California Wildfire & Public Utility Disaster Recovery and Litigation

Know your rights when it comes to recovering from natural disaster

When electricity, natural gas and water companies fail to meet the standards required of public utilities, they can put millions of people at risk of disasters, such as wildfires, gas leaks and floods. Moreover, these public utility companies may not inform you of their mistakes, and it’s up to you to know your legal rights. McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP’s public utility litigation lawyers understand complex local, state and federal utility regulations, and we can determine the best strategies to hold negligent public utility companies accountable.

What wildfire and mudslide victims need to know about recovering losses

If you or someone you know was a victim of a public utility accident resulting in a wildfire, mudslide or other disaster, you may be able to recover monetary compensation for:

• Personal injury
• Personal property damage
• Damage or loss of residential structures
• Cost of evacuation
• Loss of earnings

Even if you have homeowner’s insurance, it might not be enough to cover your losses. A sad fact discovered by many fire victims is that after reconstructing or repairing their property, the insurance proceeds do not fully compensate them for the damages they suffered, including the cost of rebuilding their home or replacing their personal property and landscaping. In many cases, replacement costs are two to three times greater than the amount allocated for in the insurance policy.

In addition to underinsured economic damages, claims can also be made for uninsured damages, such as the destruction of agricultural crops, vegetation and residential landscaping, which have been successfully recovered in past fire cases.

Getting justice for victims of wildfires and mudslides

Attorneys from McNicholas & McNicholas represent clients throughout the state to recover damages caused by wildfires, mudslides and other utility-related incidents. We currently represent homeowners in Northern and Southern California for deaths and property loss resulting from the 2018 Montecito mudslides and the 2017-2019 Northern and Southern California fires, including 20 wrongful death claimants and:

• More than 550 Woolsey Fire victims in negligence lawsuits against SoCal Edison
• More than more than 600 Camp/Paradise Fire victims and surviving families in several negligence and wrongful death lawsuits against PG&E
• More than 300 victims of the Creek Fires in negligence lawsuits against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the City of Los Angeles
• Residents and victims of the November 2017 Wine Country/North Bay Fires, individually known as the Tubbs, Pocket, Atlas, Nuns and Patrick fires, in negligence lawsuits against PG&E
• Residents and victims of the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Montecito, in several lawsuits against SoCal Edison
• Victims of the Getty Fire in lawsuits against Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
• Families who suffered severe health issues from the 2015 SoCalGas leak in Porter Ranch
• Residents who were forced to evacuate when the Oroville spillway began to fail in 2017

Partners Matthew McNicholas and Patrick McNicholas were trusted to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the 2017 Thomas Fire, and Patrick was also trusted to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the 2017 Wine Country/North Bay Fires and the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

Have you been affected by a wildfire or other disaster caused by a public utility accident?

If you are a victim of the Eaton Fire or any other California wildfire, let our public utility disaster lawyers advocate for you. It is critical to understand your situation and retain highly experienced legal counsel to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. For more information or to schedule your free consultation, please call McNicholas & McNicholas in Westwood at 310.564.0720 or complete our contact form.