Overview
OVER $400 MILLION RECOVERED FOR THOMAS FIRE VICTIMS
Singleton Schreiber has a large group of dedicated and experienced attorneys, paralegals, and support staff working on our Fire Team. We’ve helped over 14,000 fire victims in more than three dozen fires across California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
We are proud to represent nearly two thousand individual victims in the Thomas Fire, whose damages range from complex agricultural losses (including avocado ranches), public-benefit corporations such as the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC), large landowners, and individual homeowners alike.
With a wealth of knowledge and experience litigating and successfully resolving wildfire cases, Singleton Schreiber has spent the last 6 years fighting for victims of the Thomas Fire and getting our clients the compensation they rightly deserve and need to rebuild their homes, businesses, and lives. We are proud to have some of the best, most respected experts in the country who put together in-depth damage reports to support our claims—and our experts are litigation and trial tested. These experts, in tandem with our highly experienced attorneys and support staff, ensure that all our clients get the best possible representation and achieve the best possible results.
The Thomas Fire
On December 4, 2017, a fire started north of Santa Paula California, quickly spreading to the city of Ventura. More than 8,000 firefighters battled the fire, which took 40 days to contain. The Thomas Fire—which burned more than 281,000 across and destroyed over 1,060 structures—resulted in the death of two individuals: one civilian and one fireman.
Investigators ultimately determined that Southern California Edison’s failing power lines were responsible for igniting the blaze that resulted in the deadly fire. Specifically, investigators concluded that SCE power lines in the upper Anlauf Canyon area slapped against each other, sending molten metal particles onto dry vegetation below and sparking a blaze that would ultimately converge with another fire that began a short time later at nearby Koeningstein Road.
In 2017, thousands of victims began filing lawsuits against Southern California Edison for, among other things, negligence, trespass, and inverse condemnation, seeking damages for wrongful death, property loss, business loss, personal injury and other damages available under California law.
CRITICAL MOTIONS TO DATE
As with most defendants, Southern California Edison has attempted every delay tactic available to prolong the litigation and, ultimately, delay payment to victims.
Since the start of the Thomas Fire Litigation, Singleton Schreiber has been fearlessly and aggressively advocating that the Court set trial dates for our clients so they can have their day in court. Examples of this tactic, which included filing motions to lift discovery stays which were impeding progress and filing motions to obtain critical evidence, are included below for reference.
- Singleton Schreiber’s Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Opt-Out Plaintiffs’ Motion to Lift the Discovery Stay and Set for Trial Date
- Gerald Singleton’s Declaration in Support of the Opt-Out Plaintiffs’ Motion to Lift Stay and Set Trial Date
- Southern California Edison’s Opposition to Singleton Schreiber’s Motion to Lift Stay
- Edison’s Attorney’s Declaration in Support of Edison’s Opposition to Singleton Schreiber’s Motion to Lift Stay
- Singleton Schreiber’s Reply Brief in Support of the Motion to Lift Stay and Set a Trial Date
Legal Assistance
If you or a loved one were affected by the Thomas Fire, contact an experienced fire attorney at Singleton Schreiber to learn about the Thomas Fire compensation and to understand your legal options.