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LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION

Eaton Wildfire Lawsuits

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Officials and attorneys investigating the Eaton Wildfires say one possible cause is Southern California Edison and lawsuits are blaming the utility.

Los Angeles, CAAs experts and attorneys are beginning to investigate the cause, or causes, of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, they are focusing on a Southern California Edison electrical transmission tower as a possible cause of the Eaton fire. SoCal Edison has already been hit with wildfire lawsuits and attorney Wayne McClean has handled numerous fire cases. “Word is out that the wildfires were caused by Edison’s faulty wires, and we want to make sure that Southern California Edison [SCE] does the right thing, that it takes responsibility,” says McClean, who practices personal injury law and also represents people with cases against utility companies. 

“Utility companies typically try to point the blame on anything or anyone but themselves, such as blaming the federal government,” says McClean. “Right now, we are looking at photos of Edison with wires down. Although nothing has been proven, lawsuits have already been filed and initial investigations indicate the wildfire source came from SCE or their wires.”

To be fair and objective, and despite recent SoCal Edison settlements, McClean adds that SCE isn’t responsible for all the wildfires in and around Los Angeles, but likely it is to blame for the Eaton fire. “Of course, drought and high winds have been major players and trees knock down power lines during heavy winds,” McClean explains. “But is Edison mandating these trees be trimmed by homeowners or are they pruning them? Utility companies know the age of lines and whether they are maintained. Although Edison pays people to check their lines, maybe they didn’t hire enough people, or maybe their people aren’t paying attention. After all, Edison and other utility companies have been guilty of negligence in the past.” And McClean would know. He has represented wildfire victims – and has helped win their cases.

Three most common causes of fires in the U.S. are lightning, which has been ruled out, and two are in second place: fires intentionally set, and those sparked by utility lines. According to the Los Angeles Times, California has a long history of catastrophic blazes caused by downed power lines, and early images from the other deadly fire that began last week in the Los Angeles area — the Eaton fire — show flames roaring below electrical transmission lines.


Edison Lawsuits


Two lawsuits were filed on January 13th in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming SoCal Edison and its parent company, Edison International, failed to prepare for the predicted Santa Ana winds by not de-energizing all their transmission towers and clearing vegetation near Eaton Canyon, where a wildfire tore through the Altadena area north of Pasadena.

According to BNN Bloomberg, one lawsuit alleges a Southern California Edison pole holding power lines was the cause of the blaze that leveled the community of Altadena. A resident near Eaton Canyon said he approached a tower holding Edison’s power lines and found “a fire maybe knee high” had started at its base. Another resident who hikes in Eaton Canyon said he’d recently noticed the area was “full of dry debris and dead brush,” according to the complaint, which includes photos and maps of the area.

Evangeline Iglesias filed one of the lawsuits after her Altadena home burned to the ground. She accuses Edison of negligence and public nuisance, among other things. “There is clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by defendants Edison International and Southern California Edison,” she argues in her complaint.

The second lawsuit, filed by Michael Richard Kreiner and The Kreiner Family Trust, states the “wildfire was not the result of an ‘act of God’ or other force majeure… [but] was started by sparks from high-voltage transmission lines, distribution lines, appurtenances, and other electrical equipment within Edison’s utility infrastructure that ignited surrounding vegetation.”


Edison’s Wildfire Settlements


Last February, SoCal Edison agreed to pay $80 million to cover costs and damages incurred by the U.S. Forest Service connected to a massive wildfire that destroyed more than a thousand homes and other structures in 2017. The lawsuit claimed that Edison power lines and a transformer ignited dry brush during powerful winds. The utility, which delivers electricity to 15 million people across Southern, Central and Coastal California, agreed to the settlement without admitting wrongdoing or fault in connection with the Thomas fire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

In late 2019 SoCal Edison settled for $63 Million the Woolsey Fire, the largest and most destructive in Los Angeles County history. After the utility company publicly acknowledged that its equipment was likely associated with the ignition of the fire, Los Angeles County and several other public entities filed lawsuits against SCE.

In 2022, former executives and directors of Pacific Gas & Electric agreed to pay $117 million to settle a lawsuit over devastating Northern California wildfires sparked by that utility’s equipment in 2017 and 2018.


Edison Responds


The SCE also said the Eaton Fire began in its service area but distribution lines were de-energized well before the reported start time of the fire, as part of SCE’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program. Southern California Edison has already received notices from attorneys representing insurance companies, to preserve evidence regarding the Eaton fire.

The company states in the notice that preliminary analysis of electrical circuit information for transmission lines in the area showed no interruptions or anomalies until more than an hour after the Eaton fire started. “To date, no fire agency has suggested that SCE’s electrical facilities were involved in the ignition,” the report states.


WildFire Claims


If you have suffered loss of use of your property, emotional distress, and personal injuries (smoke inhalation, burns etc), or any other damages, you might want to seek legal help with an experienced wildfire attorney. Wayne McClean advises that you file a claim sooner than later. “We will take depositions and hire experts to determine the origin of the fire, and if the utility is found at fault, you can be compensated,” says McClean. “You will likely get what your property is worth with certain exceptions (personal use exceptions). A tree is a tree, but is it worth more in Malibu than Lancaster? It’s all about location, location, location.”

McClean points out the importance of lawsuits to hold companies like Edison accountable. “If not for lawyers, there would be chaos. We also try to change the utility’s conduct, so we don’t have another repeat performance,” he adds. You’d think a company that has paid out costly settlements would change, but McClean says that, even if they have made an effort, it isn’t enough. “We depend on utility companies to do the right thing, but I think that putting profits over people is the case with Edison. And these utility companies are very powerful, with deep pockets.”

If your house burned down, you need legal representation to cover your losses because homeowner’s insurance may not be enough coverage. McCLean says that you can be fooled by having insurance. “From my experience, victims of California wildfires could wait anywhere from weeks to several years to receive insurance payouts.”

Private utilities found at fault in previous fires have been forced to pay out billions of dollars to victims. The Los Angeles Times says that some portion of the damage could be paid by the state’s Wildfire Fund. For some peace of mind, contact an experienced lawyer who has handled fire cases. Wayne McClean works on contingency, meaning he doesn’t get paid unless you win your case.

Wayne McClean has practiced exclusively in Civil Litigation for over 46 years, and is passionate about helping clients who have sustained serious injuries and/or have suffered the wrongful death of family members. In the course of his representation of these life-altering cases, Wayne has obtained jury verdicts and recoveries exceeding $1,000,000.00 in over 300 cases. Total recoveries
over $500 million.

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