Wildfire Business & Income Loss Claims in Arizona
A wildfire does not only take homes — it can destroy a business, cut off income, and disrupt livelihoods for months. When utility equipment caused the fire, these economic losses may be recoverable from the utility.
What business losses can include
A claim can cover destroyed business property and inventory, lost profits and income during closure, the cost of relocating or rebuilding, and losses to employees and owners. Even where a home survived, an interruption to income and business can be substantial.
Documenting the economic loss
Establishing business and income loss takes financial records, tax returns, and sometimes expert analysis. Building that documentation carefully is central to recovering the full economic harm.
How we help
We document the full business and income loss with the right experts, and pursue the utility. The review is free and confidential. Se habla español.
Frequently asked questions
My business lost months of income after the fire. Is that recoverable?
It can be, where a utility caused the fire. Lost profits, destroyed business property, and the cost of rebuilding or relocating may be recoverable — established through financial records and, where needed, expert analysis.
Arizona law — what people ask
How long do I have to file an injury claim in Arizona?
Generally two years. But if a public entity is involved you must serve a formal notice of claim within 180 days and file suit within one year — and Arizona runs a much shorter one-year clock on dog-bite strict-liability claims specifically.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault in Arizona?
Yes. Arizona applies pure comparative negligence, so fault reduces your recovery rather than ending the claim, and there is no percentage at which it cuts off. Arizona also treats fault questions as belonging to the jury rather than being resolved beforehand.
Does Arizona cap what I can recover?
No — and this sets Arizona apart from most states. Its constitution prohibits laws limiting damages for injury or death, and that applies to medical-malpractice claims too, where most states impose a cap. If you have read that pain and suffering is capped, that is not Arizona law.
What if more than one party was responsible?
Arizona generally applies several liability, so each responsible party answers for its own share rather than the whole judgment. That makes identifying every responsible party early a practical question about what is actually collectible.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured or underinsured coverage is the usual route. Arizona also requires insurers to offer that coverage in writing — so if you were told your policy carries none, the underwriting file is worth checking before that answer is accepted.
Will the jury hear that my health insurance paid my bills?
Usually not — Arizona generally follows the collateral source rule. Medical-negligence cases are the statutory exception, where that evidence has been made admissible, which changes how medical damages are presented in those claims specifically.
Injury law in Arizona
Arizona injury law has some features that set it apart from its neighbors.
- Filing deadline: Arizona generally gives you two years from the injury to file, but only 180 days to serve a notice of claim on a public entity.
- Fault: Arizona follows pure comparative negligence — being partly, or even mostly, at fault reduces your recovery but does not bar it.
- Damage caps: Arizona is unusual: its constitution prohibits caps on injury or death damages, so a statutory cap does not limit what you can recover.
- Multiple defendants: Arizona generally applies several (not joint) liability, so each responsible party is accountable for its own share.
Related topics
California injury law
This is general information about Arizona injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different.
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