Wildfire Lawsuit Loans
What Are Wildfire Lawsuit Loans?
Wildfire lawsuit loans are non-recourse cash advances for fire survivors with active claims against a utility or another party blamed for the fire. Repayment is required only if your case results in a settlement or verdict, and it comes out of those proceeds. Wildfire cases are slow. Survivors of the 2023 Maui fire were still waiting on their first settlement payments three years later. In the meantime you may be paying rent on a temporary place, a mortgage on a home that no longer exists, and the cost of replacing everything you owned.
Despite the name, it is not a loan in the way a bank means it. A traditional loan is repaid no matter what, with monthly payments and interest. This is non-recourse legal funding: the funder takes on all the risk, so if your case does not win, you owe nothing and nothing is pledged as collateral. Here is the practical difference:
| Feature | Pre-Settlement Funding | Traditional Loan |
|---|---|---|
| Credit check required | No | Yes |
| Monthly payments | None | Required |
| Repayment if you lose | $0 | Full balance still owed |
| Based on | Case strength | Credit and income |
| Risk to personal assets | None | Yes |
Most wildfire cases are handled as a mass tort: thousands of survivors file individual claims that are coordinated in one court. Your claim stays your own and is valued on your own losses, which is what we base your funding on.
What Makes a Wildfire Case Different
A wildfire claim is not an ordinary property or injury case. Three things shape how these cases are fought and paid, and together they explain why so many survivors need funding to get through them.
A Utility Can Owe You Without Negligence
In California, a rule called inverse condemnation can make a power company liable for property damage when its equipment was a substantial cause of the fire, even if it followed the safety rules. Most other states require proof of negligence, which is a longer fight.
Insurance Is Only Part of It
Many survivors find their policy does not cover the real cost of rebuilding. A lawsuit can reach what insurance leaves out: the gap above your policy limits, lost income, evacuation costs, and the harm to your health. Your insurer may also be seeking repayment from the same defendant.
The Money Arrives Slowly, in Pieces
Even after a deal is signed, payment takes time. The $4 billion Maui settlement is set to pay in yearly installments over four years. The trust for PG&E’s 2015 to 2018 fires paid survivors in stages, and its final payment in October 2026 brings the total to 71.25% of approved claim values.
There is one more pressure point. Some utilities offer a fast payment program in exchange for giving up your right to sue. Whether to take that offer or stay in the lawsuit is a decision for you and your attorney, and it should be made on the merits, not because the rent is due. Pre-settlement funding gives you the room to make it that way.
Wildfire Cases We Fund
Below is where the major wildfire litigations stand as of September 2026. In each one, survivors allege that a utility or public agency is responsible for the fire. These are claims being tested in court or resolved by settlement, and the status changes often.
Eaton Fire (Altadena)
About 1,000 lawsuits target Southern California Edison over the January 2025 fire. Edison has said its equipment likely started it. The first test trial is set for January 2027.
Palisades Fire
Thousands of residents of Pacific Palisades and Malibu have filed claims against the City of Los Angeles, its water and power department, and state agencies. A court allowed the litigation to move forward in February 2026.
Maui and Lahaina Fire
A $4 billion settlement covers about 22,000 claimants from the August 2023 fires. Award notices went out in June 2026, but first payments were delayed again that August by a dispute headed to the Hawaii Supreme Court.
PG&E Fires
Claims over the 2021 Dixie Fire, brought by more than 9,000 plaintiffs, are still pending, with a first trial set for December 2026. Claims from PG&E’s earlier fires were paid through a victim trust that is now closing.
Oregon Labor Day Fires
Survivors of the 2020 fires sued PacifiCorp in a class action. An appeals court overturned the class verdict in April 2026, and the Oregon Supreme Court has agreed to review it. PacifiCorp has settled about $2.2 billion in claims so far.
Other Utility-Caused Fires
The 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas has a trial set for April 2027, and Colorado’s Marshall Fire claims settled for about $640 million in 2025. If a utility’s equipment is blamed for your fire, we can review the claim.
We fund claims for destroyed and damaged homes, lost businesses and income, smoke and burn injuries, evacuation costs, and the loss of a family member. If your fire is not listed and you have an attorney, apply and we will review whether your case qualifies.
