Maison Law represents victims who have been injured due to wildfires caused by negligent California utility companies like PG&E. Our personal injury lawyers go to work immediately to hold power companies responsible for all injuries and medical bills that result from their carelessness. Please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a real California lawyer and find out how to hold PG&E fully accountable for your hardships.
Wildfire Injuries and Destruction Caused by PG&E Negligence
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been blamed for causing over 30 wildfires in California since 2017. Investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) point to the utility company’s failure to maintain and upgrade its power grid across the state.
CAL FIRE also cited PG&E for neglecting to prepare power lines for high winds and other weather events. Some fires were started by trees that had been identified as risks falling on power lines.
This negligence is thought to have caused fires that claimed over 100 lives and left thousands with injuries. PG&E was hit with criminal and civil penalties for their carelessness.
The Fire Victim Trust was funded by PG&E to provide support to the victims of the 2015 Butte Fires, the 2017 North Bay Fires, and the 2018 Camp Fires.
The victims of other fires, like 2021’s Dixie Fire, have been filing individual lawsuits against the power company to seek help in rebuilding their homes and paying hospital bills.
It’s important for injured victims to have a California Wildfire & Utilities Claim Lawyer on their side throughout the claims process and potential lawsuits. PG&E can afford corporate lawyers to cast doubt on each injury claim you submit. You need a skilled lawyer protecting your rights and making sure your family receives every benefit available.
Common California Wildfire Injuries
Earning support for injured wildfire victims is a focus for Maison Law because the harm done by flames, smoke, and heart-pounding life-threatening situations has changed the course of thousands of lives in California. Patients should get the best medical care available, over a lifetime in some cases, and they shouldn’t have to worry about covering the cost.
Many wildfire settlements end up leaving victims short on the money they need to pay all of their medical bills. Maison Law makes sure its clients don’t end up paying their own doctor and hospital bills out of pocket.
It’s critical that wildfire victims demand the support to cover their full recoveries because the injuries can be severe, and life-changing, with symptoms that go on for years.
These are just a few of the most common health issues caused by wildfires and the harrowing evacuations they make necessary:
- Burn injuries
- Electrical burns
- Trip-and-fall injuries during evacuation
- Car accident injuries during evacuation
- Heat exhaustion
- Chemical exposure
- Smoke inhalation dangers for those close to the fire and those across the state experiencing breathing problems
- Smoke damage to the lungs, the heart, kidneys, brain, and other organs
- Bronchitis
- Eye damage
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
Will My Health Insurance Help With Wildfire Injury Recovery Costs?
Unfortunately, those injured in a wildfire might have to wait a while before PG&E and their insurance providers finally accept blame and write a settlement check for their expenses.
In the meantime, victims may have to rely on their health insurance to cover medical bills until settlement money is granted. Victims will still have to pay copays and deductibles. In some cases, healthcare providers will expect to be repaid for the entire cost of your medical care once you receive settlement money or a judgment from PG&E.
Filing A Wildfire Injury Lawsuit Against Pacific Gas and Electric
To hold PG&E accountable, you’ll likely start by filing a personal injury claim with the company’s liability insurance provider.
With the help of your lawyer, you’ll need to make sure every hardship you’ve faced, including your medical recovery, your physical therapy bills, and other costs are included in your claim. Anything left off won’t help you earn more in a potential settlement.
To make sure your case is rock solid, you’ll want to make sure you have as much evidence of your wildfire experience as possible.
Try to collect these key pieces of evidence in the aftermath of a fire:
- Keep receipts and invoices for all medical costs.
- Keep receipts for medical equipment, medication, and the physical therapy you require.
- Keep receipts for travel costs just to get to appointments while you are injured.
- Take photos and video of the damage to your home and property. Get pictures of any visible injuries.
- Keep a detailed record of your living expenses while you are out of your home.
- Secure deeds and titles for properties and major belongings.
The hope is that insurers accept liability immediately for your every loss and pay compensation that covers every damage you and your family have endured.
That’s not always how it works. PG&E’s corporate lawyers will be working to find ways to wiggle out of taking blame. They’ll question how bad your injuries are and how long they’ll affect your life. They’d also like to wait until you are desperate enough to accept any “lowball” settlement offer they extend. Your California Wildfire Injury Lawyer will be your shield against these tactics. Those lowball offers will be rejected and your attorney will demand more.
If PG&E refuses to pay what’s fair for what you’ve been through, your lawyer also represents the threat of a lawsuit. Your Maison Law representative will have investigated your case and collected all evidence available to build a strong case for you. Your lawyer files a lawsuit and will be ready to take PG&E before a judge and jury if that’s what it takes to secure the support you require.
These claims don’t usually reach a courtroom because PG&E wants to avoid the cost of a trial and the embarrassment that comes with it. And remember, you can reach a settlement agreement with PG&E at any time leading up to the trial and even during the trial.
Compensation Maison Law Helps You Secure in a Wildfire Claim
California wildfires leave some victims with traumatic and long-term injuries. The recovery costs for patients should be the full responsibility of PG&E. In the most tragic cases, families lose loved ones in wildfires. Those families are permitted to seek wrongful death benefits from PG&E’s insurers.
Survivors will need to keep up the pressure on PG&E to act with compassion and help the victims of their carelessness and negligence. Your wildfire lawyer seeks compensation for these and other property damage losses:
- Hospital and home medical care expenses.
- Estimates on future costs associated with a long-term lung injury or permanent physical disability. Coverage for the medical equipment needed.
- The physical pain and suffering wildfire victims endure, perhaps with each labored breath.
- The emotional trauma families face in the flight from fire and in injury recovery. A skilled California personal injury attorney will see that your emotional damages receive full consideration. Your difficult journey back to a normal life after an injury.
- Support for your loss of enjoyment of life if you can’t return to the hobbies and family activities you love due to health issues.
- Enough in support to rebuild or repair a house, business property, and other buildings. Repair of smoke and water damage. For patients with a permanent physical disability, a new home may need certain features to help give victims as much freedom as possible.
- Replacement of possessions, including cars, furniture, valuables, and keepsakes.
- Costs not covered by a homeowners insurance policy.
- Costs incurred during evacuation. Living Expenses while without a home.
- Loss of income and benefits while victims must miss work.
Contact a California Wildfires Lawyer
Wildfires can disrupt people’s lives in ways that few other disasters can. Evacuees can flee for their lives and later learn they have no home to return to. They may suffer life-threatening harm while trying to save their families. Power and utility companies must be held responsible for their negligence and even their policies that put California residents at life-threatening risk every year.
If you or a loved one are injured or lose your home and property to a wildfire caused by human mistake, speak to a California utility fire lawyer. We aren’t afraid to take on gigantic power companies and government agencies to secure our clients what they need to heal and rebuild after a fire.
Contact Maison Law for a free consultation no matter where you live in California. Our case reviews are confidential and come with no obligation. If you decide we can help you earn more for your injuries and damages, you won’t need to have any upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money you are awarded.
