Since the Lineage fire, residents have suffered through thick smoke and putrid odors. Now, they must also navigate how to respond to a surge of flyers and ads from attorneys outside their homes and following them online.
Raquel Bell, who lives in El Sereno, has been inundated with Instagram advertisements of law firms, declaring, “You have legal options” and “You may be entitled to compensation.”
“The algorithm is sending constant ads from attorneys,” said Bell, who self-evacuated with her boyfriend after getting sick from the smoke. Bell said she wants to talk to an attorney about compensation for losing work and having to relocate due to the fire. She’s interested in joining a class-action lawsuit. “My experience is, we don’t know where to begin,” she said.
Oscar Espino-Padron, an attorney with the nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice, said the public should be cautious of “disaster vultures,” looking to exploit those who had to relocate or who have experienced negative health conditions after the fire.
“These are personal challenges where there’s urgency and there’s a need for immediate significant relief that can make residents a target for fraud,” Espino-Padron said. “It’s important for residents to slow down … to really be cautious of any pressure tactics to sign documents, or if there are promises of immediate payout.”
Here is some guidance if you’re considering a legal case:
Search the State Bar of California website.
As residents look at firms or attorneys for potential representation, Espino-Padron advised visiting the California State Bar website to search if a lawyer they’re engaging with is licensed to practice law in California.
Searching their first and last name will lead you to an attorney profile showing if their license is active and when they were admitted to the State Bar of California. The profile also shows disciplinary issues related to that attorney.
Connect with certified lawyer referral services.
People can use the state bar’s Lawyer Referral Services directory to search for a lawyer by county, area of law and languages spoken.
You can also reach out to local legal aid nonprofits to access referral services.
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and Public Counsel are LA-based groups that have certified attorney referral programs, Espino-Padron said.
Referral services are designed to help you find a lawyer who is experienced in the appropriate field of law and is a licensee of the state bar in good standing, according to the State Bar of California. You may also be referred to an attorney who offers reduced rates depending on your income.
Take your time and don’t rush important legal decisions.
The legal processes for a disaster often take place over many months, even years, Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona for the State Bar of California told Boyle Heights Beat in a statement. Don’t rush into signing legal agreements, he said.
“Consumers should be particularly wary of any claims that immediate payment of legal fees or other costs are necessary to protect legal rights or remedies. There is time for victims to ensure they are getting the best legal services possible for them and their families,” Cardona said.
The Daily Journal, a legal news site, recently reported that only three proposed class actions had been filed a month after the fire began, “a relatively modest number for an incident that affected thousands of residents.”
This slow pace reflects the challenges in determining “responsibility among multiple liable parties,” according to the Daily Journal. Among the companies involved at the site are Lineage, the warehouse’s operator, building owner Chill Build, rooftop solar owner Altus Power and solar subcontractor Pearce Services.
Shop around and pay attention to fees.
Contingency fees — the arrangements where an attorney’s fee is dependent on the successful outcome of a case — will differ from attorney to attorney, said Espino-Padron.
Attorneys typically take a percentage of any settlement or judgement, and some will take a higher percentage than others. Though you won’t pay an attorney if you lose the case, you may still have to pay court fees, and those can add up. The state bar recommends potential clients ask attorneys for an estimate of court costs before filing a case.
Espino-Padron also suggests considering lawyers’ experience in similar cases.
“The experience that a lawyer or a law firm has handling a particular type of case will vary. Those are all important things for folks to consider,” he said.
Vet further, he said. “Not just going with one firm, [but] really looking for referrals to different firms that have experience.”
Look out for red flags.
Cardona, with the state bar, reminds the public that California law prohibits lawyers or their representatives from:
- Soliciting clients in person or by phone or other real-time electronic contact
- Soliciting clients who have made known to the lawyer a desire not to be solicited
- Mailing written communications offering legal representation unless the communication is clearly labeled as an advertisement on the outside of the envelope
- Sending recorded or electronic communications offering legal representation unless the communication is clearly labeled as an advertisement at the beginning and end of any such communications
“If there are requests for upfront funds or payment to initiate legal representation, that’s another red flag for folks to watch out for,” Espino-Padron with Earthjustice said.
