Danko Meredith

Wildfire Lawyer Serving Napa, CA

World-renowned for its beauty and thriving wine industry, Napa, CA, and the surrounding area have suffered devastation from various wildfires in the past decades. The Glass Fire, Atlas Fire, and Tubbs Fire are just a few disasters that have claimed the homes and lives of those living in this idyllic part of the Golden State. Managing the complexities of a wildfire case against the liable parties requires a thorough understanding of the area, the law, and the cost of recovering.

At Danko Meredith, Trial Lawyers, we proudly fight for the rights and interests of the ordinary person in the face of large utility companies and corporations. They may have well-financed legal teams, but we do not back down and will never be beaten when it comes to preparing and litigating your case. Schedule a free initial case review with us to learn more about how a wildfire lawyer serving Napa, CA, can help you.

Danko Meredith Is the Superior Choice After Suffering a Wildfire Disaster

From the moment a fire is reported, you race against time to ensure you protect what matters most to you. While you may be able to fend off some damage, in so many cases, the fire moves so quickly you are lucky to escape with your life. When you return to your home or business, it can be hard to know where to start and how to rebuild. 

You should choose our wildfire lawyers because we can compassionately guide you through filing insurance claims, developing evidence, and proceeding to litigation when necessary. We stay on top of changes in the law and insurance industry, ensuring we have the most recent information about managing your case and seeking a win. Our dedication allows us to serve clients who suffer catastrophic loss and injury, as well as wrongful death at the hands of companies who played a part in a wildfire’s ignition and spread.

Not only can our wildfire attorneys help you with your compensation efforts, but we can also connect you with resources that support your cleanup and rebuilding demands, such as the Napa County Recovery Resource Center. We can aid you in finding temporary housing, financial assistance, and other services that alleviate the burdens you face when someone else’s negligence has caused you to lose everything. 

How Can a Wildfire Lawyer Near Me Fight Against Negligent Utility Companies?

There may be many reasons why a wildfire begins in Napa, CA, such as lightning strikes or human activity. However, the vast majority of fires in Northern California’s history can be attributed to neglectful actions by utility companies. For example, the California Public Utilities Commission determined that the October 2017 wildfires around Napa, Sonoma, and other locations began due to faulty Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) equipment.  

At Danko Meredith, we have many years of experience fighting PG&E, showing how they run their equipment to failure, leading to wildfire ignition. A long history of poor management decisions provides ample evidence for your case when your losses are due to a lack of wildfire abatement measures. Some of the problems we have seen in other cases include:

  • Failure to contain vegetation around power lines
  • Lack of safety measures, such as automatic shutoff systems
  • Decisions based on reducing profit loss rather than community safety
  • Resistance to respond to warnings by de-energizing equipment to prevent contributing to or causing a fire

Investigation Is Key to a Powerful Claim

When you are a single individual or small business that has lost everything, it can seem intimidating to take on large utility companies or other corporations. However, these parties must answer to the same standard when they cause harm through negligence or carelessness, and that is what allows our wildfire law firm to hold them accountable. By investigating all aspects of your loss closely and collecting robust evidence, we can provide the best chance of success in your case.

An investigation for a wildfire claim will often include documenting:

  • Potentially liable individuals and leadership at negligent companies
  • Unsafe practices
  • Analysis showing how the fire began and spread
  • Training schedules for employees in fire management and prevention
  • Warnings and other notifications issued by Napa County Government
  • Witness statements
  • Testimony from meteorologists, engineers, and other experts
  • Your medical records and treatment prognosis
  • Damage assessments for your personal property
  • Records of deaths associated with the fire for wrongful death claims

By compiling and preparing this material, we can develop a compelling narrative showing who is at fault and how their negligent actions led to your losses. We also calculate the full value of your claim to ensure insurance company settlements or jury verdicts appropriately address the emotional, physical, and financial harm you have suffered. 

Can a Wildfire Attorney Near Me Help Me File Insurance Claims?

