Case Overview
Update: In May, 2022 Judge Alexander granted Plaintiffs' motion to officially certify a “class” in the case. This allows the key liability issues in this case to be resolved in one classwide trial, leaving only the amount of each person’s damages to be determined afterward in individual mini-trials or some other procedure. Copies of the motion and order are available in the case documents section below. Judge Alexander also granted the Plaintiffs’ request to consolidate several cases pending in Multnomah County about the Labor Day 2020 fires and to appoint Keller Rohrback, Stoll Berne, and Edelson PC as lead counsel.
On September 30, 2020, Keller Rohrback L.L.P., Stoll Berne, and Nick Kahl, LLC filed a class action lawsuit against PacifiCorp and Pacific Power for the catastrophic damage to homes, businesses, schools, and entire communities allegedly caused by the power companies’ negligence and downed power lines during the devastating fires that ignited in Oregon during Labor Day weekend of 2020. The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on behalf of Plaintiffs Jeaneye James and Robin Colbert. On October 30, 2020, the firms amended their complaint to add additional Plaintiffs from around the state and demand damages of over $600 million.
The complaint alleges that PacifiCorp and Pacific Power failed to properly maintain and operate their electrical infrastructure, thus setting the stage for tragic losses in the very communities these utilities served. As a result, downed power lines accounted for a significant portion of the fire damage that communities members suffered.
The complaint also alleges that PacifiCorp and Pacific Power wholly failed to take simple measures, such as de-energizing their electrical equipment, that could have prevented these tragic losses—measures undertaken by other utilities. For example, the elementary school in Gates, Oregon, used by firefighters as a command center, was completely destroyed by fires related to downed power lines that were not de-energized.
You can review the Amended Complaint in the Case Documents section below.
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