February 7 Update on PG&E Bankruptcy Hearings
Judge Dennis Montali, who is overseeing PG&E’s bankruptcy case, has held several hearings, which our lawyers have attended and participated in. Judge Montali approved a number of interim motions allowing PG&E to continue its operations.
As you may have heard, PG&E is now refusing to pay twenty-two victims of the 2015 Butte Fire in Calaveras County, with whom it had already agreed to settlements. At the same time, PG&E asked Judge Montali to approve the payment of $130 million in employee bonuses. Our attorneys objected to such payments being made before PG&E compensates the 2015 Butte Fire victims it already agreed to pay.
Our team appeared in several interviews outside the courthouse following that hearing, advocating for the rights of fire victims:
- Mike Danko on NBC Bay Area: “Every dollar they pay out to an executive is a dollar the victims, who were burned out by those executives, don’t get.”
- Amanda Riddle on KTVU 2: “[W]hat we did today is we asked the court to prioritize the needs of those wildfire victims, especially those ones who need immediate assistance, because they have no insurance and no homes.”
- Dario de Ghetaldi quoted in the San Jose Mercury News: “People should not be getting bonuses ahead of people victimized by the fire[s].”
PG&E’s next hearing in bankruptcy court is set for February 13; we will continue to provide updates on upcoming bankruptcy hearings.
About Northern California Fire Lawyers
Northern California Fire Lawyers is a team of more than 30 attorneys from a coalition of three Northern California law firms: Corey, Luzaich, de Ghetaldi & Riddle, Danko Meredith and Gibbs Law Group. Collectively, our fire lawyers have more experience investigating and bringing claims against PG&E than any law firm in California. Our attorneys have been appointed by California judges to leadership positions in some of the largest fire and disaster cases, including the Butte Fire Cases, 2017 PG&E Fire Cases, and San Bruno Explosion lawsuits.
Our attorneys currently represent over 200 families who are victims of the 2015 Butte Fire that devastated over 70,000 acres. We have earned hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients, and members of our team have been honored for their work with numerous awards, including “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California,” “Trial Lawyer of the Year,” and “Top Women Lawyers in Northern California,” among others.
Contact Us
Our wildfire attorneys are happy to answer any questions you may have. Call (530) 208-3062, or email us at contact@norcalfirelawyers.com to speak with a wildfire attorney, free of charge.