Butte Fire

A wildfire raged through Calaveras County burning 70,000 acres and hundreds of homes. The fire started when a tree leaned against a PG&E power line. We determined that PG&E should have trimmed the tree to keep the powerline safe. PG&E proclaimed that the fire was not the result of a tree touching its power line but, if it was, it was all the fault of an independent tree trimming contractor.

We proved that PG&E failed to properly train the contractor. The judge agreed, ruling that the fire was entirely PG&E’s responsibility. 

We Held PG&E Accountable for the Butte Fire 

We’ve obtained compensation for hundreds of our Butte clients.  Some clients used their settlement money to rebuild their homes on site.  Some used the money to rebuild elsewhere.  Each client made his or her own decision as to what was best for them.

“I want to thank you and your team for all the work you did since the fire.  I appreciate you taking time to answer my many phone calls, fighting PG&E to the end, and all your monthly status updates. We feel that if it wasn’t for you, PG&E would have gotten away with it.  We’re so glad we found you. . .”

 

-Butte Client

We recovered for our Butte Fire clients more than $100 million.

What we recovered money for:

• Value of the home destroyed
• The cost to rebuild the home, either on-site or elsewhere
• The personal belongings lost in the fire
• The cost to replace trees that were on the property
• Compensation for personal property that holds sentimental value, such as:
  • Guns passed down from ancestors
  • Children’s artwork
  • Coin collections
  • Bug collections
  • Boats
  • Bulldozers
  • Old cars
  • Newspaper clippings
  • Photographs
  • Lost pets
  • Chickens and pigs
• Cost of living away from the home
• The inconvenience, worry, and emotional distress associated with the Butte Fire