Finding Hope and Justice After the Flames
L.A. Lawyers helping L.A. Wildfire Victims. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
The Heartbreak of Wildfires
As Pasadena natives who grew up hiking to the Eaton Canyon waterfall as kids and going to Fox’s for breakfast after church on Sunday mornings, the Altadena Fire is personal to Mike & Bill. They have friends and family who lost their homes and businesses to the fire, and they are proud to serve as trusted LA Wildfire Attorneys, fighting for those impacted by this devastating wildfire.
Karns & Karns is pursuing claims on behalf of their clients against Southern California Edison. Karns & Karns is also assisting their clients with claims against their own homeowners, renters, and business owner insurance policies, as well as offering guidance and support with claims for FEMA assistance and other aid that has been made available for victims of the Altadena (Eaton) Fire.
Unlike other law firms, Karns & Karns will never cold call you or use pressure tactics to push you into signing a retainer agreement. We’re here to help, to answer questions, and to be a resource for our friends and neighbors. And unlike other law firms, Karns & Karns will NEVER TAKE ONE PENNY OF YOUR OWN INSURANCE MONEY. If the Altadena/Eaton Fire impacted you, visit this link to schedule a time to speak directly with Mike or Bill.
How Can Altadena Fire Victims Receive Compensation for Claims?
Victims of the Altadena/Eaton Fire may receive financial compensation in several different ways. Most immediately, a victim may file a claim with their own insurance company to reimburse their fire-related losses.
For example, if your home was destroyed or damaged, including smoke damage, you will have a claim against your homeowner policy. If you were renting a home or apartment and your personal belongings were destroyed, you will have a claim against your renters policy. If your business was destroyed or impacted, you will have a claim against your business policy. If your insurance company refuses to pay out the full value of the claim, you may have a claim against your own insurance company for treating you in “bad faith.”
Victims of the fire may also file a lawsuit against the person or agency responsible for the losses they experienced. Early reports show that Southern California Edison’s equipment may have caused the Eaton Fire. Karns & Karns is pursuing lawsuits on behalf of their clients against Southern California Edison. These lawsuits will force Southern California Edison to pay for the total losses and damages caused by the fire, including losses and damages above and beyond what are covered by insurance. Most specifically, this includes the emotional damages and mental anguish caused by the fire.
Each plaintiff will have their own individual case against Southern California Edison. The cases against Edison will not be a class action lawsuit, but rather a mass tort action comprised of thousands of individual lawsuits. Karns & Karns has experience with mass tort actions, including wildfire mass tort actions. It is important in a mass tort action that you are represented by a law firm that understands the procedural workings of a mass tort action. Karns & Karns is that law firm.
Legal Theories for a Lawsuit Against Southern California Edison
Victims of the Altadena Fire may sue Southern California Edison under several legal theories. The first avenue is simple negligence. Did someone, a person or business, do something wrong that caused or contributed to starting the fire? This can include Edison’s failure to properly maintain their equipment, or their failure to deenergize their transmission lines in advance of a major windstorm.
Inverse Condemnation and Public Utility Actions
California’s special inverse condemnation law extends to utility companies like Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric. Inverse condemnation is when the government pays someone money because it damages their property without asking first.
In California, victims may recover compensation from utility companies for damages caused by wildfires that were ignited by the utility company’s equipment. To qualify, the victim needs to prove only that the utility company’s equipment started or contributed to the blaze. The victim does not need to prove that the utility company’s negligence or mistakes caused the fire. Because of this, Altadena/Eaton Fire victims may call on inverse condemnation to help them secure compensation.
Navigating Claims Against Utility Companies
Claims against utility companies—like Southern California Edison—can be nuanced and complex. Proving a direct link between the first spark, a massive wildfire, and the ultimate injuries and losses can be challenging. Victims can best position their legal case by working with an experienced wildfire lawyer to prepare robust evidence, including:
- Utility maintenance records, which the utility company may have filed with governmental entities like the California Public Utility Commission
- Forensic and expert testimony
- Eyewitness testimony, such as neighbors, family, and colleagues
- Photographs or video footage before and after the fire
- Medical documentation
- Receipts for evacuation or displacement costs
- Property repair or replacement bills related to the fire or its fallout
Victims can use this evidence to tell the story of what happened to them and explain how the law entitles them to compensation. Documents such as receipts, repair bills, and replacement estimates can also support victims’ claims for monetary damages.
Utility companies may try to counter the victim’s arguments by arguing deadlines were missed, or the victim did not follow opaque administrative processes, or that their equipment was not the cause of the fire in the first place. Victims can help arm themselves against these tactics by partnering with an experienced wildfire attorney who can craft and champion a strong legal strategy beginning on day one.
Statute of Limitations and Evidence Preservation
State and federal laws impose deadlines—called the statute of limitations—on how long people have to file a legal claim against a business or individual who harmed them. The time limit someone has to follow depends on who they are suing, for what reason, and what they seek compensation for.
For example, California law requires most victims to file a lawsuit within two years of the date of injury for cases involving personal injuries. For claims against a governmental entity, the deadline to file a claim can be as short as six months from the date of injury. If you miss these deadlines, you can be forever barred from recovering any compensation for your injuries and damages. It is important to consult with an experienced wildfire attorney as quickly as possible to protect yourself.
While preparing to file a lawsuit, victims and their attorney can take steps to preserve and gather evidence. For example, an experienced wildfire attorney will send preliminary letters to the utility company to preserve evidence related to the fire. Victims can take photographs, collect receipts, and write down their thoughts to begin to reconstruct what occurred.
Pursuing Insurance Claims After the Altadena Fire
Wildfires can be devastating, causing losses of life, home, property, and businesses. When the flames reach containment status, California wildfire victims must take on their insurance providers, whose plans may be archaic, complex, and flawed. People who have California’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) insurance plans may have a particularly challenging path ahead. Collaborating with a reputable attorney handling fire insurance legal claims can help people navigate their insurance plans confidently and successfully.
