 | Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is no longer actively retaining Dixie Fire victims. |
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Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), on May 2, will open up their Direct Payments for Community Recovery program to Dixie Fire victims, allowing victims of the 2021 wildfire to file claims for financial recovery through the program’s website.
However, the program does not cover all of the financial losses that Dixie Fire victims have experienced.
Many people impacted by the Dixie Fire will be unable to receive any financial compensation from the program. Others impacted by the Dixie Fire may only receive about half of the financial compensation that PG&E is actually obligated to pay them under California law.
PG&E’s negligence caused the Dixie Fire, and under California negligence and inverse condemnation laws, PG&E is obligated to pay Dixie Fire victims for:
- Evacuation costs
- The full cost to rebuild destroyed homes
- The full cost to rebuild destroyed outbuildings
- The full cost of all destroyed personal property
- The full cost of all replacement housing
- Interest on damages from the date of destruction
- Attorney’s fees regarding personal and real property damages
- Emotional distress
However, PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will not pay Dixie Fire victims everything they are entitled to be paid under California law.
Program Won’t Pay For Evacuation Costs
Tens of thousands of California residents were forced to evacuate their homes due to the Dixie Fire. Evacuees must seek emergency shelter until they are allowed to return to their homes, and they can accumulate significant food, lodging, travel and loss of use expenses during that time.
Evacuations can cost thousands of dollars for those who are evacuated. However, PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will not compensate Dixie Fire victims for evacuation costs.
If you have been evacuated and wish to recover your costs of evacuation from PG&E, call us today at (530) 296-1202 or text us from this page for a free consultation. We are representing those who were evacuated due to the Dixie Fire in lawsuits against PG&E.
Program Won’t Pay Homeowners What They Deserve
On average, PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will only pay homeowners about half of what they are legally entitled to for their Dixie Fire damages.
While PG&E is obligated by law to pay homeowners for the full cost to rebuild their destroyed homes and outbuildings, PG&E’s program will only be offering homeowners $400 per square foot for destroyed homes (or a flat $240,000 for manufactured homes) regardless of the actual cost to replace the homes, and will only be offering homeowners $150 per square foot for destroyed outbuildings, regardless of the actual cost to replace the outbuildings.
The program will not pay homeowners for individualized replacement housing, individualized personal property, expert witness costs, emotional distress or interest, and these are all things PG&E is actually obligated to pay homeowners who were Dixie Fire victims.
If you want PG&E to pay you for these things, and pay you for the full cost to replace your destroyed homes or outbuildings, you must file a lawsuit against PG&E, as the Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will not compensate you for all of this.
Call us today at (530) 296-1202 or text us from this page for a free consultation if you are a homeowner whose home or property was damaged or destroyed by the Dixie Fire. We are representing homeowners in lawsuits against PG&E, seeking to recover, for homeowners, every penny they are entitled to under California law from PG&E.
Program Won’t Pay Renters What They Deserve
PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will also only pay renters around half of what they’re legally entitled to for their Dixie Fire losses.
PG&E is obligated by law to pay renters the full cost of all lost personal property. However, PG&E’s program will only be offering renters $140 per square foot for personal property losses (or a flat $150,000 for manufactured homes) regardless of how much it costs to replace the items, and will only be offering $50 per square foot for personal property for outbuildings, regardless of how much it costs to replace the items.
Other losses which PG&E is obligated to pay renters, and losses which the Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will not pay renters for, include:
- Individualized personal property
- Individualized replacement housing
- Interest
- Emotional distress
- Expert costs
If you are a renter who suffered losses due to the Dixie Fire and want to recover every penny you are entitled to under California law for your losses, you cannot do so through the Direct Payments for Community Recovery program. You must instead file a lawsuit against PG&E to recover the full value of your losses.
Call us today at (530) 296-1202 or text us from this page for a free consultation if you are a renter who suffered financial losses due to the Dixie Fire. We are representing renters against PG&E, seeking to help them recover every penny they are entitled to under California law for their Dixie Fire damages.
Program’s Insurance Offsets Are Way Too High
Another issue with PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program is that PG&E is deducting all available insurance instead of the amount actually paid by insurance.
This means that if you have $500,000 of available insurance but your insurance only paid you $350,000, the full $500,000 will be deducted from your payout even though you were only paid $350,000.
File A Dixie Fire Lawsuit Against PG&E To Recover What You Deserve
Dixie Fire victims who seek settlement under PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will receive much less money than what victims in other fires have received. Dixie Fire victims who settle under the PG&E program won’t be made whole financially, allowing PG&E to once again dodge the full consequences of its negligence.
Some have argued that PG&E’s program is good for the community because it will get Dixie Fire victims money faster than Camp Fire victims receive their money. However, while Camp Fire settlements were delayed due to PG&E filing bankruptcy, AB 1054 protects Dixie Fire victims from PG&E filing bankruptcy delays, meaning there will be no bankruptcy delays regarding Dixie Fire lawsuits.
PG&E, by establishing the Direct Payments for Community Recovery program, is essentially telling Dixie Fire victims, “let us pay you 50 percent less in exchange for you getting the money only a few months in advance.”
The PG&E program will allow PG&E to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars to Dixie Fire victims.
If you have been evacuated because of the Dixie Fire, or if you have had your home or property damaged or destroyed by the Dixie Fire, call us today at (530) 296-1202 or text us from this page for a free consultation. We are representing evacuees, homeowners and renters in lawsuits against PG&E, seeking to recover for them every penny they are entitled to under California law.
Jeffrey Nadrich
Jeffrey Nadrich is a nationally-recognized California plaintiff’s personal injury attorney. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law. He has successfully represented thousands of injury clients over the last 40 years.
