Affected by the Woolsey Fire? Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP LLP Can Help.

On November 8, 2018, the Woolsey Fire started in an unincorporated area near Simi Valley, California and quickly picked up speed as powerful winds fueled the flames across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Three people were killed and over 1,500 homes and structures destroyed as a result of the Woolsey Fire, devastating the coastal community of Malibu and destroying over 83 percent of all National Parks Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Hundreds of thousands of residents who were displaced from their homes have returned to their communities, only to find they have no home to return to, and are looking for answers as to who is responsible for their devastation.

Cal Fire’s investigation report states, “the Investigation Team (IT) determined electrical equipment associated with the Big Rock 16kV circuit, owned and operated by Southern California Edison (SCE), was the cause of the Woolsey Fire. The IT determined the fire was caused by a series of events. The series of events began when a slack SCE transmission guy wire arced with the energized A-phase jumper conductor on pole number 4534353E at Site #2. This event energized pole number 4534353E and its guy wires. A slack distribution guy wire located on the south side of pole number 4534353E was in contact with hardware associated with the SCE communication line, thus causing the SCE communication line strand, traveling east towards Site #1, to energize. The Investigation Report 2 SCE communication line between Site #1 and Site #2 was continuous with no ground and contacted an adjacent unidentified communication line at Site #1. This series of events resulted in heated material falling into a receptive fuel bed at both Site #1 and Site #2, thereby causing the Woolsey Fire.”

Why Choose Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP as Your Wildfire Lawyers?

• We have decades of experience successfully representing clients who have suffered damages due to the negligence of another party.
• We have proven results, with a 99% Success Rate and more than $10 billion recovered for our clients, including some of the largest personal injury and wrongful death verdicts in U.S. history.
• We have extensive experience  and serve in leadership roles representing victims of California wildfires, assisting victims of previous fires recover their financial losses.
• We represent clients on a contingency fee basis – we only collect fees if we successfully obtain compensation for your case.

We understand the devastation that may come from a large wildfire, and we want to help you during this trying time.

A Wildfire Lawyer Can Help You Secure Losses from the Woolsey Fire

If you were impacted by the Woolsey Fire, you may have a long list of major financial concerns. An experienced wildfire lawyer such as Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP can assist you through this stressful process.

• If you have encountered significant financial losses, such as the loss of a home or a vehicle, we can contact your insurance providers on your behalf to negotiate and secure compensation that is fair for you.
• We can take care of filing any complicated insurance claims while you can focus on healing and recovering with your family.
• Our wildfire lawyers have the resources to properly investigate any potential causes for the wildfire. If another party’s negligent actions led to the wildfire, we can help you pursue the maximum possible compensation in a third-party claim.

In the aftermath of such a tragic disaster, you deserve assistance. Contact us today and find out how we can help.

The Impact of the Woolsey Fire

The impact of the Woolsey Fire can be felt throughout Southern California. It burned over 96,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and displaced over 170,000 residents across multiple Los Angeles County and Ventura County cities, including parts of:

• Malibu
• Hidden Hills
• Calabasas
• Topanga
• West Hills
• Oak Park
• Agoura Hills
• Bell Canyon
• Thousand Oaks

Additionally, the Woolsey Fire has had indirect impacts to a large portion of the region as well. Due to the severely unhealthy air quality, a smoke advisory was in effect for large swaths of the region, from Santa Clarita Valley to South Coastal Los Angeles County. Wildfire smoke has many hazardous, microscopic particulates which can cause numerous health effects such as:

• Burning eyes
• Runny nose
• Scratchy throat
• Headaches
• Bronchitis
• Asthma

On November 11, a boil water notice was also issued by the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center in parts of the affected burn areas due to low water pressure from firefighting systems. They recommended that tap water be boiled for one-minute before drinking or cooking.

Contact Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP Today for Help

The Woolsey Fire was a tragic event that affected hundreds of thousands of innocent California residents. The attorneys of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP can help you during this trying time as you recover from your loss by assisting in any and all financial recovery attempts. While a cause for the fire is still being investigated, we can help you secure significant compensation in the event that negligence was a factor in this fire. Contact us today and see how we can help! (866) 844-0721.