CaseyGerry, among other fire law firms, has played critical roles in numerous fire litigation matters.
As we face the 2024 wildfires, including the Airport Fire which was allegedly started by the carelessness of the Orange County Public Works, our wildfire litigation team is grateful for our experience in helping individuals, families and businesses exercise their legal rights to justice for the loss they have suffered.
Below is a snapshot of our legal team’s involvement in present and past cases surrounding California wildfires over the years.
Butte County Camp Fire Lawsuits, 2018
Managing Partner David S. Casey, Jr., alongside co-counsel, represented individuals who endured significant losses in the Butte County Camp Fire.
The fire litigation team filed a complaint on behalf of retired Police Chief Kirk Trostle and his wife, Patty Garrison. The Garrison’s home, its contents, and their property burned to the ground in the Camp Fire, caused by a faulty power line owned and maintained by utility company Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). Twenty-five members of the Garrisons’ extended family also lost their homes and properties as a result of the Camp Fire.
The firms filed a lawsuit on behalf of 35 families. The complaint claims that PG&E knew about sparks falling from power lines in Paradise, California, over the course of two years but failed to repair the issue.
Three weeks later, the team filed a lawsuit on behalf of 47 more families against PG&E for failing to safely and properly maintain its power lines and equipment, resulting in the loss of nearly everything they owned in the Camp fire.
For up-to-date information on the ongoing litigation matters, click here.
California North Bay Fires Lawsuits, 2018
David S. Casey, Jr. led the CaseyGerry team, joining forces with other experienced wildfire law firms to represent wineries, businesses, and homeowners who suffered significant injuries and damages as a result of the October 2017 California North Bay fires and filed lawsuits against utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) on the plaintiffs’ behalf.
The California North Bay fires caused an estimated $4 billion in losses, burning over 200,000 acres and destroying thousands of structures, including vineyards/wineries, businesses, and homes, and killing 43 people in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Butte, and Lake.
If you or a loved one experienced property damage, serious personal injury, or winery/business loss as a result of a wildfire, please visit https://californiafirelegalhelp.com/.
Las Conchas, NM Power Line Fire Lawsuit, 2015
The Las Conchas Fire was the largest fire in the state’s history at the time. The fire began after a wind gust caused a tree to fall across power lines. More than 150,000 acres burned. In 2015, two New Mexico pueblos sued Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative and the U.S. Forest Service for failing “to take reasonable precautions to prevent and suppress forest fires,” according to the complaint.
CaseyGerry and co-counsel tried the case before a jury in New Mexico. After an 18-day trial, they proved the two companies had negligently caused the fire. They ultimately won the case and recovered millions of dollars for the victims.
Click here for more details about the Las Conchas fire lawsuit.
San Diego Wildfire Lawsuits, 2007
In 2007, a chain of wildfires in San Diego County killed 10 people, destroyed more than 1,700 homes, and consumed more than 368,000 acres. Utility company San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) acknowledged that their power lines started some of those fires. CaseyGerry was part of the legal team in the San Diego fire litigation in 2007 and successfully recovered more than half a billion dollars for hundreds of families.
For more information on the 2007 San Diego wildfire litigation, please click here.
If you have been impacted by a wildfire, please visit our Wildfire litigation page to learn how our team can help. Visit https://californiafirelegalhelp.com/practice-area/wildfire/ for more information.
CaseyGerry
“This is the go-to firm in San Diego for catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. They have the experience and reputation to secure the best results….and do so consistently.”
– Facebook Review
“We can highly recommend Casey Gerry law firm, as they represented us very capably and professionally in a complex personal injury lawsuit. They left no stone unturned as they pursued every detail that bore upon our case. Most important, we found their ethics to be impeccable. We are also grateful for the warmth and consideration they showed us during a stressful time. Our case was resolved in mediation with an outcome that far exceeded our expectations. The firm has a strong record of success and it is easy to see why, as their attorneys are top-notch, their investigator excellent, their staff efficient, and their strategies for this type of case most effective.” – Google Review
“Casey Gerry is hands down the best and only firm I would trust now having been fortunate enough to work with them. My own case was complex due to many factors, and Robert as well as many others on the team did everything they could to communicate with me at all times the goals, progress and results for my case.” – Google Review
“This is the go-to firm in San Diego for catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. They have the experience and reputation to secure the best results….and do so consistently.”
“Casey Gerry is hands down the best and only firm I would trust now having been fortunate enough to work with them. My own case was complex due to many factors, and Robert as well as many others on the team did everything they could to communicate with me at all times the goals, progress and results for my case.”
“Tom Penfield and his staff are pleasant and professional, I highly recommend them.”
“This an award winning law firm that you can trust. There is a reason these guys are consistently ranked number one, and it’s in the results, the care you get, and the drive to see your case resolved to your desires. I worked with Tom Penfield in particular, and within 5 mins of meeting him, I knew I could not only trust him, but believe in him. Lawyers get a bad rap, but this guy is all heart.”
