As reported by the LA Times, the Coastal Laguna Niguel brush fire which destroyed at least 20 homes on May 11, 2022 is being actively investigated for a possible utility cause. Southern California Edison issued a report stating that “our information reflects circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire.”
The fire started in south Orange County in a coastal canyon on the afternoon of the 11th and quickly advanced into a community of multimillion dollar homes. Thirty mph coastal winds along with the dry vegetation on the drought plagued hills prompted residents to evacuate. As noted by the Times, “in recent years California’s most devastating fires have been caused by a combination of damaged power lines and high winds speeds such as the Paradise Fire and the 2017 wine country fires.” The paper further noted that So Cal Edison has faced over half a billion dollars in fines from the California Public Utilities Commission from cases involving the Thomas and Woolsey Fires alone.
Learn more about the rights of Californians injured or displaced by utility-caused fires.
Lawsuits on Behalf of California Fire Victims
Lieff Cabraser represents numerous plaintiffs in the Thomas Fire and Woolsey Fire cases in Southern California. Victims of those fires and related mudslides have recovered approximately $1 billion to date for their losses and injuries. In Northern California, Lieff Cabraser represented victims of the North Bay and Camp Fires as creditors in the PG&E bankruptcy; in 2019, we helped guide negotiations with PG&E that culminated in an historic $13.5 billion trust settlement on behalf of wildfire victims.
We continue to investigate a wide range of legal claims on behalf of those displaced, injured and otherwise affected by these and other utility-caused fires. If you have been injured or lost your home or property to a utility-related fire, contact us today for more information on your rights and recovery.
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