BATON ROUGE (WBRZ) - FEMA is offering a service that provides free legal assistance to disaster survivors who have fallen victim to disaster fraud.
Disaster Legal Services provides free legal assistance to low-income survivors who have been the victims of fraudulent contractors and other scammers. DLS will allow these victims to hire an attorney for issues after a declared disaster.
Members of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division will counsel, advise and provide legal representation in cases that don’t generate a fee. FEMA says survivors should also be aware of the limitations on DLS.
For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee. Such cases are referred to a lawyer referral service.
DSL has assisted survivors with post-disaster related matters including:
- Insurance claims for doctor and hospital bills.
- Claims for property loss or loss of life.
- Drawing up new wills or other legal papers
- Help with home repair contracts and contractors.
- Advice on problems with landlords.
To request legal help through DLS call 1-800-310-7029 or visit www.fema.gov orwww.disasterlegalaid.org