Property Damage Caused by Wildfire Soot and Ash Claims – Downtown L.A. Law Group Can Help!

About Recent SoCal Wildfires

• The Line Fire started on 09/05/24 in San Bernardino County. Just five days later, the fire has burned over 27,000 acres and is only 5% contained. This is currently the largest wildfire.
• The Roblar Fire started on 09/07/24 in San Diego County. Three days after it started, it has burned 1,000 acres and is 45% contained.
• The Bridge Fire started on 09/08/24 in Los Angeles County. As of two days, it has burned over 4,000 acres and is 0% contained.
• The Airport Fire started on 09/09/24 in Orange County. In just one day, the fire has burned over 9,000 acres and is 0% contained.
• The Apollo Fire started on 09/10/24. In less than a day, it has burned 300 acres and is 0% contained.

Of course, these fires are threatening lives and property in the communities directly affected by the flames. However, surrounding communities that are not immediately threatened by the flames are currently dealing with the smoke, soot, and ash coming from these wildfires.

Property Damage Resulting from Ash and Soot

Ash, smoke, and soot from wildfires can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, based on the altitude the smoke reaches, weather patterns during the fire, and, of course, the size/intensity of the fire. Exposure to smoke, ash, and soot can cause health issues like eye irritation, nose irritation, throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and other respiratory issues, especially in those with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions, for instance; toxins in soot and ash could also potentially expose people to carcinogens. Although it is important to understand the physical injuries that could result from exposure to smoke in surrounding communities, it is also important not to overlook the damage that could occur due to soot and ash from wildfires.

Soot and ash can result in the following damage:

• Discoloration on walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces
• Corrosion of metal surfaces (including electrical components)
• Damage to clothing, furniture, curtains, and other personal property
• Lasting odors in homes and vehicles that are difficult to remove and may require professional cleaning
• Damage to trees, plants, shrubs, and soil
• Damage to pipes and plumbing systems
• Damage to HVAC systems after clogging filters and other pumps
• Damage to water filters and water pumps in pools and hot tubs
• Damage to vehicle exterior (specifically the paint)

Can I File a Claim?

Yes – you could have the right to file a claim for damage resulting from soot and ash from wildfires. You could pursue a claim with your homeowner’s insurance company – as long as you have coverage. In general, homeowner’s insurance coverage includes dwelling coverage, coverage for detached structures, coverage for lost personal property, and coverage for relocation costs during repairs, for instance. If your personal property or other areas of your home were damaged by ash and soot, your insurance should cover it. Unfortunately, insurance companies intentionally make their terms unclear and even wrongfully deny claims.

If your insurance company is not answering calls, not responding to your emails, not investigating your claim well, giving you false information, giving you no information, or unfairly denying your claim, you could actually have grounds to file an insurance bad faith claim.

What if the fire was caused by a negligent party or entity? Although wildfires are usually caused by a combination of hot temperatures and dry brush conditions, wildfires can sometimes be sparked by faulty equipment from utility companies. In these cases, affected parties could have grounds to file lawsuits against these companies.

For more information about your right to file a lawsuit, please do not hesitate to reach out to the soot and ash property damage lawyers here at our law firm as soon as possible. Our team is ready to guide you every step of the way.

What Should I Do?

If a wildfire resulted in ash and soot damage to your home and personal property, you should consider the following suggestions:

• Take photos and videos of all visible damage before any clean-up attempts
• Speak to witnesses and collect contact information (this might include neighbors that experienced similar damages)
• Contact your insurance company and give them the facts surrounding (if there is insurance bad faith, keep records of all communications between you and the insurance, gather all evidence relevant to the property damage, gather all your insurance documents, and find a lawyer experienced in insurance bad faith)

Most importantly, it is important that you take legal action on time. All claims are subject to a statute of limitations – or a deadline to sue. If claimants do not file their claims on time, they can lose their right to sue entirely. How long do you have to file your claim? If you are pursuing a lawsuit for property damage, your claim is subject to a three-year deadline. If you are pursuing an insurance bad faith claim (which is essentially breach of contract), your claim will be subject to a four-year deadline. To preserve your right to file a claim, contact us today.

Contact the Downtown L.A. Law Group

If you are ready to explore the legal options to you after wildfires resulted in damage due to soot and ash, contact us today. Our expert legal team is fully committed to fighting for your rights and getting you the recovery that you are owed. To ensure that we remain as accessible as possible to all people looking for guidance, we offer free case evaluations. These include free consultations and free second opinions. No matter whether you are looking to begin your claim or continue your claim after starting it with another team, you can trust that our experts will be available to guide you every step of the way. To schedule a free case evaluation, contact us today.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will never have to worry about paying upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. Since our law firm works on contingency, you will not be responsible for legal costs if your claim is not successful. If you do not win, you will not pay anything.

Contact us today for more information about pursuing a soot and ash claim associated with any of the current California Wildfires.