Gerald Singleton, Managing Partner at Singleton Schreiber in San Diego, was recently featured in a Source NM article, "Judge Says He’s Leaning Toward Nixing FEMA Rule Denying Fire Victims Payment for Emotional Losses" which provides a significant update to the plaintiffs in the ongoing Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire lawsuit.
According to the article, hundreds of millions of dollars could soon be awarded to the victims who continue to suffer as a result of the 2022 Hermit's Peak and Calf Canyon Fire after the presiding judge, Judge James Browning, made comments in Federal Court on Tuesday indicating that he was “leaning” toward ruling on behalf of [the] fire victims who sued FEMA and was planning to issue a ruling as soon as possible.
"For thousands of victims, that could mean additional compensation for the annoyance, discomfort, and inconvenience of the nuisance or trespass [that] the fire caused" Mr. Singleton and his team said on behalf of the plaintiffs represented in the wildfire lawsuit. Mr. Singleton was also quoted as saying that the payments could result in a more equitable distribution of fire compensation funding, with renters or those with low incomes receiving additional compensation beyond just the dollar value for their limited losses in the fire.
The article also provides a history of FEMA's handling of the Hermit's Peak and Calf Canyon Fire, the arguments made by Singleton Schreiber, and Judge Browning's interpretation of New Mexican law that he believes allows for non-economic damages to be paid to victims in a scenario like the HPCC wildfire.
