The PG&E bankruptcy continues to move forward. If the bankruptcy judge confirms PG&E’s Plan for Reorganization, PG&E will exit bankruptcy by June 30, 2020, as required by the Governor and legislature. The Plan then calls for the Fire Victims Fund to be set up and funded in the amount of $13.5 billion, half stock, half cash.
Once the fund is established, Our team will then make claims against the Trust on behalf of our Fire Victim clients, maximizing their claims for damages that were not covered by our clients’ insurance. Payments from the Trust will be based on a process still being developed, but that will include a requirement for information and documents that support the Fire Victims’ claim, whether that be for real property damage, personal property damage, business loss, medical expenses, emotional distress or wrongful death, or other losses.
In the meantime and to prepare those claim submissions, we continue to hold individual client meetings and gather documents and information regarding clients’ losses.
For more information see court-approved PG&E bankruptcy related documents.
Cal Gov. Finds that PG&E Caused The Camp Fire
Cal Fire investigators announced on Tuesday, May 15th that the November 2018 Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned by PG&E. In CAL Fire’s official statement, the agency said it conducted “a very meticulous and thorough investigation” of the Camp Fire, the most destructive wildfire in California history.
Why Our Clients Chose Us: Experience Matters.
- We filed our first lawsuit against PG&E nearly 30 years ago, and in these types of fire cases, no firm has more experience suing PG&E.
- We have won settlements against PG&E for hundreds of fire victims since 2010.
- We are more than 30 lawyers strong and we have the manpower, knowledge, and financial resources to take PG&E all the way through trial if necessary
It’s Important to Speak to a Lawyer Now.
The steps and actions you take in the aftermath of the fire can affect your rights and ability to file claims against PG&E going forward. An attorney can guide you and help preserve your rights even if you are not ready to join the Camp Fire lawsuit at this time. We also represent those who lost family members in the Camp Fire.
You Don’t Pay Anything Unless We Win.
If we don’t win, you owe us nothing. We will not charge you legal fees or for any the costs of litigating your case unless you win a recovery from PG&E.
Many people affected by the fires have the right to file claims, and may not know it. Failure to file your claim could leave more money for PG&E and its investors. Here are some common misconceptions about who is eligible for recovery:
It is NOT true that you can only file a claim if you owned a home that was destroyed by the fire.
You can file a claim for a number of different reasons, including loss of a rental home, loss of personal property, and adverse health effects caused by the fire.
It is NOT true that you can only file a claim if you had an insurance policy.
This is a court claim against PG&E, and is not dependent on your insurance policy. You can file a claim even if your insurance has already covered some of your losses.
It is NOT true that you must have documents to prove every item you lost in the fire.
You may be eligible to file regardless of if you have relevant documentation. In fact, the simple act of having to flee the fire may enable your claim.
It is NOT true that you can only file a claim if you lost a loved one or experienced personal injury.
Other reasons for filing a claim may include damage to your home or loss of personal property as a result of the fire.
According to a submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission today, PG&E stated that it “believes it is probable that the Utility’s equipment will be determined to be an ignition point of the 2018 Camp [F]ire.” As a result, the company is including a $10.5 billion pre-tax charge related to Camp Fire claims, along with a new $1.0 billion charge relating to the 2017 Atlas and Cascade Fires. Altogether, the company has reserved a total of $14 billion to pay wildfire claims who make a claim in bankruptcy.
PG&E provided more detail in a press release:
- CAL FIRE identified coordinates for the Camp Fire near a tower on PG&E’s Caribou-Palermo 115 kV Transmission Line and identified the start time as 6:33 a.m. on November 8, 2018
- At approximately 6:15 a.m. that morning, the Caribou-Palermo 115 kV transmission line relayed and deenergized.
- Approximately 15 minutes later, a PG&E employee observed fire in the vicinity of the tower and reported it to 911
- Later that day, an aerial patrol identified that a suspension insulator had separated from an arm on the tower
- A few days later, the company observed a broken C-hook that had connected the insulator, wear at the connection point, and a flash mark on the tower
A lawsuit seeks from PG&E money to make you whole for the loss of your home, trees, property or belongings, medical bills, evacuation and temporary housing costs, emotional trauma and more. It doesn’t matter whether you have insurance because insurance alone won’t make you completely whole.
