Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Plaintiffs Isabel Gomes and William Armstrong
LOS ANGELES (January 30, 2025) – CaseyGerry, representing plaintiffs Isabel Gomes and William Armstrong, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Southern California Edison and its parent company, Edison International (collectively “SCE”), for losses arising from the destruction of the couple’s Altadena rental property as a result of the devastating 14,000-acre Eaton Fire in Altadena, California on January 7, 2025.
According to lead attorney on the case David S. Casey, Jr., defendant SCE operates high voltage power lines hanging above Eaton Canyon, an open space preserve within the communities of Altadena, Kinneloa Mesa, City of Pasadena and other adjacent areas of Los Angeles County. “Our client alleges that the defendant operated its electricity infrastructure irresponsibly in unsafe conditions. Eyewitnesses saw the defendant’s power lines sparking above Eaton Canyon – allegedly fueling the massive wildfire which destroyed our client’s rental home and all their possessions, including vehicles, collectibles and more,” he said. “The plaintiffs also allege that SCE didn’t adequately clear parched vegetation away from its utility equipment, exposing the ultra-dry Eaton Canyon to increased fire danger from malfunctioning utility equipment.”
When the fire started, the region was under a red flag advisory – a “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning – since forecasters had predicted critically low humidity and fierce Santa Ana winds of up to 100 mph. The suit alleges that the utility should have known of this critical situation based on forecasts of potentially catastrophic Santa Ana winds several days before the fire ravaged parts of Los Angeles.
According to the complaint, despite the obvious risks and warnings, the defendant allegedly made the decision to continue operations of its electricity grid at Eaton Canyon, resulting in disastrous consequences. “We believe these wildfires could have been mitigated and are focused on holding SEC accountable while seeking justice for our clients, who lost their residence, livelihood and possessions,” Casey said.
About CaseyGerry
Headquartered at 110 Laurel St. in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego, CaseyGerry was founded in 1947 and is the most established plaintiffs’ law firm in San Diego. The firm’s attorneys practice in numerous areas, including serious personal injury, automobile, maritime, trucking, aviation, product liability, wildfire litigation and class actions. For more information, visit www.caseygerry.com.
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