Legal Help Available For Flood Disaster Victims
Release Date: June 22, 2004
Release Number: 1520-041
» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Volunteer attorneys are providing free, disaster-related legal assistance to individuals affected by the tornadoes and flooding that began May 27th. The service, coordinated through the American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is available by calling the Disaster Legal Services Hotline at 1-800-266-2581 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.
All legal assistance given through the hotline will be free of charge. Persons in disaster-designated counties may seek legal consultation regarding:
- 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 problems with landlords
- Help with guardianships and other similar problems
- Other available state and local assistance related matters
“The American Bar Association, through its Young Lawyers Division, has been providing free legal services to people affected by major disasters since 1993,” said Rhea Claire Ferranti, FEMA Disaster Legal Services Grant Coordinator. “The lawyers who participate are dedicated, energetic and committed to using their expertise to help disaster victims. It’s a wonderful program and greatly benefits people in need of legal services who otherwise would be financially unable to seek out necessary legal services.”
The federal disaster declaration for individual assistance covers the counties of Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clinton, Crawford, Dubois, Floyd, Fountain, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Martin, Miami, Montgomery, Morgan, Orange, Perry, Pike, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, and White.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 22-Jun-2004 10:02:39