✓No Other Firm Has More Experience Suing PG&E.
Our first case against PG&E was nearly 30 years ago. We know PG&E’s playbook and we use that unique knowledge to benefit our clients.
✓We have succeeded in trial against PG&E.
Our lead trial lawyer, Mike Danko, is the only lawyer in Northern California to have taken a case of this type all the way through to trial and verdict against PG&E. Since then, PG&E has offered settlements to our clients in many cases during or just before the start of trial. PG&E knows we are ready, willing and able to take a case to trial, and that approach helps us achieve the best results for our clients.
✓Appointed by judges to lead legal battles against PG&E.
We have been appointed by judges to leadership positions in large-scale cases against PG&E, including the 2017 North Bay Fires cases, the 2015 Butte Fire cases, and the 2010 San Bruno Explosion cases. Judges trust us to represent the best interests of fire & disaster victims.
Northern California Fire Lawyers is a team of more than 30 attorneys from a coalition of three Northern California law firms:
Our team of Butte Camp Fire Attorneys have been featured and our lawsuit against PG&E has been chronicled in major national and California news publications:
- Mike Danko in San Francisco Chronicle: “At some point there has to be accountability.”
- Amanda Riddle on ABC10: “They were leading people to a false sense of security.”
- Kristine Meredith on Fox40: “What’s so troubling to us [about the fires] is not only does it not change, it gets worse each time.”
- Dario de Ghetaldi in Mercury News: “PG&E needs to stop blowing up and burning down California.”
According to an article by the Chico Enterprise-Record, downed PG&E power lines may have sparked the Camp Fire per firefighter radio transmissions reviewed by Bay Area News Group. The article reports that at about 6:33 a.m. on November 8, 2018, firefighters were dispatched to a vegetation fire “under the high tension power lines” across the Feather River from Poe Dam, where CAL FIRE officials have identified as the fire’s origin on the agency’s incident page.
The article quotes one firefighter who told dispatch “We’ve got eyes on the vegetation fire. It’s going to be very difficult to access, Camp Creek Road is nearly inaccessible. It is on the west side of the river underneath the transmission line.” A dispatcher also alerted responding crews that “[t]here’s a possible power line hazard” per the article, and trucks arriving to the fire acknowledged “Copy, power lines down.”
The Chico Enterprise-Record reports that PG&E had announced it might shut down power to parts of Butte County on Thursday, but it chose not to do so. The article quotes Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean who emphasized that the cause is under investigation, but that the probe would include “electrical equipment.”
Have a question about something not addressed here? We may be able to help. Call us at 530-208-3062 to speak with a member of our team, free.
Northern California Fire Lawyers is a coalition of prominent Northern California law firms: Corey, Luzaich, de Ghetaldi & Riddle, Danko Meredith, and Gibbs Law Group. Our firms consist of seasoned trial lawyers, leading national personal injury attorneys, and experienced complex litigators. Attorneys on our team have been appointed by California judges to serve in leadership positions in a number of large, coordinated fire and disaster cases. We bring a deep knowledge of the systems and fire-prevention policies of major utility companies and are well-positioned to leverage the hard work from our previous cases to benefit our clients.
Mike Danko
Danko Meredith
Kristine Meredith
Danko Meredith
Amanda Riddle
Corey, Luzaich, de Ghetaldi & Riddle
Dario de Ghetaldi
Corey, Luzaich, de Ghetaldi & Riddle
Brad Bowen
Danko Meredith
Steve Lopez
Gibbs Law Group LLP
Matthew Luzaich
Law Offices of Matthew S. Luzaich
Eric Gibbs
Gibbs Law Group LLP
San Mateo Trial Lawyers Association
Mike Danko
Law360
Eric Gibbs (sole plaintiffs’ lawyer recognized nationwide)
Daily Journal
Eric Gibbs
Kristine Meredith
Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California
Mike Danko
Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California
Eric Gibbs
Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California
Amanda Riddle
Martindale-Hubbell – highest class of attorneys for professional ethics and legal skills
Eric Gibbs
Through our experience representing victims of California fires, we’ve seen first hand how challenging it can be to live through a fire. We plan to hold upcoming community informational meetings concerning potential resources.
We are constantly updating our page with links to resources below: