Who pays for biohazard cleanup?
Often more than one source pays a part. The answer depends on what happened, who owns the place and what insurance there is.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
After a crime: the California Victim Compensation Board
CalVCB lists crime scene cleanup among the costs it can help with, for victims and for family members and others close to them (what CalVCB covers).
The crime has to have happened in a home or a vehicle. CalVCB pays only for biohazard cleanup, not for damaged property, and only to companies registered with the California Department of Public Health (CalVCB cleanup rules).
It pays after any other source, such as insurance. You can apply online, on paper or with an advocate's help, and reimbursement has to be requested within three years of the service date (CalVCB questions).
In Riverside County, the District Attorney's Division of Victim Services processes these claims locally. You can email forms to DVSClaims@RivCoDA.org or call the claims unit at (951) 955-5460 (District Attorney).
Homeowners and renters insurance
Some policies cover biohazard cleanup and some do not. It can depend on the cause and the wording of the policy. Call the insurer, describe what happened and ask what it covers and what records it wants.
If you have a question about how an insurer is handling it, the California Department of Insurance has a consumer hotline: 1-800-927-4357 (CDI).
This website does not handle insurance claims and cannot say whether a policy will pay.
Rentals, estates and businesses
In a rental, the owner usually arranges cleanup of the unit and may look to their own property insurance. For landlords goes into this.
After a death, the estate may pay for cleanup of the person's home. Whoever is handling the estate should keep the invoice.
A business usually looks to its commercial property policy first.
Keep these whatever happens
- The police report number, if there was one.
- Photos of the damage before the work starts.
- The company's written scope, invoice and receipts.
- The company's CDPH registration, if you will apply to CalVCB.
When you are ready, call
You do not need to know what kind of cleanup it is. Say what happened and where, and an independent company that works in the Riverside area will talk it through with you. Hiring them is your choice.
Talk to a cleanup company
Call (951) 518-9569Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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