The Fallout from Corporation Caused Fires

Some of the most devastating wildfires have been caused by large corporations. Sure, there’s the occasional gender reveal gone wrong, but in most situations, there is a corporate connection. More than 25% of the 20 most devastating California wildfires since 2015 have been directly caused by negligent equipment maintenance, for example. And of the top 10 fires for the same period, half were able to be linked in one way or another to faulty or outdated power utility infrastructure.

The fallout from these fires can be just as destructive as the fires themselves. They can include several direct impacts on local businesses and homes, as well as a long list of indirect impacts that can result during or after the fires. Direct impacts will be things like property damage, loss of possessions or equipment, destruction of assets, personal injury, mental anguish, and loss of life, while indirect will include mudslides, washed-out roads, loss of utilities, and the disruption of the local economy. We’re going to dig into many of these impacts, as we look at the types of fallout from fires caused by corporations.

Direct Impact

Direct impacts from fires are the most commonly cited and are the damages and losses that affect people in the area as a direct result of the fire.

Property Damage

Property damage is one of the biggest impacts of corporation-caused fires. The property damage valuations for wildfires are commonly in the hundreds of millions and even stretch into the billions. Homes, businesses, and other structures in the way of a wildfire will be destroyed. Even if you have a mortgage and don’t own your home outright, you still lose the value and function it provides.

Loss Of Possessions & Equipment

Another significant impact is the loss of all personal possessions that aren’t evacuated by the resident. People evacuating from wildfires often try to save things like photo albums and other sentimental items that an insurance or settlement check simply can’t replace. If you own a business, any equipment at the location will need to be abandoned or evacuated, which can lead to considerable losses for businesses that have heavy equipment or similar costly assets.

Destruction & Loss Of Assets

While many people would think all of their assets would be lost with their home, assets can also be part of the property itself. Farmers can suffer the loss of crops that give their family income. Livestock can be lost as well, and valuable pieces of real estate can suffer dramatic losses in value once damaged by wildfire.

Personal Injury

Many people can become seriously injured during a wildfire. Evacuations can result in car accidents and injuries, while the fires themselves can be responsible for a considerable range of injuries. Injuries commonly suffered during wildfires include burns, smoke inhalation, respiratory distress, airway damage, eye injuries, and sufficient trauma to create mental illnesses like depression or PTSD.

Mental Anguish

The experience of being in a fire, like a wildfire, is nothing that can be forgotten easily. Those who live through such traumatic events often find that they have sustained damage to an otherwise healthy mental state. While many potential conditions can develop, the most common is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Many people continue to have stress and anxiety about a fire for years afterward.

Wrongful Death

In the most tragic of circumstances, those caught in the fire or who could not evacuate in time can lose their lives in the blaze. When someone loses their life due to a hazardous condition created through the negligence of a corporation, it may be grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit, which can help surviving families recover from the loss.

Indirect Impact

The indirect impacts from corporation-caused fires are issues not directly caused by the fire but are secondary or tertiary results of the fire.

Mudslides

Areas that are prone to wildfires, such as California, generally have very specific types of plants, and those plants are usually crucial to holding the soil in place and preventing erosion and washouts. When the vegetation is killed during a wildfire and is unable to grow back quickly enough, the lack of deep roots can cause whole hillsides to give way after rain. These mudslides can take out anything below them, and cause the collapse of anything above.

Road Damage

Another potential result of corporation-caused fires is the damage to roads once the fire damages the road surface, and eliminates the roadside vegetation. Just like with a mudslide, when the vegetation and its protective root structure are gone, there is little to keep the road from washing out with the next heavy rain.

Loss Of Utilities

Once a fire is encroaching on an area, the utilities are shut off to that area for safety. While this is prudent, it can result in areas that lose utilities like gas, water, and power for days or even weeks at a time. This can put families in jeopardy who have already been in the midst of a fire and suffered trauma. An ancillary hazard of this is the danger that repair crews may be exposed to when sent out to service utilities in an area recently subject to a wildfire.

Economic Disruption

A major impact that many people, particularly employers fail to consider, is the need for employees to take considerable time off of work to get their life back in order, which can cause incredible disruption in essential services. In some cases, those who lose everything to a wildfire may be inclined to relocate, putting additional strain on the local workforce and economy.

The Fallout From Corporation Caused Fires Is Extensive

While most people think of the lost homes and displaced people when they think of fires, there are many more damages that can be sustained. Many of these affect individuals and can be painful or inconvenient, even traumatizing, but some have a larger effect, can cut off neighborhoods or towns, and can mean that basic utilities like power and water are no longer safely available.

If you have experienced a loss as a result of a fire

Call TorkLaw at 888.845.9696 or contact us online today to schedule a complimentary case review. Our knowledgeable staff is available to take your call 24/7.