Legal Help for Derecho Victims

Derecho Legal Hotline

1-877-469-2259

9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

 

A toll-free disaster legal advice call-back hotline is available to Linn County survivors of the recent Iowa derecho who may need legal assistance. The hotline allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer to aid in disaster-related matters.

The types of legal issues may include:

  • securing FEMA and other government benefits available to disaster survivors;
  • life, medical and property insurance claims;
  • home repair contracts and contractors;
  • replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster;
  • consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures; counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems; and
  • landlord-tenant problems.

Linn County derecho victims facing legal issues related to the storm may call 1-877-469-2259 toll-free, 9 a.m. to 4:00p.m. CST, Monday through Friday to request assistance. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with an Iowa Legal Aid attorney. Those who are not eligible for Iowa Legal Aid’s services will be connected with volunteer attorneys through The Iowa State Bar Association, the Linn County Bar Association, and the Polk County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project. Return calls from the volunteer attorneys may take a few days and will likely come from a blocked number.  This is a partnership between Iowa Legal Aid, The Iowa State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Linn County Bar Association, and the Polk County Bar Association. The volunteer attorney will provide free legal advice.  The caller is under no obligation to hire the volunteer attorney for further representation. The partnership does not endorse any specific attorneys.

If you are a lawyer interested in volunteering your valuable time and expertise to provide legal help during this crucial time, please contact Virginia Sipes with The Iowa State Bar Association at vsipes@iowabar.org.