Lawsuits and class actions have been filed against Los Angeles water officials and utility companies after deadly wildfires in Los Angeles, California, killed dozens of people and burned entire neighborhoods.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting California wildfire cases. If you or somebody you know suffered losses after a fire, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Natural Disaster Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
2025 UPDATE: Deadly Los Angeles Fires
In January 2025, Los Angeles was hit a fierce Santa Ana windstorm at a time when conditions were extremely dry on the ground, with almost no rain in over 8 months. When fires broke out, they spread rapidly and caused widespread death and destruction in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and other neighborhoods.
Some of the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles include:
- Pacific Palisades Fire
- Eaton Fire (Altadena)
- Kenneth Fire
- Hurst Fire (Sylmar)
- Lidia Fire
- Sunset Fire
- Woodley Fire
California Wildfire Class Action Lawsuit
One of the first class action lawsuits was filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco on behalf of Jennifer and Wayne Harvell, who lost their home in Santa Rosa to the wildfires. The class action accuses PG&E of failing to trim trees, clear brush, and properly maintain power lines.
PG&E Hit With Over 1,000 Fire Lawsuits
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the largest utility in California, has been hit with over 1,000 lawsuits from people who lost their homes, businesses, and family members of people who died in wildfires.
In November 2018, the deadliest wildfire in California history destroyed the town of Paradise and fire officials confirmed that PG&E equipment was to blame. The company has started paying out $1 billion to local government and over $10 billion has been set aside to resolve lawsuits from the town’s residents.
2018 California Wine Country Fires
In October 2017, fires raged across Northern California’s wine country. At least 42 people died in Sonoma and Napa County, 220,000 acres were burned, 5,700 homes and other buildings were destroyed.
Emergency crews for Sonoma and Napa County investigated at least 12 downed powerlines and numerous exploding transformers. The problem is that PG&E electrical lines are only rated up to handle 56-mph winds — but they were hit with 75-mpg hurricane-force gusts.
What is the problem?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm, but we are not filing a class action lawsuit for the California wildfires. Instead, we are filing individual lawsuits against PG&E:
- Injury and wrongful death
- Property damage
- Financial losses
- Winery & Hospitality Industry
About Class Actions
Class action lawsuits are useful when a large number of people have very similar injuries. However, in the case of a wildfire, there are so many different types of lawsuits that a class action may be impractical.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
Instead of a class action, our lawyers file individual lawsuits so we can focus on helping people with the most serious legal claims. We specialize in holding companies accountable for paying medical bills and financial compensation to the victims of serious natural disasters.
Do I have a California Wildfire Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting California wildfire cases. If you or somebody you know suffered losses after a fire, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Natural Disaster Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
