YOU'VE SURVIVED THE WILDFIRE, BUT NOW THERE'S LOTS OF IMPORTANT QUESTIONS...
WHERE DO YOU START?
HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?
HOW DO I WORK WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY?
"Don't be afraid to speak up.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
...WE TACKLE THE FIVE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ASKED BY WILDFIRE SURVIVORS AND
GET YOU ANSWERS FROM THE EXPERTS.
THAT'S ALL COMING UP NEXT ON THIS SPECIAL HOW-TO DISASTER RECOVERY SHOW.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I'M BRYAN MAY IN THE CAL OES NEWSROOM.
IT'S A QUESTION WE HEAR IN EVERY DISASTER, "NOW WHAT?"
AND IF YOU'RE A SURVIVOR, IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE...
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BEGIN THE RECOVERY PROCESS.
AND...
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO CONSIDER.
IN THIS SHOW, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER FIVE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, AND REACHED
OUT TO EXPERTS TO GET YOU THE ANSWERS.
{QUESTION 1 WHERE DO I GO TO GET HELP?}
FOR MANY, THE FIRST QUESTION IS...
THE FIRST STEP.
WHERE DO I START?
WHERE DO I GO TO GET HELP?
FOR THE TWO LARGEST AND MOST DAMAGING WILDFIRES -- THE MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE AND CARR FIRE
-- THOSE IMPACTED SHOULD START AT WHAT'S CALLED A "DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER."
SOMETIMES YOU MAY ALSO HEAR IT REFERRED TO AS A "LOCAL ASSISTANCE CENTER."
THESE CENTERS ARE A "ONE-STOP SHOP" WHERE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES COME TOGETHER
SPECIFICALLY TO HELP YOU WITH INFORMATION AND SERVICES.
THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER FOR LAKE COUNTY IS LOCATED AT 94-60 MAIN STREET IN UPPER LAKE.
IT IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FROM 9 A-M TO 6 P-M, CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
AND FOR RESIDENTS OF SHASTA COUNTY, THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER IS LOCATED IN THE FORMER K-MART
BUILDING, AT 26-85 HILLTOP DRIVE IN REDDING.
IT'S ALSO OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FROM 9 A-M TO 6 P-M, CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
"If anyone has suffered any damages, any losses, please let us know.
If you need any type of assistance at all.
What we here at the DRC, the Disaster Recovery Center, for is to put a face to face to your
recovery needs.
So anything that you may need, register with FEMA.
You don't have to come in to the Disaster Recovery Center, you can register by calling
[FEMA Disaster Assistance 1-800-621-3362] or our website, www.disasterassistance.gov,
you can make all of your preparation, all your registration right there."
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EITHER OF THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS, YOU CAN GO TO WILDFIRE RECOVERY
DOT ORG.
YOU CAN ALSO FIND LINKS TO YOUR LOCAL CITY OR COUNTY WEBSITE WITH SPECIFIC INFORMATION
ABOUT THE DISASTER.
WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE?
SO NOW THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS, THE NEXT QUESTION IS...
WHAT ELSE IS AVAILABLE?
OFTEN THERE'S RUMORS AND MISINFORMATION THAT MAY LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE YOU'RE ONLY QUALIFIED
FOR LIMITED ASSISTANCE - OR WORSE - NONE AT ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE EXPERTS WE TALKED TO SAY IT'S IMPORTANT TO EXPLORE ALL THE POSSIBILITIES AND DON'T
MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
"Don't rule yourself out for federal assistance.
A lot of times folks do.
They think, 'I'm not going to qualify.
I have a pretty good insurance policy.
Maybe my home wasn't completely destroyed.'
You've got to get yourself registered.
One of the things that's really interesting about the Carr Fire in particular, we've got
a lot of folks that suffered significant wind damage, but their home wasn't destroyed by
fire.
Those folks are still potentially eligible for federal assistance."
"We've got faith-based organizations that help folks sift through the debris and find
artifacts, family heirlooms and other cherished items that may have survived the fire.
We've got the American Red Cross that often times has financial donations that they can
make available to individuals.
Often times there's tremendous charitable contributions happening through local nonprofits
and other foundations that set up that have funding or other resources available to help
address needs that government or your insurance may not be able to address."
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE MOST HELP AVAILABLE, ASK THAT
SIMPLE QUESTION, "WHAT ELSE IS AVAILABLE FOR ME?"
OFTEN WE FIND THAT SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, LIKE THOSE OFFERED BY COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS,
ARE ANNOUNCED AT LOCAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR TOWN HALLS.
THEY'RE NOT JUST AN UPDATE ON THE DISASTER RECOVERY PROCESS BY LOCAL OFFICIALS.
