At least 42 people were killed and at least 220,000 acres of land and nearly 9,000 structures were scorched in the wildfires that raged across Northern California earlier this fall, according to CNBC reports. The massive wildfires have displaced countless families and have caused severe devastation to their property and possessions.
If you suffered property damage and the loss of personal belongings in the Northern California wildfires, you might be unsure of where to turn to cover the cost of replacement of your property. As of this week, Cal Fire is still investigating the cause of these devastating wildfires. Early reports indicate that Pacific Gas & Electric, Co. (PG&E) may be partially or wholly responsible for the fires, but authorities caution that the cause has not been officially declared.
Initial investigations point to PG&E being responsible for at least some of the fires in the northern parts of the company’s service area, which includes the counties of Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Lake. According to a company press release issued a day after fires were reported in Napa and Sonoma, PG&E claimed that high winds of “50 to 70 miles per hour” may have damaged the company’s electrical systems in some areas, which often includes broken poles and downed power lines. These types of damage are particularly hazardous, as they can quickly lead to uncontrollable fires, especially in areas affected by drought.
As a result of the fires, individuals in the affected areas have suffered severe losses, totaling over $3.1 billion for residential insured losses and $137 million commercial insured losses. However, many victims lacked insurance coverage or had insufficient coverage. Devastation of this magnitude has left families and business owners wondering how they are going to pay for the replacement of their property that was lost in these devastating fires.
While insurance companies are working on claims, legal experts believe that PG&E may shoulder responsibility for the fires and may be held liable by those who suffered losses from the fires.
Experienced wildfire attorneys believe that energy deregulation in California has led to inadequate safety conditions that have directly led to these deadly fires. The increasing privatization of energy companies may lead to a company culture that emphasizes profits over safety, and routine maintenance may not be performed as the companies look to save money.
If PG&E is found to be responsible for the fires, then individuals who lost property and possessions in the wildfires may be eligible to take legal action against the company to recover compensation for their losses. While insurance policies may help ease the burden of repairing, replacing, and rebuilding, the compensation is often not enough to fully restore what you lost before this devastating event. If the energy company failed to manage, inspect, and maintain its infrastructure properly and its negligent actions led to these fires, the affected parties may be able to take legal action.
Attorneys like the experienced legal team at Demas Law Group are investigating the cause of these fires on behalf of individuals across Northern California. If it is found to be responsible, PG&E may owe fair and just compensation to those affected.
For nearly 25 years, the skilled trial attorneys of Demas Law Group have fought on behalf of people in Sacramento and surrounding areas of Northern California to help them seek the compensation they deserve. Founder John Demas has emphasized dedication to the client and personal attention since founding the firm, and that remains our focus to this day. We have the knowledge, experience, and commitment to help victims of the California wildfires hold major companies like PG&E accountable for any careless and negligent actions.
We are not afraid to stand up on behalf of our clients, no matter how large or powerful the adversary may be. If you suffered the loss of property and possessions in the recent fires, contact an experienced member of our team to discuss your legal options today. You may be able to hold PG&E accountable for its failure to maintain its infrastructure across Northern California and may have a claim that the company failed to follow proper safety standards, which led to this extensive devastation in our state.
You should contact an experienced attorney immediately. You may be owed vital compensation. This compensation can help you repair or replace damaged property including your home, car, business, and possessions that you owned that were lost in the fire. We know that you have been through so much. Dealing with rebuilding your life after a tragic event like this is hard. We are committed to helping our neighbors here in Northern California recover the compensation a negligent power company may owe them.
Contact a California Wildfire Attorney
If you would like to learn more about our firm and the millions of dollars that we’ve secured on behalf of our clients in California, view our results page. We are committed to maximizing the financial recovery for each and every client we work with, and we are ready to help you.
Contact us by phone or chat with us live on our website. Your consultation is always confidential and it is always free. Don’t wait until it is too late to file your wildfire claim. Contact Demas Law Group now.
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