Click to see the current Thomas Fire court documents.

Some of Ventura County residents has filed suit against utility companies and the city of Ventura, claiming they are responsible for the Thomas fire. Read the entire article on the LA Times website by clicking here.

To Our Neighbors Affected by the Thomas, Ventura County Fire:

We are a local law firm based in Ventura County, whose families and friends have been directly affected by the Thomas Fire burning Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Our firm has more than 30 years of experience handling complex multi-party lawsuits on behalf of homeowners against Fortune 500 corporate defendants. We have a proven track record of recovering more than $351,000,000 for our clients. We recently negotiated a $36,000,000 settlement against Lumber Liquidators on behalf of 800,000 homeowners who purchased Chinese-made laminate flooring which emitted unlawful levels of formaldehyde gas. Other recent settlements against Chipolte for a Norovirus outbreak that sickened hundreds of customers at its Simi Valley restaurant and a $14,000,000 settlement against Floor & Décor Outlets of America.

The Thomas Fire started on December 4, 2017 at approximately 6:28 p.m. north of Steckel Park in Santa Paula.  As of December 11, 2017, the Thomas Fire has burned approximately 230,500 acres, making it the 5th largest fire in California history and the largest brush fire in Ventura County history.  The fire has destroyed 794 structures, damaged 187 others and threatens 18,000 more structures according to Cal Fire.

Southern California Edison (SCE), is a utility company regulated by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), and is legally required to maintain its power poles, distribution lines, transformers and recloser devices in a safe manner specified by the CPUC General Order 95.  SCE’s power poles must be engineered and maintained to withstand wind gusts up to 94 mph and to have vegetation cleared to avoid the risk of brush fires.  A March 24, 2017 report by the CPUC found that SCE and other communication companies were responsible for causing the 2007 Malibu fire, which burned 3,836 acres, destroyed 14 structures and 36 vehicles when three wooden power poles broke and fell to the ground during Santa Ana winds.  SCE has a history of violations for not properly maintaining their power poles and clearing vegetation which can cause brush fires in windy conditions.  The companies responsible for causing the Thomas Fire should be held financially responsible for the damage and destruction caused by their negligence.  Our law firm has more than 30 years of experience obtaining justice for homeowners in California.

Click here to download the complaint that was recently filed.

To arrange a free consultation to discuss your case, please call us at (818) 851-3850 or fill out the form on this website.