Pajaro River Levee Breach Lawyer

Nadrich & Cohen is representing those who have suffered property damage, evacuation costs or injury due to the March 2023 Pajaro River levee breach.

Heavy rain caused a levee on the Pajaro River to fail in March 2023. This flooded the town of Pajaro, CA, leading to over 2,000 evacuations. Residents weren’t allowed to return to Pajaro for almost two weeks. Even then, drinkable water and the sewer system were unavailable.

This isn’t the first time the Pajaro River has broken its levees. A 1995 storm breached the levees of the Pajaro River. Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and the California Department of Transportation paid for flood damages after a civil lawsuit. Monterey and Santa Cruz counties promised to maintain the river’s levees in 1944.

The Los Angeles Times reported that officials knew for decades that the Pajaro River’s levees weren’t good enough. Officials refused to fix or upgrade them because it “didn’t make financial sense” to protect Pajaro, a low-income town.

The government promised to protect the town of Pajaro and then failed to live up to its promise. Let us hold the government responsible for its failure by recovering money for you in a lawsuit. Residents of a town having low incomes is not an excuse to fail to protect the residents.

Nadrich & Cohen and its partners are currently representing the lead plaintiffs who suffered significant losses including property damage, evacuation costs and/or injuries due to the March 2023 Pajaro River levee breach. We are anxious to represent anyone, on a contingency basis, who lived in Pajaro and whose property was flooded due to the levee breach, who had to evacuate and who lost business revenue due to the levee breach.

Call us today for a free case review or text us from this page if you or a loved one suffered property damage, evacuation costs or injury due to the March 10, 2023 breach of the Pajaro River’s levee. We will not charge a fee to represent you until and unless we recover money for you. You will never owe us any money out of pocket. Our experienced flood attorneys have been representing Californians since 1990. We have recovered over $350,000,000 for our clients. We have an office in Salinas, so we are familiar with all local laws. We already have a client who has lost two homes – one in the 1995 flood and one in the 2023 flood.

Do I Qualify For Compensation?

Renters, homeowners, businesses and trusts may qualify for financial compensation for property damage, evacuation costs, lost income and more if:

• They suffered property damage, evacuation costs, lost income or injury due to the March 10, 2023 Pajaro River levee breach
• They have a valid residential address

Compensation For Property Damage

Flooding can cause many kinds of damage to property. If your property was damaged by the March 2023 Pajaro River levee breach, you may be able to recover compensation for:

• Structural damage: Flooding can damage a building’s foundation, walls and support structures. This can lead to cracks or sagging. It can even cause a structure to collapse.
• Water damage: Floodwater can seep into walls, floors and ceilings. This can damage drywall, insulation and other materials. This can cause the growth of mold and mildew, which can damage your health and lead to costly removal.
• Electrical system damage: Floodwater can damage electrical systems. It can damage outlets, switches, wiring and circuit breakers. This can cause electrical shorts or fires, which can require repair or replacement of anything affected.
• Plumbing and sewer system damage: Floodwater can end up in plumbing and sewer systems. It can damage pipes, fixtures and appliances. This can lead to leaks, contamination, and a need for costly repairs or replacements.
• Appliance damage: Floodwater can damage appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and HVAC systems. This can lead to costly repairs or replacements.
• Flooring damage: Floodwater can damage many types of flooring. This can include carpet, hardwood, laminate and tile. This can lead to costly repairs or replacements.
• Personal property damage: Floods can damage personal belongings like furniture, clothing and electronics. Some of these items may need costly cleaning and restoration. Other items will need replacement.
• Landscaping and outdoor structures: Floodwater can damage landscaping. This can include plants, trees and turf. It can also damage outdoor structures such as decks, fences and sheds.
• Erosion and sedimentation: Floodwater can erode soil. It can also deposit sediment onto your property. This can lead to landscape changes, loss of soil fertility, or foundation problems.
• Contamination: Chemicals, sewage and hazardous materials can contaminate floodwater. These contaminants can damage property and harm health.

It is important to document all flood damage. This includes taking pictures and keeping records of repairs and replacements. This information can be very useful when filing an insurance claim or a lawsuit.

Compensation For Farm Damage

Flooding can significantly impact farms. It can affect crops, livestock, infrastructure and an operation’s productivity. If your farm was harmed by the 2023 Pajaro River levee breach, you may be able to recover compensation for:

• Crop damage: Floodwater can enter fields, causing crop losses. One can lose crops to drowning, root damage or soil erosion. One can lose crops to nutrient leaching or increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. Standing water can cause mold and fungi to grow, which can damage crops.
• Soil erosion and sedimentation: Flooding can erode topsoil, reducing the fertility of soil. This can cause long-term damage to agricultural land. Sedimentation can smother crops and change the landscape. This can make it more difficult to cultivate the land.
• Contamination: Sewage, chemicals and hazardous materials can contaminate floodwater. These things can contaminate crops, soil and water sources. This can harm human and animal health.
• Livestock losses: Floods can injure or kill livestock. Methods include drowning, hypothermia or exposure to contaminated water. Floods can disrupt feed supplies, causing malnutrition or starvation.
• Infrastructure damage: Floods can damage buildings, equipment, fences, roads and irrigation systems. This can disrupt a farm’s operations and lead to costly repairs or replacements.
• Loss of stored products: Flooding can damage stored products like hay, grain or feed. This can cause economic losses and shortages.
• Disruption of farm operations: Floods can disrupt the normal operation of a farm. This can make it hard to access fields, transport goods or carry out essential tasks. This can lead to reduced productivity and losses of money.
• Increased costs: Floods can increase the costs of operating a farm. They can lead to a need for more labor. They can lead to a need for repairs and replacements. They can lead to increased insurance premiums.
• Long-term impacts: Flooding can have long-term effects on a farm. It can impact a farm’s productivity and profitability. It can cause reduced soil fertility and land use changes. It can cause ongoing disruptions to farm operations.
• Mental health impacts: Flood damage can affect the mental health of farmers and their families. This can cause depression, anxiety or other mental health issues.

