The recent article purporting to explain the attorneys’ motives for their suit against the railroad for allegedly starting the 416 Fire omitted some information (“Lawyers discuss lawsuit in response to 416 Fire,” Sept. 19).
The article states their motives are to seek just compensation for those who suffered losses and not put the train out of business. Nowhere is it stated they work for contingent fees, taking a large percentage of any financial settlement or that claimants they represent may be covered by insurance.
The fire was tragic and devastating to our community and business owners, but it was an accident and Mother Nature was as much at fault as any human.
Having lost a home and all contents to fire in 1991 and then suffering significant losses to hurricanes Wilma (2005) and Irma (2017), plus being on fire and then flood evacuation notice last summer, we are no strangers to unexpected disaster. Fortunately, we had insurance, which covered our financial loss. As a former business owner, I also carried business interruption insurance, which thankfully I never had occasion to use. Did the residents and businesses claiming damages not have insurance coverage?
Virtually everyone in our county suffered some form of loss or inconvenience due to the fire and none as much as the railroad, and Mr. Harper, who has invested heavily in the community while providing jobs and an economic engine that creates a much larger positive impact. No one should assume he has limitless resources and can easily recover.
Attorneys like to operate on the deep-pockets theory and it would appear they sense another gold rush in Durango. It would be preferable if the insurance industry handled claims which are covered and legitimate – and we were not subjected to contingent-fee attorneys getting free publicity.
Don Rickelman
Durango
