Free Legal Services Available for Pennsylvania Flood Victims
Release Date: August 11, 2006
Release Number: 1649-049
» More Information on Pennsylvania Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Volunteer attorneys will be providing free, disaster-related legal assistance to low-income individuals affected by the flooding from the late-June storms, commonwealth and federal officials announced today. The Young Lawyers Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will provide legal counseling and referrals to Pennsylvania disaster victims through a toll-free hotline number. The service begins Monday, August 14, and ends September 28 .
Low-income callers can receive free counseling and advice from a Pennsylvania-licensed volunteer attorney regarding their disaster-related legal issues. Other callers will receive a referral to a local Pennsylvania-licensed attorney. The service is available 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-932-0311 Ext. 2224 .
Attorneys are available to assist Pennsylvania disaster victims in designated counties with legal services such as:
- Insurance claims for doctor and hospital bills, loss of property, loss of life, etc.
- Replacing wills, drafting powers of attorney and other legal documents lost in the disaster
- Help with home repair contracts and contractors
- Advice on landlord/tenant issues
Disaster victims are encouraged to leave a message on the automated answering system. A volunteer attorney will contact them within 48 hours to discuss their needs. Many problems can be addressed just by speaking with the volunteer lawyer. Issues that could generate a fee for the attorney cannot be handled by volunteer attorneys. If further representation is required, low-income callers will be referred to a private attorney who may be able to represent them free of charge.
Designated counties include Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Columbia, Dauphin, Franklin, Lackawanna , Lancaster, Lebanon , Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton , Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming .
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 11-Aug-2006 14:08:19