Mar 21, 2024
Article from Source New Mexico: https://sourcenm.com/briefs/nm-attorney-general-opens-complaint-office-for-wildfire-survivors-in-las-vegas/?emci=05c0ad27-92dd-ee11-85fb-002248223794&emdi=99529fa6-afdf-ee11-85fb-002248223794&ceid=548093
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced last week that the state Department of Justice is opening a consumer protection office in northern New Mexico to help survivors of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire.
The office also released a flyer with information for those considering hiring lawyers, or who have already hired lawyers, as they seek compensation from a $3.95 billion fund allocated by Congress to compensate victims of the fire. Several large law firms have signed on more than 1,000 fire victims as clients, including families, businesses, acequias and local governments.
The complaint office at the headquarters of the Las Vegas district attorney will be open for walk-ins on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Claimants can walk in and file complaints and get general information about the claims process.
NMDOJ consumer complaints office
Walk-in hours Tuesdays and Thursdays
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas
1800 New Mexico Avenue, Las Vegas, NM 87701.
“The Department of Justice is here to protect consumers and those impacted by the fire that ravaged northern New Mexico,” Torrez said in a news release. Torrez said his department has received questions from many survivors about their rights when it comes to legal services for their claims.
Congressional sponsors said their intent for the nearly $4 billion compensation program was that fire survivors could navigate the process without an attorney. Law firms say they are necessary to shoulder the paperwork burden and maximize payouts. They also get a 20% cut of claims.
The flyer from the Department of Justice reminds those seeking compensation that they have a right to decide whether they want an attorney, settle their cases, and to be kept informed by lawyers about the status of their claim. It also gives claimants “warning signs” for a law firm that isn’t advocating in their best interests, including coercion, solicitation and going silent.
As of March 6, the Claims Office had paid out $420 million of the nearly $4 billion compensation fund, which is about 11%.