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A lawsuit has been filed against San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Sempra Energy by landowners and businesses in the Ramona, California area. The lawsuit alleges that the companies acted negligently by not repairing power lines that may have led to California’s Witch, Guejito and Rice fires in 2007.

Details of the lawsuit

According to an article in the Ramona Sentinel newspaper, the lawsuit was filed on April 11th 2008 by approximately 270 land and business owners in, or near, Ramona California. It alleges that San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) and Sempra Energy should have known that power lines in the area had “weaknesses in design, construction, operation, inspection and maintenance” after the Cedar fires occurred in 2003. The expected damages in the lawsuit have yet to be determined.

The fires are out, but the rebuilding continues

The southern California fires may be out, but homeowners continue to rebuild what was lost – which means dealing with insurance companies. For many, it may be the first large claim that they’ve had to make. So, it’s important to remember that insurance companies have a duty to deal with their policyholders fairly and in good faith. When that doesn’t happen, policyholders can sue their insurance companies for acting in ‘bad faith’ for not acting reasonably. Examples of bad faith might include not responding to a claim in a reasonable time or denying a claim without proper investigation.

When you simply can’t make headway

In many cases, policyholders will need to hire a lawyer when they simply can’t make headway with their insurance company in getting their claim processed, when their insurance company wrongfully denies their claim or refuses to pay the full value of their claim.

If you do need to hire a lawyer, make sure to hire the right one. In order to do that, consider asking him or her the following questions:

• How long have you been in practice?
• How long have you practiced insurance law?
• What types of insurance cases have you handled and what have been the outcomes?
• Do you have trial experience? If so, how much?
• Are you a member of any clubs or organizations that deal with insurance issues?
• How are you compensated?
• What up-front costs are involved?

To contact attorney to discuss your situation, please click here. Consultations are free, without obligation and strictly confidential. We may be able to help.