Firm sues PG&E for $2.5 billion for customer damages from outages

December 19, 2019 - The firm has filed a class action complaint against PG&E on behalf of firm client Anthony Gantner and a proposed class of PG&E customers, arising out of the recent PG&E planned power outages. Mr. Gantner contends that the outages were only made necessary by PG&E’s negligence in maintaining its transmission lines. His complaint seeks damages from PG&E for at least $2.5 billion to compensate PG&E customers for losses caused by the outages, including loss of habitability of their dwellings, loss of food items in their refrigerators, expenses for alternate means of lighting and power, such as candles, flashlights, batteries, and gas generators, loss of cell phone connectivity, dangerous dark conditions, lack of running water, and loss of productivity and business. His complaint also seeks injunctive relief to require PG&E to properly maintain and inspect its power grid, so that planned outages will not be necessary in the future. According to firm partner Nicholas Carlin: “For years, PG&E rewarded its executives with high pay and bonuses and paid dividends to its shareholders while failing to perform its most basic duty: to keep its grid safe and operational. It has already agreed to compensate victims of the fires it caused through its negligence. But it has not yet agreed to fully compensate the millions of customers it has harmed through the planned outages. This lawsuit seeks to hold PG&E accountable for that harm as well.” Further proceedings in the matter are pending before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.