Eminet Doman Situation-- How to I Maximize with Caltrans?

[Mike Auliso]

On News years Eve there was a massive landslide adjacent to my house that was caused from Caltrans not maintaining a culvert drain that created a flash flood.  It was so serious it sent redwood trees and fencing into the river below and collapsed one lane of the highway!  The culvert sits on a small lot I own adjacent to my main house.  Caltrans needs to open the road but before they can do that a colossal engineered retaining wall must be built.  I received formal paperwork to sign from a right of way office of Caltrans.  They want to buy the lot at market value that the culverts sits on.  They say that if I don't respond, they will automatically pay me and proceed with the necessary construction.  This event has impacted my property value, done property damage, caused stress and even triggered a sudden death in our family.  How do I intelligently maximize this situation without being forced to settle for peanuts?