Who Qualifies for Wildfire Settlement Funding?
- An active wildfire claim, or one your attorney is preparing to file
- An attorney representing you on a contingency-fee basis
- Losses your attorney can document, such as property, income, or injury
That is the whole list. Homeowners, renters, and business owners can all qualify, and so can families who lost someone in the fire. You do not need good credit, proof of income, a co-signer, or money for an application fee. A fire can wreck your finances along with everything else, and none of that counts against you, because we fund based on the strength of your case.
How Wildfire Settlement Loans Work
Getting funded is simple and fast. Our pre-settlement funding process is built to help you quickly, without adding stress.
- Apply online or by phone. Share basic information about your claim, including your attorney’s contact details, or call (888) 335-3537. It takes a few minutes.
- We review your case with your attorney. Your attorney provides the details and documentation of your losses, and we evaluate the strength of your claim and its likely value. This usually takes 24 to 48 hours.
- Get approved and see plain terms. If approved, we send a simple agreement in clear language that states repayment happens only if your case recovers. Review it with your attorney before you sign. No credit check, no employment verification.
- Receive your funds. Once you sign, money is sent directly to you, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Use it immediately for any expense.
- Repay only if you win. If your case settles or wins at trial, repayment comes from the proceeds. If it does not win, you owe nothing. The risk is entirely ours.
Why Choose America Lawsuit Loans?
We have funded plaintiffs across the country since 2018, with a focus on mass torts and other complex litigation against large defendants. We understand how long a fight with a utility can run, and what it takes to stay in it. What you get from us:
- True non-recourse funding. You repay only if you win. Lose, and you walk away owing nothing.
- No credit score required. Approval is based on case strength, not your financial background.
- Fast approvals and funding. Most applications are reviewed within 24 hours, with funds in one to two business days.
- We never touch your case. You and your attorney keep full control of every decision, including whether to settle.
- No restrictions on the money. Use it for housing, rebuilding, medical care, or any expense you have.
Most fire survivors put the funds toward temporary housing and rent, rebuilding costs their insurance did not cover, replacing belongings, medical bills, and the everyday costs of starting over. A wildfire case can take years to pay, and rebuilding your life should not have to wait that long.
Wildfire Lawsuit Loan FAQs
Are wildfire lawsuit loans real loans?
No. These are non-recourse advances, not traditional loans. You owe nothing if your case does not win, and repayment only happens if you win or settle. There are no monthly payments and no interest-bearing balance. Learn more in our settlement funding FAQs.
Can I get funding if my insurance already paid me?
Yes. An insurance payout does not end your claim against the party blamed for the fire. The lawsuit covers what insurance left out, such as rebuilding costs above your policy limits, lost income, and harm to your health. We base funding on the value of that remaining claim.
Should I take the utility’s fast payment offer or stay in the lawsuit?
That is a decision for you and your attorney, and we do not give advice on it. What we can say is that these programs usually pay sooner but require you to give up your right to sue. Funding exists so that the choice is made on what your claim is worth, not on how urgently you need money this month.
Do renters and business owners qualify, or only homeowners?
All of them can qualify. Renters can claim lost belongings, relocation costs, and other harm. Business owners can claim lost income and damaged property. Families can bring claims for a loved one who died. What matters is that you have an attorney and a claim with documented losses.
Do I need good credit to qualify?
No. There are no credit checks. We do not review credit scores, employment history, or income. Approval is based entirely on the strength of your case.
How fast can I get money?
Many applicants receive funds within 24 to 48 hours after approval. The timeline mostly depends on how quickly your attorney provides the case information we need to complete our review.
How much can I get, and how long do wildfire cases take?
Amounts vary by case value and stage, usually kept at or below 10% to 20% of your expected net recovery. Recent wildfire cases have taken roughly three to eight years to pay survivors, and some pay in installments even after a settlement. Many plaintiffs take a smaller advance now and request more later, which keeps total cost lower.
What if I lose my case?
You repay nothing. The funder absorbs the entire loss. That is what makes this non-recourse: the financial risk is entirely ours, not yours.
