SoCal Edison Sued for Thomas Fire

By John Kristensen of Kristensen, LLP posted in Personal Injuries on Friday, February 9, 2018.

The Thomas Fire, which raged through Los Angeles County recently, engulfed almost 300,000 acres in flames, destroyed hundreds of homes, and eventually led to severe flooding and landslides in Montecito. Even if you weren’t directly affected by the inferno, you won’t have missed the media coverage, both broadcast by professional news crews and by local residents via social media. The devastation of the blaze was widespread, and included the untimely loss of two lives. This week, two months after the fire was allegedly started by SoCal Edison crews on December 4th, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the utility supply company.

Thomas Fire Class Action Filed against SoCal Edison

The class action lawsuit against SoCal Edison has been filed by two Santa Barbara law firms, Cappello & Noel and Keller Rohrback, and one San Francisco law firm, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, on behalf of what is expected to eventually amount to approximately 8,000 – 10,000 plaintiffs. It’s important to note that, as a class action, this lawsuit can only property damages and financial losses, and does not account for any personal injury or wrongful death claims.

The plaintiffs currently named in the lawsuit against Southern California Edison are:

• Victoria Frost and Robert Blanchard – a nutritionist/personal trainer and construction project manager who claim to have lost work and income due to the fire
• Martha Smilgis, whose townhouse was damaged extensively by mudslides
• Diane Meehan, owner of a salon forced to close
• The owners of Platinum Performance Fitness Inc, Peter & Kelly Park, who lost business and suffered damage to their home
• The owners of China Pavilion restaurant, which lost business due to freeway closures
• Thomas E. Carroll, who claims his personal driving business has virtually been brought to a halt by events in Los Angeles
• Christopher T. Burke, a personal training claiming a loss of 70% of his business

This lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages which are being sought, but does cover:
• Damages and/or loss of personal or real property
• Loss of use of personal or real property
• Lost wages, earning capacity, and/or business profits
• Attorney fees and associated litigation costs
• Punitive and exemplary damages
• General damages for fear, annoyance, worry, disturbance, inconvenience, mental anguish, emotional distress, and loss of quiet enjoyment of property

In response to the filing of the class action lawsuit, South California Edison issued the following statement:
“The devastating impact of the mudslides in Montecito has been tragic. SCE crews worked around the clock to restore power to affected customers in the community and SCE continues working with local and county officials as they safely repopulate the area.

“In regard to the potential causes of the Thomas Fire and the Montecito mudslides, the investigations are ongoing. At this time, it would be premature for SCE to speculate about litigation associated with the recent mudslides or the fire.”

Working with a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney after Thomas Fire

As a class action lawsuit cannot deal with personal injury or wrongful death claims, you may need the services of a Los Angeles personal injury attorney.
At Kristensen LLP, each attorney has extensive Los Angeles personal injury experience, and is highly skilled at obtaining the best possible outcome for people like you.

To find out how we could proceed with your case, and help you achieve the compensation you deserve, call us today on 310-984-1297 to schedule a free consultation.