THEY'RE A GREAT WAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT ELSE MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?
THIS IS THE ONE EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE SUFFERED A MAJOR LOSS...
"HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?"
AND, EVERY DISASTER SURVIVOR WE'VE MET WANTS TO GET "BACK TO NORMAL" AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO...
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, AND OFTEN ONE OF THE HARDEST TO ANSWER.
THERE'S PERHAPS NOBODY BETTER TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO -- THAN SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN THROUGH
IT.
PAUL LOWENTHAL IS ONE OF THE NEARLY 9-THOUSAND RESIDENTS WHO LOST THEIR HOMES IN THE DEVASTATING
OCTOBER 2017 WILDFIRES HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
HIS PERSPECTIVE, THOUGH, IS A UNIQUE ONE...
HE'S NOT ONLY A SURVIVOR, BUT A FIRST RESPONDER...
A FIREFIGHTER WHO LEFT HIS HOME TO HELP SAVE OTHERS...
AND IN THE PROCESS, HE LOST EVERYTHING.
"From initial onset, people are always eager to get ahead.
They're eager to start moving forward with the recovery process and they get edgy and
they get nervous because they don't see a lot of activity.
They're not sure with what the city, the county, the state and the federal government are doing.
"People also need to understand that there's decisions they can make really early on that
can help them move forward really quickly."
"There was a group of about 12 neighbors that all came together and met pretty quickly after
the fire and started talking about contractors and architects.
That's a prime example of how neighborhoods immediately came together and recognized that
there's going to be needs that we all have and how can we work together to help us collectively
move forward."
LOWENTHAL SAYS THE JOURNEY TO FULL RECOVERY CAN BE A LONG ONE.
ALTHOUGH THERE'S NO SET TIMELINE FOR HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE, HE RECOMMENDS BEING PATIENT,
TAKING YOUR TIME AND - MOST IMPORTANTLY - TALKING WITH OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A JOURNEY YOU TAKE ALONE.
HOW DO I MAKE SURE I'M GETTING THE MOST FROM MY INSURANCE PROVIDER?
YOU'RE LIKELY FAMILIAR WITH THE PEACE OF MIND THAT COMES WITH BEING INSURED.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE, BUT HOPE YOU'LL NEVER USE.
MANY HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS POLICIES COVER WILDFIRE DAMAGE, SO CONTACTING YOUR INSURANCE
COMPANY SHOULD BE ONE OF YOUR FIRST STEPS.
BUT, HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR POLICY?
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE PROVIDES SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE RECOVERING FROM
WILDFIRES.
"I think people immediately assume that they're in an adversarial relationship with their
insurance company, and they may ultimately be.
The first thing you need to do is call your insurance company and ask for a copy of your
policy.
That's once you've secured your safety and the safety of your loved ones and you've stabilized
your living situation.
Call your insurance company, have them walk through the contents of the policy with you.
Second, most home owner's insurance policies have coverage for your out of pocket expenses
when you've been evacuated.
Even if your home hasn't been touched by the fire, you can still be entitled to get your
lodging costs, your transportation costs, your food costs, anything associated with
your living expenses while you were evacuated outside the home might be covered."
THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER...
AND OFTEN A LOT YOU MAY NOT KNOW.
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE HAS POSTED HELPFUL RESOURCES ON THEIR WEBSITE,
INCLUDING THE "TOP TEN TIPS FOR WILDFIRE CLAIMANTS."
IT'S A CHECKLIST EVERYONE SHOULD GO THROUGH WHEN CONSIDERING MAKING AN INSURANCE CLAIM.
IT'S EVEN HELPFUL FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN AFFECTED BY WILDFIRES.
COMMISSIONER JONES SAYS IF YOU'RE NOT CERTAIN YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU NEED FROM YOUR INSURANCE
COMPANY, YOU CAN CONTACT HIS OFFICE AND THEY ARE HAPPY TO HELP YOU.
California Department Of Insurance: 1-800-927-4357
www.Insurance.Ca.Gov YOU CAN CALL THEM AT 1 800 9-2-7 4-3-5-7
YOU CAN FIND THAT "TOP TEN" CHECKLIST AT INSURANCE DOT CA DOT GOV.
IS THERE ANYTHING I'M MISSING?
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
SO, WE'VE COVERED A LOT ALREADY, BUT BEFORE WE GO, YOU MAY, AT SOME POINT, ASK YOURSELF,
IS THERE ANYTHING I'M MISSING?
WELL, THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS, "YES."
OFTEN SURVIVORS ARE OVERWHELMED BY THE DAUNTING TASK OF RECOVERY AND IT CAN BE AN EMOTIONAL
JOURNEY...
