Danko Meredith Files Eaton Fire Complaint

Danko Meredith filed a complaint on behalf of clients alleging that misconduct by Southern California Edison (SCE) was the reason that the Eaton Fire started. This is the first step in court towards holding those responsible accountable for starting the fire. In addition to seeking damages for clients, the lawsuit also seeks to protect everyone in Altadena from SoCal Edison’s negligence in the future by asking for a permanent injunction to force SoCal Edison’s compliance with appropriate laws.  

“We aim to obtain just compensation for our clients whose lives have been upended by SoCal Edison,” said Mike Danko, founding partner of Danko Meredith. “Responsible utility companies shut off power before winds reach their equipment’s safe limits. SoCal Edison didn’t. Instead, it decided to put its equipment to the test, but it left it to the Altadena community to suffer the consequences. That’s not right.” 

The lawsuit details seven causes of action, including negligence, inverse condemnation, trespass, nuisance, and violations of the Public Utilities Code and the Health & Safety Code. The case comes down to the actions—and inaction—that SoCal Edison took leading up to the Eaton Fire. 

Had the equipment and lines on the tower where the fire started been properly designed and maintained, they would not have been able to spark the fire. Further investigation is needed to determine exactly which component failed on the tower. Both government investigators and insurance companies have also closed in on SoCal Edison’s equipment as the potential source of the Eaton Fire.

What is Inverse Condemnation? 

Inverse condemnation is a law that allows SoCal Edison to be held liable for damaging property when their equipment fails. Additionally, it can force SoCal Edison to pay for the attorneys’ fees associated with those damages.

Inverse condemnation is a special cause of action that is not widely used in normal litigation, but the experienced team at Danko Meredith has used it successfully for decades.

How Does Filing a Complaint Now Help?

There are many benefits to filing a case early in the litigation process. The Superior Court will want to group all the Eaton Fire cases together. This is what happens in all fire cases. They remain individual cases, but they are all coordinated into one group. The Court will then appoint a group of attorneys to a “leadership” role to help coordinate the thousands of cases that will be coming.

Danko Meredith’s experience and reputation with the courts means that we are often appointed to these leadership roles, which gives us the power and opportunity to advocate for our clients that other attorneys do not have.

By filing one of the first lawsuits, we position ourselves and our clients to benefit from that role. This benefits the plaintiffs on this complaint today as well as all future Danko Meredith clients in California utility wildfire cases.