Your Insurance vs. a Utility Claim: What Is the Difference?
One of the most important things a wildfire victim can understand is that these are two separate paths to recovery, not either-or. You may be able to pursue both.
Your own insurance
A claim on your policy is based on the coverage you bought. It is often the first source of recovery and can move faster, but it is capped by your policy limits and your coverage — which many wildfire victims find falls short of the true loss.
A claim against the utility
A utility liability claim is against the company whose equipment caused the fire. It can seek losses beyond your policy limits — underinsured property, full contents, income, displacement, and the personal harm you suffered — and, for property, sometimes without proving negligence.
The bottom line
The two are coordinated: your insurer may seek reimbursement from the utility for what it paid you. And if your own insurer is unreasonably delaying or underpaying, that can be a separate bad-faith issue. For many families, the fuller recovery comes from the utility claim.
Frequently asked questions
If my insurance paid me, can I still recover from the utility?
Generally yes. The utility claim can seek losses beyond your policy limits, and the two are coordinated — your insurer may be reimbursed from the utility for what it paid you. Pursuing the utility is often where the fuller recovery is.
This is general information about Wildfire Utility Liability injury claims, not legal advice. Every situation is different.
The law depends on your state
The steps above apply wherever you were hurt. Filing deadlines, fault rules, and limits on damages differ by state — pick yours for what applies to wildfire utility liability.
Not sure which applies to you?
A quick, confidential review can help you decide — about two minutes, no cost, no obligation.