SO IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THEY CAN'T KNOW IT ALL.
PERHAPS THE BETTER QUESTION IS, 'WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?"
HERE'S TWO EXPERTS WITH SOME ANSWERS.
"That you're not in it on your own.
There's a lot of people that want to help you.
You see people come out of the woodwork when a disaster strikes."
"When Cal OES works to help communities to recover, we work with a whole community of
partners, from the Federal Government, local nonprofits, the Red Cross, faith-based organizations.
Similarly, for the individual they need to realize that there's a multitude of organizations
out there to help you, but you are your own best advocate in finding those organizations
and reaching out to those."
"Don't be afraid to speak up.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
By not asking those questions, you're left with that unknown.
There's a lot of agencies that are directly involved with the recovery operations that
have, whether it's a hotline, whether it's a person that you can talk to and email, they're
all resources that are available for people to reach out and get those questions answered."
SO LET'S CONDENSE ALL THIS INFORMATION YOU'VE JUST HEARD INTO FIVE SIMPLE BUT IMPORTANT
TIPS FOR THOSE EFFECTED BY THE WILDFIRES.
[*Register with FEMA] FIRST...
MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER WITH FEMA, EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL
ASSISTANCE.
THAT SHOULD BE STEP ONE IN YOUR RECOVERY PROCESS.
[*Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center] NEXT, MAKE SURE YOU VISIT YOUR LOCAL DISASTER
RECOVERY CENTER OR LOCAL ASSISTANCE CENTER.
AGAIN, WE'VE GOT ALL THE INFORMATION AND LOCATIONS OF THOSE CENTERS ON OUR WEBSITE, WILDFIRE
RECOVERY DOT ORG.
[*Get a copy of your policy] GET A COPY OF YOUR INSURANCE POLICY, AND HAVE
YOUR AGENT GO OVER THE POLICY WITH YOU.
[*Document Everything] DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.
EVERY CONVERSATION WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY, CONTRACTOR...
REALLY ANYONE YOU TALK TO ABOUT YOUR REBUILDING.
REMEMBER, THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS, AND THE MORE YOU DOCUMENT, THE BETTER OFF
YOU'LL BE DOWN THE ROAD...
[*Ask questions] AND FINALLY, AS YOU HEARD, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
-- AND YOU WILL -- ASK THEM.
BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE AND MAKE SURE YOU GET THE ANSWERS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
OFTEN ADDITIONAL HELP IS AVAILABLE, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK.
FOR MORE SURVIVOR INFORMATION FOR THE CARR FIRE, YOU CAN GO TO THE SHASTA COUNTY WEBSITE...
AND MENDOCINO COUNTY HAS A WEBSITE FOR SURVIVORS OF THE MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE.
YOU CAN ALSO VISIT THE RECOVERY WEBSITE FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA...
THAT AGAIN IS WILDFIRE RECOVERY DOT ORG.
FOR ALL OF US AT CAL O-E-S, I'M BRYAN MAY.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
For more infomation >> Top 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions by Wildfire Survivors in California - Duration: 10:56.-------------------------------------------
California Lawmakers Face Deadline On Wildfire Liability Bill - Duration: 1:50.
For more infomation >> California Lawmakers Face Deadline On Wildfire Liability Bill - Duration: 1:50. -------------------------------------------
California Lt. Gov. Newsom Seeks Common Ground With President Trump - Duration: 3:12.
For more infomation >> California Lt. Gov. Newsom Seeks Common Ground With President Trump - Duration: 3:12. -------------------------------------------
California Becomes First State To Eliminate Cash Bail System - Duration: 2:07.
For more infomation >> California Becomes First State To Eliminate Cash Bail System - Duration: 2:07. -------------------------------------------
California Eliminates Bail For Suspects Awaiting Trial - Duration: 1:44.
For more infomation >> California Eliminates Bail For Suspects Awaiting Trial - Duration: 1:44. -------------------------------------------
California Eliminates Bail For Suspects Awaiting Trial - Duration: 0:25.
For more infomation >> California Eliminates Bail For Suspects Awaiting Trial - Duration: 0:25. -------------------------------------------
California Gov. Jerry Brown signs overhaul of bail system, saying now 'rich and poor alike... - Duration: 7:35.
For more infomation >> California Gov. Jerry Brown signs overhaul of bail system, saying now 'rich and poor alike... - Duration: 7:35. -------------------------------------------
California Gov. Jerry Brown signs overhaul of bail system - Duration: 7:37.
For more infomation >> California Gov. Jerry Brown signs overhaul of bail system - Duration: 7:37. -------------------------------------------
California Set To Adopt Historic 100 Percent Clean Energy Bill - Duration: 4:40.
