This is the property of the Daily Journal Corporation and fully protected by copyright. It is made available only to Daily Journal subscribers for personal or collaborative purposes and may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, stored or transferred without written permission. Please click "Reprint" to order presentation-ready copies to distribute to clients or use in commercial marketing materials or for permission to post on a website. and copyright (showing year of publication) at the bottom.
Subscribe to the Daily Journal for access to Daily Appellate Reports, Verdicts, Judicial Profiles and more...

LA Fires,
Civil Litigation

Jan. 27, 2025

Firefighter statements will be crucial in Palisades Fire lawsuits, attorneys say

Lawsuits stemming from the Pacific Palisades Fire claim the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's decision to drain the Santa Ynez Reservoir left firefighters without essential resources to combat the blaze, resulting in catastrophic damages.

Photo: New York Times

There have been significantly fewer lawsuits seeking damages from the Palisades Fire compared to the Eaton Fire in Altadena, primarily because there is no evidence linking utility equipment to the blaze and only one cause of action - inverse condemnation - is being pursued.

Attorneys representing Palisades Fire victims in these claims are focusing their efforts on testimony from firefighters and evidence from municipal officials, highlighting a critical issue: the lack of water t...

To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!

Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)

Already a subscriber?

Enewsletter Sign-up