Billings, MT Fire Subrogation Lawyer

After the smoke clears, the devastation of a fire can be overwhelming. Beyond the emotional toll, there are significant financial losses that can impact your company’s bottom line and future stability. 

When a fire is caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of a third party, your insurance company may cover the initial damages, but the story shouldn’t end there. The responsible party must be held accountable. 

At Rimrock Law, we understand the immense complexity and financial stakes involved in these cases. As a dedicated Billings fire subrogation lawyer, our role is to meticulously investigate the cause of the fire and aggressively pursue the at-fault party to recover the funds you have paid out.

You have already fulfilled your duty to your policyholder. Now, let us fulfill our duty to you. We focus on the legal fight for recovery so you can focus on your business. Contact Rimrock Law today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn how we can help you reclaim what is rightfully yours.

OUR STRATEGY

Why Choose Rimrock Law for Your Fire Subrogation Claim?

Choosing the right legal partner for a fire subrogation claim is a critical business decision. It requires a firm with not only a deep understanding of Montana law but also a national track record of success in complex, high-stakes fire litigation. Rimrock Law offers this unique and powerful combination.

Our firm is led by a team of seasoned litigators, with our fire subrogation division spearheaded by the nationally recognized attorney, Phil Lorenzo. We combine the resources and experience of a large national firm with the personalized, compassionate service you can only find with a dedicated Billings-based team.

We know that a successful subrogation claim is about more than just legal knowledge; it’s about relentless investigation, strategic expert collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to seeing a case through to its conclusion, whether in settlement negotiations or a federal court trial. Our history of recovering tens of millions of dollars for our clients in fire-related cases is a testament to our tenacity and skill.

At Rimrock Law, we don’t just handle cases; we build partnerships. We understand the trust you place in us to recoup significant financial losses, and we honor that trust with dedication, transparency, and results.

What is Subrogation?

In the simplest terms, subrogation is a legal principle that allows one party to step into the shoes of another party to pursue a claim for damages. In the context of insurance, it is the right of an insurer, after paying a claim to its policyholder, to then seek reimbursement from the person or entity who was actually responsible for causing the loss.

Imagine your insured party owns a commercial building that burns down due to faulty wiring installed by a contractor. You, the insurer, pay your policyholder for the full value of the property damage as covered under their policy. This is your contractual obligation. However, the contractor who performed the faulty work is the one who is truly at fault.

Subrogation allows you, the insurer, to "step into the shoes" of your policyholder and sue the negligent contractor to recover the money you paid out. It is a fundamental concept of fairness in our legal system. It ensures that the ultimate financial responsibility for a loss falls on the shoulders of the wrongdoer, not on the innocent insured party or, by extension, the insurer who fulfilled its promise.

This process is vital for several reasons:

1. It Holds Negligent Parties Accountable: Without subrogation, negligent third parties would often escape financial responsibility for their actions simply because the victim had insurance.
2. It Helps Control Insurance Costs: By recovering payouts from at-fault parties, insurers can recoup their losses. These recoveries help keep insurance premiums more affordable for all policyholders.
3. It Prevents Double Recovery: It ensures that the injured party (the policyholder) cannot recover compensation from both their insurance company and the at-fault party for the same loss.

Handling a subrogation claim, especially one arising from a catastrophic fire, is an intricate process. It requires a Billings fire subrogation attorney with a profound understanding of insurance law, product liability, and the specific regulations governing evidence preservation at a fire scene. The team at Rimrock Law possesses this focused knowledge and is prepared to manage every facet of your claim.

Fire Subrogation

We have resolved hundreds of Fire Subrogation cases over the last two decades resulting in multi-million dollars in recovered damages.

Subrogation Fire Claims We Handle

Fire losses are rarely simple. The cause can be hidden deep within the ashes, requiring a sophisticated investigation to uncover. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience managing a wide spectrum of fire subrogation cases, each with its own unique challenges. We have the resources to engage world-class engineers, forensic investigators, and other experts to pinpoint the cause and identify all liable parties.

Our firm is equipped to handle claims arising from:

Defective and Dangerous Products

Many fires are traced back to a faulty product. This could be a malfunctioning appliance in a home, a defective component in a commercial HVAC system, or faulty wiring in a piece of heavy machinery. We work to hold manufacturers, distributors, and designers accountable when their products fail and cause catastrophic fire damage. Our team has successfully recovered nearly $4 million from a products manufacturer in a business fire loss, demonstrating our ability to take on large corporations and win.

Negligent Construction and Maintenance

Contractors, subcontractors, and property managers have a duty to perform their work safely and according to building codes. When they cut corners, use substandard materials, or fail to perform necessary maintenance, the results can be tragic. We handle cases involving fires caused by:

• Improperly installed electrical systems or gas lines.
• Faulty construction that violates fire codes.
• Failure to maintain fire suppression systems.
• Use of highly flammable or improperly treated building materials.

