SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The PG&E Fire Victim Trust (FVT) announced Monday that victims of the Butte Fire (2015), North Bay Fires (2017) and Camp Fire (2018) in Northern California can now file claims for compensation at FireVictimTrust.com.
The user-friendly website provides a range of resources to help victims file claims for economic and personal losses arising from the catastrophic fires. Lawyers and individuals without attorneys may request access to the FVT Portal, through which they can complete a Claims Questionnaire. The FVT Portal includes video tutorials, comprehensive FAQs about all aspects of the claims process and other resources to aid in the claim filing process.
While Fire Victims are not required to be represented by a lawyer to file a claim, the FVT has partnered with the University of California, Berkeley School of Law to support claimants who require assistance in completing the Claims Questionnaire.
On January 29, 2019, PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas & Electric Company filed for bankruptcy relief in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California in the face of, among other liabilities, billions of dollars of asserted claims, damages and losses suffered by individuals, families and businesses resulting from the Butte Fire (2015), North Bay Fires (2017), and Camp Fire (2018). On July 1, 2020, as part of a confirmed Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, the FVT was established by the Bankruptcy Court and funded, in order to act as the court-approved post-confirmation trust to administer, resolve and compensate the victims of these fires who timely filed claims in the bankruptcy cases, on account of such claims. The FVT is administered under the direction of the Trustee, the Honorable John K. Trotter (Ret.), and Claims Administrator Cathy Yanni.
“We understand how important it is for the claims process to be transparent, straightforward and as seamless as possible,” said Yanni, who has previously facilitated the distribution of billions of dollars in settlement funds to claimants in numerous cases, including those involving wildfires. “We recognize that many Fire Victims have been waiting a long time to receive compensation for the damages they suffered in these tragic fires, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that every valid claim is paid out. The questionnaire and other tools now live on the Fire Victim Trust website will greatly enhance our ability to do that.”
Important resources on FireVictimTrust.com include:
- Trust Agreement (https://www.firevictimtrust.com/Documents.aspx)
- Claims Questionnaire via FVT Portal (https://www.firevictimtrust.com/Login.aspx)
- FAQs (https://www.firevictimtrust.com/FAQ.aspx)
About the Fire Victim Trust:
Under the direction of the Trustee, the Honorable John K. Trotter (Ret.), and the Claims Administrator, Cathy Yanni, the Fire Victim Trust provides an efficient and equitable process to compensate Fire Victims for both economic and non-economic damages caused by these fires, including destruction or damage to real estate and personal property, additional living expenses, lost wages, business losses, emotional distress, personal injury and death. For more information, visit FireVictimTrust.com.