Yes, helping you untangle the confusing paperwork for insurance claims is part of the services we provide at Danko Meredith. Although you may end up filing a personal injury lawsuit against the liable parties for full compensation, you will likely begin by filing a claim on your personal insurance to begin receiving payments to help you with your losses.

We can assist you in filing claims on your homeowners or renters’ policies, as well as completing claims for business owners to help them overcome disruptions and loss of revenue. In Napa, CA, vineyard owners may benefit from our guidance in securing compensation for the loss of existing inventory and crops. While not typically covered by insurance policies, our wildfire lawyers can help you account for the emotional trauma of losing your home and relocating, even if you were not physically injured by the blaze.

We will also conduct conversations and negotiations for you. This serves two purposes: 1) reducing the demands on your time and energy and 2) preventing you from inadvertently jeopardizing your claim. Insurance companies are focused on minimizing payouts to increase their profits, causing them to review every wildfire claim closely for fraud. We go head-to-head with them to secure everything you are entitled to receive so you can move forward. 

What Do Wildfire Attorneys Near Me Charge for Their Services?

After losing everything, perhaps even your source of income, you are likely hesitant to add attorney’s fees to your list of bills. However, the team at Danko Meredith is committed to helping you fully rather than compounding your worries. That is why we offer free initial consultations so you can discuss your concerns and understand your legal options with no risk and no obligation to hire us.

We are so confident in our ability to prepare a strong case for you that when we decide to take your claim, we offer a contingency fee structure. That means you do not pay us until and unless we secure a settlement or jury award for you. We take our fees as a percentage of your payout, allowing you to hire competent, aggressive legal representation to fight back against unjust utility companies and large corporations. 

When your case warrants it, we also handle payments to experts and resources needed to achieve the best possible outcome. Overall, we focus on finding a solution that is tailored to your needs and circumstances. We know how to find the truth, and our history of seven-figure case results shows that we should be your first choice for a wildfire law firm.

What Compensation Can Wildfire Lawyers Near Me Seek in My Claim?

One of the greatest losses in any wildfire is the destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems, yet as humans, we focus on the individual harm done to our lives, homes, and businesses. Your wildfire attorney at Danko Meredith is committed to both helping you specifically and fighting against the injustices committed by utility companies on a larger scale. We know that by forcing them to pay for their wrongful actions, we are protecting residents as well as the land that supports us in this area.

We focus on critical aspects of your case, including calculating the full value of what you have lost. In a personal injury claim, you can generally seek the following:

  • Economic damages: These include anything that has a specific price, such as medical bills or property destruction.
  • Non-economic damages: These address your subjective losses that do not come with a set value, such as your emotional distress and suffering.
  • Punitive damages: These are typically awarded only by the jury, and the proof required is more demanding than for your compensatory (economic and non-economic) losses. 

 Some of the specific losses your attorney may recommend could include the following:

Medical Bills 

Depending on how close the fire came to your home or business and how quickly you could evacuate, you may suffer a range of medical conditions and injuries. Burns, smoke inhalation, broken bones, and other illnesses could leave you with substantial bills and extensive treatment costs. Because you would never have been injured if the at-fault party had upheld their duty of safety, you have the right to seek compensation for your medical costs through your insurance claim or lawsuit. 

You can claim losses such as all bills from surgeries, ICU and ER care, medications, nursing care, and therapy. Your attorney can help you compile a full list, as well as collect your medical records to support these losses. 

Property Damage

You may lose all or part of your home, including treasured items that cannot be replaced. You may also lose valuable artwork, jewelry, or irreplaceable acknowledgments of your accomplishments, such as an Olympian who lost ten medals in the January 2025 fires. Wildfires leave very little behind, and anything that is still standing could be unsafe or require complete demolition.

Even if you are not immediately harmed by the fire and your home is intact, there is still much damage you may experience due to the wildfire damage to water and power supply systems, communication services, and roadways. The lingering smoke and embers could continue to endanger your health and well-being long after the primary flames are put out.

