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Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is no longer actively retaining Mosquito Fire victims. |
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Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has opened its Direct Payments for Community Recovery program to Mosquito Fire victims. The program was originally created for Dixie Fire victims, and will allow victims of the Mosquito Fire to file a claim for financial recovery through a website that PG&E created.
However, this program appears to be an attempt by PG&E to escape full liability for damages caused by the Mosquito Fire by offering fire victims much less than they deserve, hoping the victims accept the lowball offer because it’s quick, easy cash. Those who accept settlements through the PG&E program must sign away their rights to pursue additional funds from PG&E; funds that PG&E is actually legally obligated to pay Mosquito Fire victims. Mosquito Fire victims who wish to recover all of the compensation they’re entitled to will need to hire experienced California wildfire lawyers like those at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers who can force PG&E to cough up all of the money they’re obligated to under the law.
Many of those who have suffered losses due to the Mosquito Fire won’t be able to receive any compensation at all from the program. Others who suffered losses due to the Mosquito Fire might only end up receiving around half of the compensation that they’re actually entitled to from PG&E under California law.
While PG&E has yet to admit responsibility for the Mosquito Fire, they have admitted that they believe they will “incur a financial loss” in connection with the fire. A PG&E report to the California Public Utilities Commission noted that “electrical activity occurred close in time to the report of the fire,” and the United States Forest Service has taken possession of one of PG&E’s power poles in its investigation of the Mosquito Fire.
Based on our years of experience in handling California wildfire cases, we can confidently say that it appears that the Mosquito Fire started due to PG&E’s negligent failure to maintain its power equipment and the vegetation surrounding it. California’s inverse condemnation and negligence laws dictate that utilities who are responsible for wildfires in California are obligated to pay wildfire victims for:
- Any evacuation-related costs
- The full cost of rebuilding any homes destroyed
- The full cost of rebuilding any outbuildings destroyed
- The full cost of any personal property that was destroyed
- The full cost of any replacement housing
- Interest on any damages from the destruction date
- Attorney fees with regards to real and personal property damages
- Emotional distress
However, Mosquito Fire victims will not receive the full financial compensation they are entitled to under California law if they seek a recovery through PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program. Only by hiring experienced California wildfire attorneys like the ones at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers will Mosquito Fire victims be able to receive all the financial compensation that the law entitles them to.
Evacuation Costs Aren’t Covered By The Program
Over 11,000 residents of California were the subjects of mandatory evacuations as a result of the Mosquito Fire. Those evacuated due to wildfires need to find emergency shelter until being allowed to come back to their homes, and can rack up significant lodging, food, loss of use and travel costs while they’re subject to evacuation orders.
While those who are forced to evacuate by wildfires can end up losing thousands of dollars because of the evacuations, the PG&E Direct Payments for Community Recovery program won’t provide victims of the Mosquito Fire with financial compensation for their evacuation-related losses.
Call us today for a free consultation or text us from this page if you or a loved one were the subject of a mandatory evacuation due to the Mosquito Fire and would like to recover your evacuation costs from PG&E. We are actively representing Mosquito Fire victims who were the subjects of mandatory evacuations.
Homeowners Won’t Be Paid What They’re Entitled To By The PG&E Program
The average Mosquito Fire victim who seeks a recovery through PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program will only end up getting paid around half of what they are actually entitled to under California law for their Mosquito Fire damages.
PG&E is obligated under California law to pay homeowners the full cost of rebuilding their destroyed homes and destroyed outbuildings. However, the Direct Payments for Community Recovery program is only offering homeowners who are victims of the Mosquito Fire $500 per square foot of traditional homes, $142,000 total for single manufactured homes, and $316,000 total for double manufactured homes, regardless of the actual total cost to replace these homes. PG&E is also only offering Mosquito Fire victims who own homes $190 per square foot for outbuildings that have been destroyed, regardless of the total cost to replace these outbuildings.