For more infomation >> California Set To Adopt Historic 100 Percent Clean Energy Bill - Duration: 4:40. -------------------------------------------
California report predicts doubling of wildfires, made worse by climate change - Duration: 2:39.
After a record stretch of blazes, California has not seen the worst of wildfires.
The number of large wildfires across California will likely increase by 50 percent by the
end of the century, while the amount of land that burns will rise 77 percent annually,
according to a state report on the effects of climate change released Monday.
California's Fourth Climate Change Assessment projects more wildfires at the same time as
higher sea levels, increased drought, and drier weather as a result of climate change.
That's the scary part," said Bob Weisenmiller, chair of the California Energy Commission
that helped write the report, speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"It's all of these things happening in combination.
"There were times when people thought we had the rest of the century to act on climate
change.
But climate change is upon us now, and we have to act right now."
The report's release comes as state lawmakers are considering legislation requiring California
utilities to obtain 100 percent of their energy from renewable or other zero-carbon sources
by 2045.
Wildfires in California this year have burned 1.1 million acres, easily outpacing last year's
record, including this month's record-sized Mendocino Complex,
Both fires continue to burn. and the deadly Carr Fire that killed four residents and two
firefighters.
In California, 14 of the 20 largest wildfires on record have occurred over the past 15 years,
coinciding with some of the warmest years documented in the U.S.
California officials have attributed the longer fire seasons, and more destructive wildfires,
to drier and hotter conditions caused by climate change.
Jerry Brown said in a statement after the report's release.
"In California, facts and science still matter," Gov.
"These findings are profoundly serious and will continue to guide us as we confront the
apocalyptic threat of irreversible climate change."
But the Trump administration, in helping with response to the fires, has downplayed the
climate change link, and instead blamed insufficient forest management work, which involve the
removal of trees and vegetation in forests to take away fuel for fires.
-------------------------------------------
California to be first state to end bail before trial - Duration: 0:42.
For more infomation >> California to be first state to end bail before trial - Duration: 0:42. -------------------------------------------
What Are Interrogatories? – California Personal Injury Attorney Frank Nunes explains - Duration: 3:50.
You just got a packet of documents in the mail either from your attorney or from another
party to a lawsuit and they're called Interrogatories.
You got to answer some questions from either your attorney or the other side.
How important is it to give complete answers to these Interrogatories?
Hi, I'm Frank Nunes, I'm a civil law trial attorney practicing in the state of California.
Join me as I explain why it's important to give full and complete answers to interrogatories.
Well, what are interrogatories?
First of all, they're a series of written questions usually exchanged by parties in
a lawsuit designed to learn information about each sides' case.
This allows the lawyers or the parties, if they're self-represented, to evaluate the
merits of the case and see where the strong points of their case are and where the not
so strong points are.
These interrogatories are just like giving testimony and they require that they be answered
under oath.
Meaning, under penalty of perjury.
They obligate the party to investigate facts to give the information asked for in the interrogatories.
Sometimes they have to find out other information to get that information to the response in
the interrogatory and they put quite a burden on the responding party as well as the responding
parties' attorney because they require that they provide complete answers.
Now, providing complete answers is to expand and not just to answer a question as is written
but to explain the answer when your attorney suggests you do so.
Why is that important?
Well, sometimes people leave off information in interrogatories and what happens when they
have interrogatories?
Most likely, they're going to have their deposition set in the case.
And, what is the attorney asking them questions in that deposition going to do?
He or she is going to look at the responses from the interrogatories and ask them, "Well,
you said this when you responded to these interrogatories under oath and now your testimony
is something different.
Were you lying then or were you lying now?
Why are these two things inconsistent or why is there less information provided when that
information was known to you at the time you swore out answers to these responses?"
Once a client has been put to the point of being not trusted and viewed as not truthful,
if the matter proceeds to trial, the judge may instruct the jury or the judge himself
or herself that this person is not to be trusted at all in any matters of credibility.
This is why it's so important to give complete and accurate answers to interrogatories when
they come to you.
There's a time limit to answer them.
Most often the parties will work out an extension if additional time is needed to get those
complete answers, but do your best to get complete answers, disclose everything that's
asked in the interrogatory, work with your attorney to make sure those answers are complete
and you can avoid a lot of problems in your case down the road.
Well, that's it for today's video on why it's important to give complete answers to interrogatories.
By the way, if you found this information helpful, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Why?
So you can continue to get fresh new content every time we post another great, educational
video.
If you have questions, I want you to pick up the phone and call me.
I can answer your questions.
I answer questions like this every day.
You can reach me at 559-436-0850.
I'm Frank Nunes, and thanks for watching.
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