Lost Income and Business Revenue

Dealing with property damage after a wildfire often means you are unavailable to work. This can apply whether you travel to work or work from home, as you may have lost your vehicle and entire residence. Your attorney can help you estimate your income losses, as well as other costs, including lost benefits, earning capacity, and retirement savings until you can return to your job.

If your company suffered damage, you can claim the revenue your business is not earning until your property is repaired or replaced. If you must rebuild, you could include the costs of temporary relocation, loss of property leases, and the expense involved in finding a permanent space for your company. 

Subjective Losses

The non-economic losses you experience are often substantial and are hard to value without professional help. Our experience with wildfire victims across California allows us to assess accurately what your pain and suffering are worth in a claim. Physically recovering from an injury involves much more than simply healing the body. We help you seek compensation for subjective losses such as:

  • Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
  • Grief over losing family members, friends, and pets
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of intimacy with your spouse or partner if they pass away
  • Mental anguish
  • Permanent disability
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Shock, awe, and emotional distress from losing your home

The emotional and psychological effects of surviving a wildfire can require long-term therapy and support. If you are permanently disabled and can no longer support your family, your wildfire lawyer at Danko Meredith can quantify the economic and non-economic impacts of that change.  

Our Wildfire Lawyers Help You File Your Claim Within the Statute of Limitations

Insurance negotiations can take several weeks, which could impact your ability to move to court if those talks are not fruitful. Without a qualified wildfire attorney on your side, you could lose valuable time trying to fight for a settlement on your own, potentially risking your ability to seek compensation in court. When you choose Danko Meredith, we often recommend filing your personal injury lawsuit before insurance discussions are completed.

This serves two purposes in your case. First, it often prompts the other side to come to a more appropriate settlement offer. Second, it ensures your case meets the California statutes of limitations, which govern how much time you have after your loss to bring legal action. There are two main statutes you should consider:

As with many aspects of the law, there may be exceptions that affect your specific claim. You could have less or more time available to you, and your wildfire lawyer can discuss this further so you understand what is happening. 

Utility Companies Like PG&E Are No Strangers to Civil Litigation and Settlements

Since the 1996 Erin Brokovich case involving PG&E’s actions that caused toxic exposure to residents of Hinkley, CA, and a settlement of over $330 million, the utility and others have been embroiled in civil suits claiming carelessness and gross negligence. In fact, wildfire attorney Mike Danko has managed cases against PG&E for over three decades, giving him and his team the skills and experience needed to give you confidence in your claim. 

We are nearly as familiar with PG&E’s policies as those who work there, allowing us deeper insight into what drives them as a company so we can better prepare your case against them. From successfully holding PG&E accountable for their lack of vegetation management in the Dixie Fire north of Napa, CA, to pursuing the truth about the Eaton Fire in Altadena, we make it our business to seek justice for our clients against utility companies. 

More recently, local utilities in the greater Los Angeles January 2025 wildfires may be facing claims and lawsuits from residents and businesses affected by the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, and Sunset Fires. Just as we do in Napa, CA, the wildfire attorneys from Danko Meredith will be ready to assist all those affected by these preventable disasters. We work tirelessly to serve individuals and organize groups into class action lawsuits when appropriate.

Put Your Trust in a Danko Meredith Wildfire Lawyer Serving Napa, CA

We built the firm of Danko Meredith, Trial Lawyers, to serve those who are left with nothing but hope after everything else is gone due to a wildfire caused by others. We believe in putting every year of our experience and skill into each case, customizing the approach based on your specific situation. Ultimately, we know that holding negligent companies and utilities accountable for their contributions to your losses is the best way we can serve those living in Napa and beyond.

We offer free consultations, so contact us now to begin recovering what you deserve. A wildfire lawyer serving Napa, CA, will work with you every step of the way to secure the justice and compensation your case requires.