Decoding Your Insurance Policy for Wildfire Coverage
Insurance policies help people cover the costs if an event—like a wildfire—harms them or their property. Some items are part of the policy automatically, but others might be an optional add-on for which the insured would pay extra. For example, many homeowner’s policies cover wildfire damage; however, car insurance coverage may not automatically cover fire-related losses to a vehicle.
Depending on the coverage selection, the insurance company may pay for housing or transportation while the claim is pending. Additionally, the insurer may pay to repair or replace a damaged or destroyed home. The insurance contract may limit the dollar amount a claimant can receive and exclude some types of damages altogether.
Handling Insurance Claim Denials or Delays
Insurance claims due to wildfire damage can be nuanced and frustrating for many victims. An experienced attorney can help victims navigate the complexities of their policies and filing claims. Insurance providers may require victims to submit multiple rounds of forms, evidence, and recorded statements. Moreover, if the insurer faces a high volume of claims simultaneously, this can delay processing times.
Insurance companies may deny or refuse fair compensation for wildfire claims for many reasons. They may try to argue the person does not have fire coverage or did not meet their deductible. They may also come up with an estimate far below the actual market value of the lost property.
If their claim is denied or they believe they are not being given a fair deal, an insured person has options. They may be able to file an appeal or challenge the denial using the insurance company’s administrative procedures. The victim may also file a formal lawsuit against the insurance company for acting in “bad faith.” Victims may benefit from partnering with a knowledgeable lawyer to help them negotiate a full and fair claim settlement with their insurance company.
Bad Faith Insurance Practices in Wildfire Claims
Insurance companies may delay or deny claims in bad faith for many reasons. For example, insurance adjusters may needlessly say they need more time to complete their investigation or are missing paperwork. Sometimes, these delays are necessary. Other times, it is a tactic used to wear victims down so they accept an unfair offer or drop the claim entirely.
Additionally, insurers may misconstrue the coverage language in the contract, trying to argue that the fire damage is an uninsured loss. In some cases, the insurance company may draw on technicalities—such as different deadlines in the contract—to try to sidestep liability. Another technique insurance companies may use to avoid paying the full value of a claim is to provide unfairly low settlement offers for property loss or personal injuries.
Finally, the policy issued by the insurance company may have been woefully inadequate in the first place to cover the total destruction of a home. Insurance companies are required to take steps to make sure that the policy they issue to a homeowner is sufficient to do what it purports to do. For example, to pay to rebuild a home that is destroyed by fire. If an insurance company fails to do this, the victim may have an action against their insurance company for bad faith.
If an Altadena Fire victim suspects bad faith when dealing with their insurance provider, an experienced insurance bad faith law firm like Karns & Karns can help.
Why Fire Victims Need a Lawyer to Pursue Compensation and Claims
Karns & Karns can provide advice, counsel, and support to victims of the Altadena/Eaton Fire. Karns & Karns can help victims identify and pursue all avenues of recovery, such as suing a utility company, local governments, businesses, or individuals.
Karns & Karns can also help victims file a bad faith claim against their own insurer, potentially allowing the victims to increase their compensation offer or settlement. Karns & Karns can also assist with the appeals process for insurance claims and lawsuits, working to diligently turn over every stone to maximize the victims’ recovery chances.
Get a Free Case Review to Learn More About Claims and Compensation
The effects of the Altadena/Eaton Fire can feel overwhelming for victims. As you absorb the emotional impact of the destruction of your home or business, you are forced to deal with chaotic and unfamiliar situations. While you scramble to find a new place to live, to find a new school for your children, and any other number of things, you are simultaneously tasked with filing insurance claims, fielding repair estimates, and many other fire-related events. The experienced wildfire attorneys at Karns & Karns can help relieve some of this stress by offering a free consultation so you can understand your options. We stand ready to help our friends and neighbors in Altadena and Pasadena.
Get A Free Consultation
File an Altadena Fire Compensation Claim Today
Click here to schedule a convenient time to speak with Mike and Bill about your Altadena Fire claim. We will listen and then diligently review your legal claim to determine how you can best secure full and fair compensation for all of your damages and losses, including but not limited to a claim against your own insurance and a lawsuit against Southern California Edison.
Karns & Karns No Fee Guarantee
Karns & Karns will never take one dime of money you recover from your own insurance policy, including your homeowners policy, business policy, or renters policy. Any lawyer who doesn’t make the same promise has no business representing our friends and neighbors in Altadena and Pasadena.
For the case against Southern California Edison, Karns & Karns guarantees that you will not pay any attorney fee until we win a recovery from Edison. This is called a contingency fee agreement. Our fee is contingent upon us winning money for you. Our contingency fee is a flat 25%. No confusing tiers or mumble-jumble language. Again, our goal is to protect our friends and neighbors in Altadena and Pasadena, including from unscrupulous attorneys. This is how we do it.
You’re Not Alone in This Fight
The road to recovery from a wildfire may be steep, but together we can overcome these challenges. At Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys, we’re committed to walking alongside you every step of the way.
If you've been affected by recent wildfires, reach out today. Let us help alleviate your burdens so that you can focus on healing and rebuilding your life while we take care of the legal complexities.
Unlock the opportunity to receive a comprehensive and personalized assessment of your situation by taking advantage of our free consultation with absolutely no obligation.
Our award-winning attorneys bring a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record to every case, ensuring that you receive the highest standard of legal representation.
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800 W. 6th St., #800,
Los Angeles, CA 90017
- Phone : 310-623-9032
- Fax : 310-623-9033
- Email us : contact@karnsandkarns.com
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