover the extent of their losses. If your wildfire insurance claim was wrongly denied, you need an experienced attorney to negotiate with your insurance company and pursue the coverage that you deserve.
Insurance companies are required to practice good faith and fair dealing when handling claims for their insureds. If your insurance company is dishonest and otherwise fails to treat you fairly, you may have a bad faith claim against the company. Conduct and actions that may qualify as bad faith include the following:
- Unreasonable delays in processing a claim
- Failing to respond to a claim
- Undervaluing a claim
- Lies and misrepresentations about policy coverage
- Wrongly denying a claim
- Manipulating investigative findings
Compensation for bad faith insurance claims often includes costs you were forced to pay out of pocket due to claim delays or denials, attorneys’ fees, emotional distress, and in some cases, punitive damages are awarded.
Losses Not Covered By Your Insurance Policy in California
If you have sustained losses that are not covered by your policy or you have experienced losses in excess of your policy limits, you may have a claim for damages against the responsible party. Homeowner’s insurance policies may cover property damage and physical losses, but they may not cover your emotional losses and personal injuries caused by wildfires.
California Wildfire Liability
Natural causes, such as lightning strikes can start wildfires, but in many cases, fires are the result of someone’s negligence or recklessness. Private individuals sometimes start wildfires with carelessly discarded cigarette butts, fireworks, and arson. In other cases, a company or government entity, such as a utility company, construction company, or railroad is to blame.
Wildfire Injuries And Damages
Wildfire losses can be devastating. They can destroy part or all of your home, your personal belongings, vehicles, and your land. Families who have suffered enormous losses often have to build new homes, install replacement grass and landscaping, purchase vehicles, and replace home furnishings and personal belongings. Costs for wildfire damage and destruction can be financially ruinous.
Personal injuries are often severe and sometimes fatal. Common fire injuries include burns, smoke inhalation, scarring, disfigurement, and permanent disability. Injury victims who have sustained permanent disabilities might suffer lost income due to an inability to return to work. The emotional consequences of wildfire injuries, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life, can be significant.
Fatal Wildfire Injuries in California
In the worst cases, injuries can be fatal, and surviving family members are left to move forward and rebuild their lives without their loved ones. If you have lost a family member, you may be entitled to recover your resulting losses under a wrongful death claim. Compensation for wrongful death claims may include:
- Loss of your loved one’s financial support and benefits
- Loss of future earnings and benefits
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of guidance and companionship
- Loss of Consortium
- Loss of household services
California Wildfire Attorney Team
The CaseyGerry Fire litigation team is headed by David S. Casey, Jr.
CaseyGerry teamed with the law firms of Thomas Tosdal and Michael Feinberg to apply their collective knowledge, experience, and resources for several catastrophic wildfires including, the 2007 San Diego fire, 2015 Las Conchas, NM fire, the 2017 California North Bay fire, and the 2018 Butte County Campfire. Each of our clients gets the combined practicing power of our firms to ensure they obtain maximum recovery for all they’ve lost. Click here to learn more about the members of our wildfire litigation team.
Each of our clients gets the combined practicing power of our firms to ensure they obtain maximum recovery for all they’ve lost.
A Team with Compassion, Experience, and Strength
When a person is victimized by a wildfire, the consequences reach far beyond the financial implications. Irreplaceable possessions are gone forever. The emotional impact of the fire can be almost unbearable. As their advocates, we help people face these devastating tragedies while bringing our extensive experience, outstanding track record, and knowledge to their case.
The CaseyGerry fire litigation team is currently working with victims of the 2019 Kincade Fire and the Easy Fire.
Most recently, our wildfire litigation team filed lawsuits on behalf of many people affected by the 2018 Paradise/Butte County Camp Fire. For more information on this case and our involvement in past wildfire cases. Our legal team has also established a separate website to offer resources and legal help to those affected by the 2018 wildfire. Click here to visit the site.
We welcome you to contact CaseyGerry at (619) 238-1811 if you have questions or need assistance as a victim of the 2018 Butte County, CA wildfire, the 2019 Kincade Fire, or the 2019 Easy Fire.