The program won’t pay homeowners for individualized replacement housing (except in the case of triple manufactured homes), expert witness costs, individualized personal property, interest or emotional distress, despite PG&E actually being legally obligated to pay all of this to homeowners who are victims of the Mosquito Fire.
If you want to get paid for these things by PG&E, and you want to get paid the full cost of replacement for any homes or outbuildings that were destroyed by the Mosquito Fire, you need to file a lawsuit against PG&E, as you cannot receive compensation for these things by participating in the Direct Payments for Community Recovery program.
Call us today or text us from this page for a free consultation if you or a loved one are a homeowner whose property or home was destroyed or damaged by the Mosquito Fire. We are representing homeowners against PG&E, looking to recover every penny homeowners are legally entitled to from PG&E.
Renters Won’t Be Paid What They’re Entitled To By The PG&E Program
Renters will also only receive about half of what they are legally entitled to if they seek a recovery for their Mosquito Fire losses through PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program.
PG&E is legally liable for the full cost of any personal property lost by renters who were victims of the Mosquito Fire. However, renters who are Mosquito Fire victims, under the PG&E program, will only receive $325 per square foot of traditional homes, $53,250 total for single manufactured homes, or $118,500 total for double manufactured homes, regardless of the actual cost to replace items. Renters who are Mosquito Fire victims will also only receive $127 per square foot of outbuildings under the PG&E program, regardless of the full, actual cost of replacement.
PG&E is also legally obligated to pay renters who are Mosquito Fire victims for other losses that their program will not pay renters for, including:
- Individualized replacement housing (except in the case of triple manufactured homes)
- Individualized personal property
- Emotional distress
- Interest
- Expert costs
If you are a renter and you suffered Mosquito Fire losses, you likely wish to recover every single cent you’re entitled to under the law for your losses. However, you can’t do this through PG&E’s Direct Payments for Community Recovery program. You need to instead file a lawsuit against PG&E if you want to recover all of the losses you’re entitled to.
Call us today or text us from this page for a free consultation if you or a loved one are a renter who suffered losses due to the Mosquito Fire. We are actively representing renters in lawsuits against PG&E, looking to assist them in recovering every cent they’re entitled to under the law for their Mosquito Fire damages.
PG&E Program Deducts All Available Insurance
One of the biggest reasons that Mosquito Fire victims can obtain larger settlements by filing a lawsuit than they can through the PG&E program is that the PG&E program deducts all available insurance rather than the amount that insurance pays.
What this means is that if you have $400,000 of available insurance but you were paid only $200,000 by your insurance, the full $400,000 of available insurance will be deducted from your settlement with PG&E through the PG&E program even though your insurance only paid you $200,000.
File A Mosquito Fire Lawsuit Against PG&E For The Compensation You’re Entitled To
Mosquito Fire victims seeking compensation through the PG&E program won’t receive as much money as victims of other California wildfires. These victims won’t receive what they’re entitled to under the law, letting PG&E escape the full consequences of its negligent actions.
Arguments have been made that the PG&E program is a plus to the community since it will get Mosquito Fire victims compensation more quickly than Camp Fire victims received their compensation. However, while settlements involving the Camp Fire ended up being delayed because of PG&E’s bankruptcy filing, Mosquito Fire victims are protected by AB 1054, meaning the Mosquito Fire victims are protected from bankruptcy delays.
PG&E opening up its Direct Payments for Community Recovery Program to Mosquito Fire victims is basically telling Mosquito Fire victims, “allow us to pay you half of what you’re entitled to in exchange for you receiving your compensation a few months more quickly.”
PG&E’s program will let them avoid millions of dollars of Mosquito Fire liability.
If you were evacuated due to the Mosquito Fire, or experienced property or home damage or destruction due to the Mosquito Fire, call us today or text us from this page for a free consultation. We are representing homeowners, renters and evacuees in legal actions against PG&E, looking to recover every cent they’re entitled to under the 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.
