Why Is It Best to Hire a Wildfire Attorney?

On February 27, 2024, the 687 Reamer fire started approximately 6 miles southeast of Stinnett in the Texas panhandle. It burned over 2,000 acres and merged with the Smokehouse Creek fire. The source of the fire was confirmed to have originated from a utility company’s equipment. 

The fire triggered many lawsuits. If the fire affected you or your loved ones, consider filing a 687 Reamer Fire lawsuit and hiring a wildfire attorney today. 

Wildfire cases are very complex. Without an attorney, you can’t handle cases that involve complex liability or deal with insurers whose main goal is to reduce your payout. An attorney can maximize your payout by working with experts and meeting the requirements before legal deadlines. 

Wildfire Cases Involve Complex Liability 

One of the main jobs of a wildfire attorney is to determine who is liable for a wildfire. Assessing this on your own can be overwhelming and challenging.

Attorneys work with investigators and experts to decide if the fire was caused by an individual or any third party. 

If the wildfire spread as a result of poor maintenance of properties or poor equipment on the properties, their owners are responsible for the victim’s damages. 

The common liable parties in wildfire litigation include the following:

• Utility companies that failed to properly maintain the land under their control 
• Landowners having flammable materials on their premises 
• Different government entities can be sued for poorly maintained public land. 
• Individuals or arsonists who may have started the fire 
• Logging contractors or other entities working in forests starting a fire.

To Negotiate with Insurers and Handle Disputes 

Insurer adjusters are incentivized to reduce a victim’s compensation as much as they can. 

Insurance companies, including those that represent the victim, often downplay the victim’s injuries, undervalue their claims, delay payments, pressure victims into accepting lowball offers, or deny claims altogether. 

An attorney will challenge the claims of these insurers, negotiate with them to fight for a fair settlement, and, if they’re completely acting in bad faith, the lawyer can sue them and settle the claim in court.

Maximize Your Compensation 

You may not even know the full potential of your damages in many cases, especially if you suffered burn injuries from the wildfire. 

Your damages cover more than just the property damage, like your home and vehicle damage, personal belongings, and loss of business income. 

Lawyers can include damages you’re entitled to recover that you may overlook. These damages include: 

• Diminished land or property value (rebuilt properties after a fire don’t hold the same value) 
• Future earning capacity 
• Temporary relocation costs or long-term evacuation expenses 
• Intangible damages from burn injuries, such as psychological trauma, loss of enjoyment of life, and specialized psychotherapy costs. 

Working with Expert Witnesses 

While a victim can technically work with expert witnesses to calculate their damages, it’s far better to hire an attorney to manage this process.

An attorney has an established relationship with a network of credible expert witnesses, including fire investigators, forensic accountants, structural engineers, and medical professionals.

Your attorney can build a strong evidence-backed case on your behalf with the help of experts. They accurately calculate how much your damages are and reconstruct how the fire started and testify in court if needed.

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Meet Legal Deadlines and Navigate the Court System

Wildfire claims are governed by strict statute of limitations. Depending on the state, a victim has 2-3 years for filing property damage or personal injury lawsuits from the date of the fire.

If you missed the legal deadlines, you can be barred from recovering your damages. Hire an attorney as soon as possible after the fire.

Insurance companies have their own deadlines, requiring notice within 90 days, with documents submitted within 180 days. Once you hire an attorney, they ensure all the filings are handled right on time.

You Can’t Handle Government Entities on Your Own

If a government entity is involved in the fire, whether it’s a state or federal agency’s poorly maintained public land that caused it, filing a claim against them is not the same as suing a private property owner.

Suing a government entity involves special filing rules, shorter deadlines, and strict procedural requirements.

Missing even one of these requirements can result in claim denial, no matter how strong your case is.

An attorney is well-versed with these special requirements, and they follow every procedural step right on time, protecting your right to hold government entities responsible.

Key Takeaways 

• Without an attorney, knowing who caused the fire and navigating complex liability cases is challenging. 
• You need a lawyer to help you if your insurer refuses to pay you what you deserve. 
• Your attorney will maximize your compensation by working with expert witnesses to calculate damages and prove fault. 
• Attorneys know you need to file a claim as soon as possible before the legal deadlines, and they can handle the process much better. 
• Handling cases with government entities is overwhelming, and only experienced attorneys can help you in those cases.