We secured a recovery of more than $1.2 million following a successful trial for a fire loss caused by defective construction.

Spontaneous Combustion and Improperly Stored Materials

In commercial, industrial, or construction settings, the improper storage of certain materials can create a massive fire hazard. Oily rags, chemicals, certain grains, and construction supplies can spontaneously combust if not handled with the utmost care. 

We investigate these cases to determine if a party’s negligence in handling or storing these materials led to the fire, as we did when we obtained a $1 million recovery after a jury trial involving a fire loss due to spontaneous combustion during a high-value construction project.

Tenant or Third-Party Negligence

In residential and commercial properties, the actions of a tenant or a third-party visitor can lead to significant fire damage. This can range from an unattended candle or cooking equipment in an apartment complex to a guest’s careless disposal of smoking materials at a hotel. We meticulously investigate to prove negligence and pursue recovery from the responsible individual or their insurer.

Utility Company Negligence

Gas and electric companies have a high standard of care to maintain their equipment and infrastructure safely. A fire caused by a downed power line, a natural gas leak from a poorly maintained pipe, or a transformer explosion can be grounds for a subrogation claim against the powerful utility company. We are not intimidated by these large entities and have the resources to challenge them effectively.

How Our Billings Fire Subrogation Lawyers Can Help You

A successful fire subrogation outcome depends on immediate, decisive action and a strategic, evidence-based approach from day one. At Rimrock Law, our process is designed to maximize your recovery potential at every stage. When you partner with our fire subrogation lawyers in Billings, you are gaining a dedicated advocate who will manage the entire complex process on your behalf.

Here is how we put our experience to work for you:

1. Immediate Investigation and Scene Preservation
   The moment we are engaged, our priority is to secure the fire scene. The period immediately following a fire is critical. Evidence can be easily lost, damaged, or destroyed through weather, cleanup efforts, or spoliation. We act quickly to send legal notices to all potential parties, placing them on notice to preserve all relevant evidence and ensuring our own team of experts has the opportunity to conduct a thorough and unimpeded investigation.
2. Assembling a World-Class Expert Team
   Identifying the origin and cause of a fire is a highly scientific process. We maintain a network of the nation’s leading fire investigators, forensic engineers (electrical, mechanical, and structural), and materials scientists. We deploy the right experts for your specific case to analyze burn patterns, test materials, and reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the fire, providing the credible, scientific evidence needed to build an irrefutable claim.
3. Identifying All Liable Parties
   The initial suspect may not be the only party at fault. A fire that appears to be caused by a faulty appliance may also involve negligence on the part of the building’s electrician who installed the circuit, or the property manager who ignored previous reports of electrical issues. Our comprehensive investigation aims to uncover every contributing factor and identify every person, company, or entity that shares in the liability, thereby maximizing all potential sources of recovery.
4. Meticulous Damage Calculation
   Recovering your payout is the primary goal, but a successful claim includes all compensable damages. We work with accountants, property appraisers, and industry-specific experts to document the full extent of the loss. This includes not only the cost to repair or replace the structure but also damages related to business interruption, lost inventory, relocation costs, and any other associated financial losses.
5. Aggressive Negotiation and Powerful Litigation
   Armed with compelling evidence and a precise calculation of damages, we will present a detailed demand to the at-fault parties and their insurance carriers. Our reputation as skilled and tenacious trial attorneys often allows us to negotiate favorable settlements without the need for a protracted court battle. However, unlike other firms, we do not back down from a fight. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, our seasoned litigators are fully prepared to take your case to trial and present it powerfully before a judge and jury.

Billings Fire Subrogation FAQs

The subrogation process can be complex, and it’s natural to have questions. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions we receive from our clients.

Contact Our Trusted Billings Fire Subrogation Attorney Today

When you are facing the significant financial aftermath of a fire loss, you need a legal team that is not only experienced and skilled but also compassionate to your situation and dedicated to your recovery. At Rimrock Law, we see our clients as partners. We understand the trust you place in us to right a wrong and restore a critical financial loss. The team of Matthew Braukmann, James Dallner, and Phillip Lorenzo brings decades of combined experience and an unwavering commitment to achieving justice for our clients.

We have recovered over $100 million for our clients because we are not afraid of a big fight. We have the experience to dissect the most complex fire scenes and the tenacity to stand up to any defendant, no matter how large. Let us handle the fight for recovery, so you can move forward with confidence.

Your opportunity to recover your losses is time-sensitive. Contact us today at (406) 606-1650 or through our online form to speak with a trusted Billings fire subrogation attorney.