Why Trust Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP With Your Chico Wildfire Claim?
Dealing with the aftermath of a wildfire caused by human negligence can leave you reeling as you struggle to figure out your next steps. You may lose your home, your possessions, and your stability in the aftermath of the incident.
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, we understand the many challenges that can occur after a wildfire, and we strive to help our clients recover fair compensation for their damages.
We have successfully represented more than 1,600 families who have suffered preventable damage due to wildfires caused by corporations across California.
Compassion and Respect From Every Member of Our Staff
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, our staff members understand the losses our clients face due to wildfires across the state, and they strive to provide the support our clients need as they move through the claim process. Our team treats everyone with high respect as we offer much-needed support during these difficult times.
Determined Representation
The experienced wildfire attorneys at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP understand the difficulties you may face in dealing with the aftermath of a wildfire. We strive to offer the support our clients need as they fight against big corporations for fair and just compensation for those losses.
Our lawyers know California law and how to protect our clients as much as possible. While we cannot guarantee the results of our wildfire claims, we have successfully helped many past clients recover fair compensation for their losses.
Affordable Legal Support
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, we never collect until you do. That makes legal support much more affordable for wildfire victims already dealing with substantial financial losses and challenges.
Did you suffer significant losses in a human-caused wildfire? Contact Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP today to connect with an experienced Chico wildfire lawyer and receive your free consultation.
Claiming Compensation After a Chico Wildfire
If your home or business faced impact due to a Chico wildfire, you might deserve substantial compensation for those losses.
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover for the losses associated with a wildfire. However, we can help you look at your financial losses and better understand how you can calculate fair compensation for them.
Personal and Business Property Loss
Did you suffer significant property damage because of a wildfire in Chico? Replacing your home or business, not to mention everything in it, can prove incredibly expensive.
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, we can help you better understand what compensation you may deserve for those property losses.
Business Disruption
When a wildfire sweeps through the area of your business, you may have a hard time staying open for operations. Then, once you get back, you may discover that your property has suffered substantial damage, leaving you unable to generate your usual income even longer.
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, we help our clients look at the business disruption they have faced because of the wildfire so they can include it as part of a comprehensive claim.
Living Expenses
As the wildfire rages, or in the aftermath, as you take care of repairs on your home, you have to live somewhere. Living expenses can substantially grow when you do not have the means to live in your home. We can help you look at the additional living expenses you had to pay because of the wildfire and better understand how to include them as part of your claim.
Personal Injury
Each year, tens of thousands of people across the nation suffer serious injuries in fires, including wildfires. Wildfires can spread rapidly through Chico, leaving residents with little time to evacuate safely.
If you suffer injuries in a Chico wildfire, you may have the right to claim compensation for:
- Medical costs related to any injuries sustained in the fire, including burn injuries, broken bones, or head injuries, all of which can occur during a rapid evacuation.
- Lost income due to your injuries, which may continue even after you could otherwise get back to work.
- Suffering related to your injuries.
Emotional Distress
Living through a wildfire can cause a great deal of emotional distress. People who live through wildfires often suffer from anxiety and PTSD. Furthermore, the loss of your possessions can cause a great deal of emotional anguish.
Talk to your Lawyer for wildfire at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, to learn more about including compensation for your emotional distress as part of your claim.
Human-Sparked Fires in Chico: Common Risks
While droughts and high winds increase the risk of a wildfire, human error or negligence may cause as many as 97 percent of wildfires.
Wildfires can strike Chico for a number of reasons.
- Equipment malfunction. When equipment does not receive proper maintenance or gets used incorrectly, it can light a spark that can spread throughout the state. For example, the Dixie Fire in 2022 resulted from sparking power lines.
- Unattended campfires and burn sites. Often, companies do not pay adequate attention as they take care of needed burning, which can raise the risk of a devastating wildfire.
- Vehicle fires. Like equipment malfunctions, vehicle fires can light a spark that quickly spreads throughout Chico and across California. Vehicles can also start wildfires by dragging in the grass, dragging chains, or even thin brakes that spark during a sharp stop.
