Your Rights After a Wildfire in Arizona
In the aftermath of a wildfire, families are left with loss and hard questions — including whether it could have been prevented. When utility equipment is linked to a fire, you may have the right to hold the utility accountable for the full scope of your losses.
A claim against the utility
When a utility's equipment or negligence contributed to a fire, it can be responsible for the harm — physical injuries, health effects, destroyed property, lost income, and the trauma of displacement. This is a claim against the utility itself, separate from any claim on your own insurance policy.
Different paths for injury and property
How responsibility is established can differ: injury claims generally rest on the utility's negligence, while in some states property damage can be recovered from a utility even without proven negligence. A review can explain which paths apply to your losses.
How we help
We investigate how the fire started, document the full scope of your losses, and pursue the utility with care. The review is free and confidential. Se habla español.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a claim against the utility for a wildfire?
You may, where the utility's equipment or negligence contributed to the fire. Such a claim can cover injuries, property loss, lost income, and displacement — and it is separate from any claim on your own insurance.
How long do I have to act?
Deadlines depend on the state and the specific fire, and special claims processes sometimes apply. Because they can be complex and time-sensitive, it is worth a confidential conversation soon.
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.
Did a utility-caused wildfire harm your family?
A quick, confidential review can tell you where you stand — about two minutes, no cost, no obligation.