Establishing Negligence on Behalf of PG&E

In November, Butte County residents filed what were known as some of the first lawsuits against utility company PG&E for their alleged role in the California Camp Fire. Though the investigation into the wildfire continues (as these investigations can be time-consuming and stressful), there is a good chance that the investigation will find PG&E to be liable for their role in the fires that took lives, caused injuries, and burned homes and businesses to the ground across Paradise, California.

Investigators have deemed the Camp Fire as one of the most “destructive and deadly” wildfires in all of California history. The blaze started around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday at the beginning of November 2018, and Cal Fire crews identified the location of the initial fire as a major PG&E transmission line near the Feather River, approximately 8 miles from Paradise. A report by the California Public Utilities Commission confirmed that PG&E came forward and said that there was an outage on the transmission line about 14 minutes before the first beginnings of the fire.

However, Cal Fire and PG&E have both said that the fire is still under investigation at this time. This did not stop many individuals from moving forward with complaints in the San Francisco Superior Court at the beginning of November, stating that it is obvious that PG&E equipment was the initial cause of the fire being ignited, and alleging that the blaze started due to long-term failure of the major utility company working to maintain its infrastructure and operate in a successful way that would minimize the risks of large wildfires across California.

Now, these lawsuits are seeking large amounts of damages on behalf of negligence claims, saying that plaintiffs were not properly protected from harm that took place against public safety thanks to negligence on behalf of PG&E. However, PG&E has since started bankruptcy proceedings and many individuals believe that they will be left without a paddle when it comes to obtaining the damages they feel they deserve after the fire has blazed through and taken everything normal from their lives.

The Prime Suspect: A Transmission Line 

That previously-mentioned transmission line is now the prime suspect in the Camp Fire, and PG&E could be at fault for not properly maintaining the line. The utility company allegedly delayed safety work that should have been conducted on the transmission line for years instead of taking the initiative to have it fixed as soon as possible. Now, the transmission line is suspect in starting the November Camp Fire that caused deaths and burned down structures across an entire California town.

Consumers and lawyers who are working on behalf of the wildfire victims say that the company was more interested in their bottom line and saving money than making safety improvements. PG&E was already alerted to the issue in 2013, when it stated in a letter to the Public Utilities Commission that it intended to replace six steel towers with new towers that were damaged in a storm. However, it was found over time that PG&E did not replace the towers in the amount of time they claimed it would take and that these repairs were delayed for years.

The delays are now related to that same transmission line that is being investigated for the fire in Butte County that took the lives of 86 people. With PG&E’s admitting negligence, it is no surprise that the fire erupted, taking down almost 14,000 homes and taking the lives of 86 people.

Mark Toney, a consumer advocate with the Utility Reform Network, said that PG&E promised to fix the transmission line in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and up until 2018, the transmission line was still not fixed. This was the same line that failed before the fire took place.

On November 8^th, when the fire took place, a PG&E worker said that they saw a fire starting under the Caribou-Palermo line near Paradise. If the investigation brings up the facts and they point toward the transmission line that should have been replaced for years, a violation of state law will be determined and the investigation will be handed over to the local DA.

PG&E Accepting the Possibility of Liability 

For PG&E, the company has come to terms with the fact that it will likely face liability for the 2018 Camp Fire. In fact, it acknowledged that its equipment likely sparked the deadly fire and released this information after it filed with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. The company alerted shareholders that it would be expecting around $10.5 billion in charges as a result of these findings, if the investigation finds them completely liable for the fire.

Though the event is still under investigation, PG&E claims that it is basing its conclusion on the information they have obtained about the event and what has been reported to the California Public Utilities Commission. Now, PG&E is saying that it will do what it takes to adapt to the growing threats of wildfires and extreme weather in California that contributes to these deadly events. They have also acknowledged that they must take safety and maintenance measures through safety inspections to work with regulators, customers, and investors to improve safety once and for all.

Filing a Claim

At Marlene Leiva Law Group, our experienced wildfire accident attorneys have started handling a wide variety of cases for those who have been affected by these devastating and traumatic events that happen all throughout California for a variety of reasons. If it is determined that PG&E indeed played a role in contributing to the Camp Fire, there is a chance that many lawsuits will proceed while those affected work toward compensation. Our accident attorneys are here to help you through one of the most difficult times of your life as you seek the compensation you deserve from PG&E’s negligence. Contact us today at 415-459-7300 to find out what we can do for you.