- Unauthorized burns. During some conditions, Chico businesses may need to avoid anything that could spark a flame. However, some businesses may attempt to circumvent those restrictions, leading to devastating wildfires.
Some neighborhoods in Chico face greater vulnerability to wildfire than others, especially if a fire starts in Little Chico Creek Canyon and spreads toward Marsh Junior High School. Lower Bidwell Park may also face considerably dangerous fire behavior from a local wildfire.
However, any Chico resident, like others in California, knows the dangers that can arise from wildfires and the devastation they may bring in their wake. When a company’s negligence leads to a wildfire, the company may bear liability for the devastating loss of life and property that often results from those losses.
Fighting for the Compensation You Deserve
After a Chico wildfire, you may deserve substantial compensation for all the losses you had to deal with. However, that does not mean the liable party will make it easy. Often, you will find yourself dealing with an insurance company that covers the party that caused the wildfire or large legal teams dedicated to decreasing the company’s liability for the incident.
You may:
- Receive a low settlement offer that does not fairly cover the damages you sustained because of the wildfire. If you accept a low settlement early in the process, you cannot go back later and claim additional compensation.
- Have the full extent of the damages you suffered, including your personal property loss and injuries, downplayed or ignored.
- Struggle to have your story heard, leaving you feeling ignored and brushed aside.
At Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, we strive to help all our clients recover fair, just compensation for the damages they sustained in wildfires caused by human negligence.
We start by helping our clients assess all the damages they suffered so that they have an idea of what fair compensation looks like. Then, we aggressively fight to maximize the compensation they can recover by dealing with the insurance company or legal team for our clients.
Through our efforts, we have helped many clients recover the compensation they really deserve for the damages associated with wildfires across California.
Chico Wildfire Claim FAQs
What Should I Do After Suffering Property Damage in a Chico Wildfire?
If you suffer property damage in a Chico wildfire, the actions you take as you return to your property may help determine how much compensation you can recover for your losses.
- Photograph the damage to your property. Take pictures of key areas of the property, including areas that suffered soot and smoke damage.
- Talk to your insurance company about any required documentation for filing a claim. If you suffered damage to your personal and business property, you may need to talk to both insurance companies.
- Document all your losses. Write down all damaged items in your home.
- Keep track of your ongoing expenses, including lodging or increased cost of living, while you take care of repairs after a Chico wildfire. Include things like hotel receipts, receipts for eating out while you do not have a kitchen, and any items you replace.
- Contact our Chico wildfire lawyers as soon as possible to discuss how to file a claim against the entity that caused the fire.
What Should I Do After Suffering Injuries in a Chico Wildfire?
If you suffered injuries from a Chico wildfire, including injuries sustained in your evacuation efforts, you may need to carefully consider your next steps to protect your right to compensation.
- Follow all instructions issued by your medical care provider. You may feel tempted to ignore those instructions, including getting back to activities you cannot do so that you can help with repairs or rebuilding. However, ignoring those instructions could worsen your injuries and make it more difficult for you to recover. Ignoring your medical care provider’s instructions may also make getting compensation for your injuries more difficult.
- Keep track of all costs related to your injuries and losses. You may want to track those costs separately from any property damage to file a claim that includes all your losses.
- Document the challenges you face because of your injuries, including delays in rebuilding your property or the emotional anguish associated with your losses.
- Get in touch with our Chico wildfire lawyers as soon as you can. The sooner you contact our lawyer, the sooner we can start fighting on your behalf and protecting your right to compensation.
Do I Need a Wildfire Lawyer if I Did Not Suffer Personal Property Loss in a Chico Wildfire?
Even if you did not suffer personal property loss in a Chico wildfire, including the loss of a home or business, you may have found yourself dealing with other challenges, including displacement from your home, the emotional weight of trying to pack up and flee in the face of a wildfire, and lost income if you could not get in to work during the evacuation period. A wildfire lawyer can help you determine exactly what losses you sustained and how you can file a claim.
If you suffered significant property loss, loss of income, or loss of the use of your property due to a preventable wildfire in Chico, Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel, LLP, can help. Contact our injury law firm in Chico today at (530) 891-1909 to learn more about your rights and how you can pursue compensation.
