California Wildfire Attorneys

California Wildfire Claims Backed by More Than 100 Years of Combined Experience

California wildfires can leave homeowners, renters, businesses, and families facing property damage, injuries, evacuation costs, lost income, and the death of a loved one. A wildfire claim may involve alleged utility negligence, contractor conduct, defective electrical equipment, vegetation-management failures, or another identifiable cause. Determining responsibility requires a fact-specific fire-origin investigation.

Kershaw Talley Barlow handles California wildfire disputes involving alleged utility negligence and other forms of corporate wrongdoing. Claims against large utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Pacific Power, or Southern California Edison can involve insurance coverage gaps, repair records, medical documentation, outage data, and evidence about the fire’s origin. The timing and procedure for a claim depend on the fire, the responsible parties, the losses involved, and any coordinated litigation or claims program.

Call (916) 520-6639 to speak with our California wildfire attorneys.

More Than $1 Billion Recovered for Injured Clients

Pursuing a claim against a power company is no easy task. We represent people pursuing fire damage claims involving alleged power company negligence. These cases can require substantial investigation, document review, expert analysis, negotiations, and litigation against well-resourced defendants.

People across California choose our fire lawsuit attorneys because:

• We have more than 100 years of combined legal experience.
• We have recovered more than $1 billion for injured clients.
• We have resolved thousands of personal injury cases and class actions.
• We are recognized by organizations including Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, The National Trial Lawyers, and the American Association for Justice.
• We provide personalized legal services and ongoing communication throughout a claim.

How Power Company Negligence Starts Fires

Potential utility-related ignition sources can include damaged or downed power lines, failed electrical equipment, inadequate vegetation clearance, and maintenance failures. Power lines running through dry or forested areas can ignite nearby vegetation when equipment fails or vegetation contacts energized infrastructure. The presence of utility equipment alone doesn’t establish the cause of a specific fire.

California wildfire investigations may examine:

• Worn or damaged power-line hardware that drops an energized wire into vegetation
• Tree branches growing too close to power lines
• Trees falling onto power lines during strong winds
• Damaged electrical equipment with maintenance or inspection concerns

To determine liability for a fire, investigators may review the point of origin, fire-spread evidence, utility inspection and maintenance records, outage data, vegetation conditions, equipment condition, witness accounts, and agency findings. Under California law, vegetation clearance requirements around certain power lines and poles are part of the state’s wildfire-prevention framework. Whether a utility or another party may be legally responsible depends on the available evidence and findings in that particular fire.

Power Company Fire Lawsuits We Handle

Kershaw Talley Barlow reviews California wildfire claims involving property loss, personal injury, wrongful death, and business interruption. The examples below show how wildfire matters can involve different investigative findings and alleged utility or vegetation-management issues. If you don’t see the fire that damaged your property or injured your loved one in the list below, call (916) 520-6639 to discuss whether we can handle your case.

Let us know if you lost a loved one, property, or acreage value due to the:

• Dixie Fire: The 2021 Dixie Fire led to claims and investigations concerning PG&E electrical distribution lines and trees contacting energized equipment. The facts and available claim options can differ among people affected by the fire.
• Kincade Fire: CAL FIRE determined that PG&E electrical transmission lines caused the 2019 Kincade Fire. Survivors may have different losses, evidence, insurance issues, and procedural requirements.
• Bobcat Fire: The Bobcat Fire affected Los Angeles County in 2020 and was linked in litigation to allegations involving Southern California Edison equipment and vegetation near overhead conductors. The status and merits of any individual claim depend on its facts.

Damages Caused by Wildfires

Wildfire survivors may lose homes, personal property, income, and businesses. Insurance payments and public assistance may not address the full cost of rebuilding, replacing property, obtaining temporary housing, or coping with an interruption to a business.

Potential damages in a California wildfire claim could include:

• Property damage or lost property value
• Damage to personal property, vehicles, trees, landscaping, and other improvements
• Temporary housing and evacuation expenses
• Lost wages, business interruption, and lost livelihood
• Medical treatment for personal injuries
• Trauma from losing a loved one and other wrongful death losses
• Emotional harm from the crisis

We pursue compensation that reflects the losses supported by the evidence in California fire lawsuits. Recoverable damages depend on the facts, applicable legal theories, available evidence, insurance rights, and the procedural setting of the claim.

Giving Our All for Those Who Lost It All

Our attorneys investigate technical evidence and pursue documented losses against utilities and other corporate defendants. During a free initial consultation, we can discuss the fire, where the loss occurred, injuries, property or business damage, insurance communications, and records you may have available. Early contact can help us review potential evidence-preservation needs and case-specific procedural deadlines.

Call (916) 520-6639 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.