Blog
Posted in Blog on December 11, 2018
In the first and only cases that directly challenge PG&E for misleading over 16 million customers that safety is its first priority, the Wildfire Victim Advocates attorneys of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP, Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP, Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, and Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger have filed two different complaints in Butte… read more
Posted in Uncategorized on June 8, 2018
Plaintiffs Co-Counsel and Wildfire Victim Advocates attorney Frank Pitre spoke on behalf of North Bay Fire victims in response to the latest report issued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), determining 12 wildfires that swept through California’s Wine Country in October 2017 were caused by electric power and distribution lines,… read more
CAL Fire Finds PG&E Responsible for Three Northern California Wildfires
Posted in Blog on May 25, 2018
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) investigators have determined Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to be responsible for three Northern California fires in Butte and Nevada counties that occurred in October 2017. Fire officials announced the cause of the fires as PG&E power lines coming into contact with trees, noting that… read more
Attorneys Michael Kelly & Frank Pitre Named Co-Lead Counsel In North Bay Fires Litigation
Posted in Uncategorized on March 8, 2018
On February 27, 2018, Wildfire Victim Advocates attorneys Michael Kelly of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and Frank Pitre of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP were appointed as Co-Lead Counsel, representing thousands of individual plaintiffs filing lawsuits against Pacific Gas & Electric Company and PG&E Corporation as a result of the North Bay Fires. The appointment was… read more
Do Power Lines Cause Wildfires? – 5 Important Reasons Why
Posted in Blog on January 2, 2018
California is in the midst of fighting the deadliest wildfires in state history. Now, experts are pointing to a possible culprit: utility companies and their power lines. In fact, power line failure has been a leading cause of California wildfires for the past several years. In 2015, electrical power problems caused the burning of nearly… read more
California Lawmakers to Hold Hearings and Examine State’s Response to North Bay Fires
Posted in Blog on November 21, 2017
Beginning in December, California lawmakers will hold a series of hearings to evaluate the state’s response to the North Bay Fires that began on October 8, claiming the lives of at least 43 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and structures. The hearings are intended to address inadequacies in the state’s mutual-aid system designed to… read more
Posted in Blog on November 14, 2017
Attorneys at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP, Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP, Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery filed a series of lawsuits against PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas & Electric Company on behalf of victims of the North Bay Fires. Filed in San… read more
Posted in Blog on November 13, 2017
On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, attorneys from the North Bay Fires Consortium will hold a press conference to announce a series of lawsuits filed against PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas & Electric Company on behalf of victims of the North Bay Fires. The plaintiffs include Sonoma County resident Gregory Wilson who, along with his wife,… read more
Attorneys Launch Forensic Investigators To Determine Ground Zero of North Bay Fires
Posted in Blog on October 20, 2017
As state regulators conduct their investigation into the cause of the North Bay Fires, attorneys with the Wildfire Victim Advocates consortium have dispatched a team of forensic investigators to determine ground zero of the worst firestorms in California’s history. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is once again at the forefront of the investigation, having received a… read more