Other Forms Of Flood Damage Compensation

If you or a loved one were affected by the 2023 Pajaro River levee breach, you may be able to recover compensation for other damages, such as:

• Evacuation costs: If you were evacuated due to the levee breach, you probably spent money on temporary housing and transportation costs. You may have also lost a lot of food in your refrigerator while you were evacuated. You may be able to recover money for any costs related to your mandatory evacuation.
• Lost wages: Your workplace may have been flooded, causing you to be unable to work for an extended period of time. You might recover compensation for any wages you were unable to earn.
• Loss of use: You might recover compensation for the loss of use or enjoyment of your property due to the flood.
• Business interruption: The flood may have affected your business. You might recover compensation for lost profits and other business-related expenses.
• Emotional distress: You may have suffered anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder due to the flood. You might recover compensation for it.
• Medical bills: If you were injured in the flood, you might recover compensation for medical expenses. These can include hospital bills, medications and ongoing care.
• Punitive damages: Punitive damages are sometimes awarded in lawsuits. These damages are intended to punish wrongdoers and discourage others from behaving similarly. Punitive damages are a possibility in a Pajaro River levee breach lawsuit. Officials knew the river’s levees weren’t good enough. Officials refused to fix them because Pajaro residents’ incomes were too low.

The exact compensation available to you will depend on your specific circumstances. Call an experienced flood lawyer at Nadrich & Cohen today for a free consultation. We can discuss all the compensation available to you as well as your best course of action.

Officials Knew Pajaro River’s Levees Weren’t Good Enough

Defendants in lawsuits are often made to pay for plaintiffs’ damages because they are found negligent. Negligence is the failure to be reasonably careful to prevent harm.

Officials knew for decades that the Pajaro River’s levees weren’t good enough. They refused to fix the levees, though, because the incomes of Pajaro’s residents weren’t high enough.

A reasonably careful government would protect people from levees which aren’t good enough. The people of Pajaro saw their town flooded because of the negligence of the government. We intend to hold the government responsible for their negligence. We intend to obtain money from the government for the residents of Pajaro.

It was obvious in 1995 that the Pajaro River’s levees weren’t good enough. Around 250 people sued Santa Cruz County, Monterey County and the California Department of Transportation after the Pajaro River broke its levees in 1995 submerging Pajaro and 2,500 acres of farmland. Attorneys during the trial noted that the two counties promised to maintain the river’s levees in 1944. A jury eventually found the defendants responsible for the flooding. The defendants had to pay out money to the victims of the flood.

In the nearly 30 years since the 1995 flooding, officials failed to upgrade the levee system to make it strong enough to withstand heavy rain. A 2021 Army Corps webpage stated the levee system “no longer provides the designed level of protection.”

A deputy district engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the Los Angeles Times that the levees were never upgraded because of “benefit-cost ratios.”

“It’s a low-income area. It’s largely farmworkers that live in the town of Pajaro… you get basically Bay Area construction costs but the value of property isn’t all that high,” the engineer said.

A Monterey County Supervisor told the Los Angeles Times that little effort has been put into reinforcing the Pajaro River’s levees because the residents of Pajaro are mostly Spanish-speaking and migrant farmworkers, and these communities are economically disadvantaged.

The average income in Pajaro is less than half the national and state average.

How Much Do Nadrich & Cohen Cost?

Our experienced flood damage lawyers are contingency fee lawyers. This means that we do not charge a fee until and unless we win your case. The only fee we charge is a percentage of any money we recover for you. We don’t charge you if we don’t recover money for you. That is our no fee promise.

Call us today for a free consultation.

How Long Do I Have To File A Pajaro River Levee Breach Lawsuit?

In California, there is a time limit to file a lawsuit. That time limit is known as a statute of limitations.

Californians usually have three years after the date of property damage to file a lawsuit. They usually have two years after the date of injury to file a lawsuit. However, when it comes to filing claims against government agencies like counties, these time limits are reduced to six months after the date of injury or property damage.

Building a strong case in a civil lawsuit can be a complex, time-consuming process. You should not expect great results if you wait until the last minute to contact a lawyer. That is why it is important for you to call us today for a free consultation.

Calling us today gives us the most possible time to build a convincing case for you. It lets us make sure that any lawsuit is filed on time.

Pajaro River Levee Breach Lawsuit

If you wish to recover money from the government, you’re going to need strong, experienced flood lawyers by your side. You’re going to need Nadrich & Cohen by your side.

We have been holding defendants accountable for negligence for over three decades. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. We have successfully recovered money for countless clients who were the victims of natural disasters such as wildfires and mudslides. We have the experience and expertise necessary to hold the government accountable for your flood-related losses.

We have an office in Salinas so we are local to you and know all of the local laws.

If you or a loved one suffered property damage, injury or evacuation costs due to the 2023 Pajaro River levee breach, call us today for a free consultation or text us from this page. You may be able to recover money for your losses. We won’t charge you a fee until and unless we recover money for you. Call us today.