On Aug. 6, the Chevron refinery fire in Richmond billowed clouds of black smoke that could be seen across the bay. The next day, Richmond attorney Nick Haney arrived at his storefront office at 8 a.m. to discover a long line of prospective clients waiting. After giving some thought to whether he wanted to get involved, Haney decided he’d take on some clients if they had what he considered provable harm. He added some staff and put two handwritten signs in his storefront window saying “Chevron Fire Claims Here.” By Aug. 8, Haney’s window displayed a printed sign saying “Chevron Claims Filed Here,” and the line of people seeking Haney’s services had gotten so long that his assistants had moved out to the sidewalk to speed up the intake process, “asking hopeful claimants to show proof they had seen a doctor,” according to the Aug. 9 San Francisco Chronicle. Accompanying that Chronicle article, on the front page above the fold, was a picture of the line in front of Haney’s office.
Later that day, the State Bar showed up.
