- Posts by Gerald Singleton
Managing PartnerGerald Singleton began his legal career as a trial attorney at Federal Defenders of San Diego in 2000, where he represented federal criminal defendants in the Southern District of California and before the Ninth Circuit Court of ...
Wildfires are destructive forces that ravage homes and communities, but the harm doesn’t stop with burned landscapes. One of the most overlooked threats is the lingering health effects caused by wildfire smoke, which can affect people long after the flames are extinguished. As wildfire seasons intensify, the long-term health risks posed by smoke inhalation must be taken seriously, especially in litigation against those responsible for starting these devastating fires—like utility companies, railroads, and other negligent entities.
Wildfire Smoke: The Unseen Health ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported a significant escalation in the ongoing listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats. Over the past three weeks, the death toll has tragically risen to nine, with a total of 57 people hospitalized as a result of consuming contaminated products.
INSURANCE NOTICE: "Your property does not meet our wildfire eligibility guidelines... We will not renew this policy when it expires."
Have you received a notice like the one above? Insurance companies are increasingly dropping policies of California customers with notices of non-renewal like these. However, your non-renewal notice may be a mistake. And depending on the circumstances, your policy may still be protected by California law.
California Senate Bill 824 prevents insurers from canceling or not renewing a policy during the year after a state of emergency declaration ...
1. What is FEMA?
The federal government has a long history of providing disaster relief to Americans. This history dates back to at least 1803, when a devastating fire in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, threatened commerce in the newly founded United States.[1]
Today, FEMA–which stands for the “Federal Emergency Management Agency”–leads the federal government’s response to disasters. President Carter established FEMA by executive order in 1979.
In 1988, Congress refined FEMA’s role with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ...
What is a statute of limitations?
A “statute of limitations” is a law that sets a time limit on when a particular claim must be filed in court.
Defendants frequently assert the statute of limitations as a defense to lawsuits. And subject to a few exceptions, outlined below, a person who attempts to file a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired, would likely have their case dismissed. This means the person might not receive any compensation for an injury caused by someone else.
Why are there statutes of limitations?
The primary purpose of statutes of limitations is to ...
Today we honor the birthday of the late great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929 (so he would have been 93 today). The holiday of MLK Day is observed on the third Monday of January. His leadership was fundamental to that movement’s success in ending the legal segregation in the South and other parts of the United States. He promoted nonviolent tactics, such as the massive March on Washington (1963), to achieve civil rights. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
I have a Dream – Speech
“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we ...
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (“CAL FIRE”) has determined that power lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Company (“PG&E”) caused the 2021 Dixie Fire. CAL FIRE’s investigation found that the Dixie Fire started when a tree made contact with one of PG&E’s electrical distribution lines on July 13, 2021. CAL FIRE sent its investigative report to the Butte County District Attorney’s office to determine whether criminal charges against PG&E are warranted.
Numerous suits filed by several hundred plaintiffs have been coordinated ...
Happy New Year!
As of January 1, 2022, we are operating as Singleton Schreiber, LLP. Scott Trial Lawyers is returning to its previous structure as a stand-alone criminal defense, civil rights, and trial firm, renamed McKenzie Scott PC. While we will continue to collaborate on a variety of cases with the McKenzie Scott team, we believe the overall structure works better if McKenzie Scott is a separate entity and we work together on specific cases. This change will not have any effect on our overall operations or on the team members who are handling your case.
While our name and our look may ...
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1054 (“AB 1054”), also known as the California Wildfire Fund (the “Fund”), in July 2019. The Fund provides the state’s investor-owned utility companies (PG&E, Southern California Edison, SDG&E) $21 billion in insurance protection. The Fund protects a utility company from bankruptcy by helping pay for wildfire damages that exceed $1 billion. AB 1054 was created to encourage utility companies “to invest in safety and improve safety culture to limit wildfire risks and reduce costs,” and in return, the utility ...