California wildfire lawsuit: See if you qualify for compensation

Who may qualify for a California wildfire lawsuit

If you’ve suffered losses from a California wildfire—such as improper insurance claims handling, property damage, health problems from smoke exposure, or business interruption—you may be eligible to seek compensation. Fill out the form on this page to see if you qualify.

California wildfires have caused devastating damage to homes, businesses, and communities. But for many, the destruction is only the beginning. Victims are often left to battle insurance companies, deal with long-term health risks, and recover from financial losses caused by the negligence of others.

Top Class Actions is working with attorneys to help individuals and businesses navigate these challenges and pursue compensation. Whether you’re dealing with a denied, delayed, or undervalued insurance claim, toxic exposure, or believe a utility company negligently caused the fire, your case may qualify for legal action.

Types of California wildfire claims that may qualify

Bad Faith Insurance Denials

Many California wildfire victims with valid homeowners or renters insurance are being denied coverage or offered far less than they’re entitled to—often by major insurers like State Farm, USAA, AAA, and the state-backed CAL FAIR Plan, which was created as a last resort for those who can’t get traditional coverage.

If your insurer delayed, denied, or undervalued your claim without a valid reason, you may have a case. Examples of insurance bad faith include:

• Denied or delayed payment despite valid documentation
• Rejection of smoke or ash damage claims
• Payouts that don’t reflect your actual losses
• Refusal to properly investigate and pay for wildfire smoke damage cleanup, despite legal obligations, leaving homes contaminated with hazardous chemical residue.

Read more:

• Ten victims of the Jan. 7 fires sue the California Fair Plan over smoke damages: The lawsuit alleges that the California FAIR Plan and 10 major California home insurers acted in bad faith by refusing to properly investigate and pay for wildfire smoke damage cleanup, despite legal obligations to do so. Plaintiffs claim the smoke left their homes contaminated with hazardous chemical residue.
• Insurers like AAA and USAA are being sued for insurance fraud: Wildfire victims in Los Angeles County have filed lawsuits accusing AAA and USAA of engaging in insurance fraud by underpaying or denying legitimate claims, using misleading practices to avoid full payouts for fire-related losses.
• Landmark ruling: CAL FAIR Plan shortchanging smoke-damage victims: A judge ruled that the CAL FAIR Plan—the state’s insurer of last resort—failed to adequately compensate homeowners for smoke and ash damage, potentially setting a precedent for more victims to recover full insurance benefits.

Toxic Ash and Smoke Exposure

Even if your home survived the flames, lingering toxins from ash and smoke can pose serious health risks, especially for children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions.

You may qualify if you’ve experienced:

• Long-term smoke or ash exposure
• Health issues tied to wildfire pollution
• Medical expenses or the need for ongoing medical monitoring

Negligence by Utility Companies

Utility companies such as Southern California Edison, PG&E, Pacific Power and SDG&E are facing lawsuits for failing to maintain equipment and for not shutting down power lines during high-risk conditions.

You may qualify if:

• Your home or property was lost in a fire sparked by power lines or faulty equipment
• You suffered financial or emotional harm due to preventable fire damage

Read more:

• Utility company negligence lawsuits name SoCal Edison and LADWP: Multiple lawsuits allege that Southern California Edison’s (SCE) aging transmission infrastructure, including faulty equipment and failure to de-energize lines despite red-flag warnings, sparked the Eaton Fire in January 2025. Other lawsuits accuse the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) of exacerbating the Palisades Fire due to its failure to maintain its water supply system and reservoirs.

Governmental Liability for Failure to Respond (Palisades Fire and Others)

Some California wildfire claims are being brought against government agencies that allegedly failed to act quickly or properly during wildfire emergencies, especially in fast-moving events like the Palisades Fire.

While these lawsuits face additional legal hurdles, victims may still have options to pursue claims related to:

• Delayed or negligent emergency response
• Failure to warn residents or to evacuate in time
• Preventable spread of fire due to poor forest or land management

Business Interruption Insurance Denials

If your business was forced to close or suffered losses due to a wildfire, your insurance policy may include business interruption coverage. However, many insurers delay, deny, or undervalue these claims, leaving businesses without the support they paid for.

You may qualify if:

• You lost business income due to a delayed response or evacuation
• Your insurer denied or underpaid a valid claim
• You had insufficient coverage despite paying for protection

Read more:

• USAA under scrutiny in CA wildfire business loss cases: Los Angeles County residents filed a lawsuit against USAA, alleging that the insurer systematically undervalued the cost to rebuild their homes after California wildfires — sometimes paying only one-third of the actual reconstruction expenses — leaving homeowners underinsured and financially strained
• State Farm facing 200K+ CA wildfire home damage class action: A California federal judge is likely to certify a class action involving nearly 200,000 homeowners against State Farm, who claim the insurer unlawfully reduced their payouts by depreciating sales tax when calculating replacement cost for wildfire-related property damage

Don’t wait — Find out if you qualify

The legal window for California wildfire claims may be limited by California’s statute of limitations. If you believe you were wronged by your insurer, a utility provider, or a government agency, now is the time to take action.

Fill out the short form on this page to find out if you qualify. There’s no cost to submit your information, and you may be connected with attorneys who can help you seek the compensation you deserve.

Fill out the form on this page to see if you qualify for a free case evaluation.