Berkshire-owned utility's wildfire lawsuits head to Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court will review a verdict that could expose Berkshire Hathaway-owned PacifiCorp to tens of billions of dollars in potential damages over four 2020 wildfires. Fire victims are seeking to revive $1.25 billion in awards set aside by a state appeals court.
1. Appeal of wildfire verdicts
Oregon residents and business owners are asking the state Supreme Court to reverse an appeals court decision that set aside $1.25 billion in awards against PacifiCorp. The awards stemmed from claims that the utility’s equipment and failure to shut down power lines during a 2020 windstorm caused four wildfires that damaged more than 2,000 properties.
2. Arguments over class claims
PacifiCorp denies negligence and argues that the fires, which were more than 100 miles apart, differed too much for victims to sue as a group. The appeals court said evidence focused on particular wildfires and ignitions, and suggested reconsidering class certification; the Supreme Court could reinstate the judgments or return the matter to the trial judge.
3. Other wildfire settlements
More than 1,000 additional plaintiffs are awaiting trial. PacifiCorp has reached about $2.3 billion in settlements with claimants outside the certified class and agreed to pay $575 million to resolve U.S. government claims over six Oregon and California wildfires that burned federal land.
