On March 13, 2024, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed Senate Bill 224 into law. Utah SB 224 creates a fund for supplemental wildfire coverage and caps damages for wildfire claims. The new law became effective May 1, 2024.
PacifiCorp December 18, 2023, 8-K
PacifiCorp December 5, 2023, 8-K
PacifiCorp June 3, 2024, 8-K
News Release
James Class Action
Summary of Filing
In the motion, PacifiCorp asks the Multnomah County Circuit Court to correct several legal errors that occurred during the recent class action wildfire case captioned James v. PacifiCorp. If the trial court fails to correct these errors, they will be appealed to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Here is a brief summary of the relevant issues:
James case post-trial hearings: Case Management Order No. 8
On September 20, 2023, the judge in the James Multnomah County Court case entered Case Management Order No. 8 and set three phase II trials where plaintiffs will present evidence regarding their damages. Two of the trials will have 10-15 plaintiffs per trial. The third trial involves commercial timber plaintiffs. The first James phase II trial is set for January 8-17, 2024. The second James phase II trial is set for February 26 – March 1, 2024. The third trial regarding commercial timber interests is set for April 22-30, 2024.
James case post-trial hearings: Case Management Order No. 9
The Judge in the James case set the following post-trial hearings in Case Management Order No. 9:
Defendants’ Motion to Reduce Punitive Damages Award Under ORS 31.730
Summary of Filing
PacifiCorp is asking the Multnomah County Circuit Court to review the James jury’s punitive damages award to determine whether the award is within the range of damages that a rational juror would be entitled to award when applying the Oregon punitive damages statutory and common-law factors. PacifiCorp is requesting the Multnomah County Circuit Court reduce the punitive damages award based on the significant developments of PacifiCorp’s wildfire mitigation actions after the 2020 Labor Day wind event. Those actions include:
PacifiCorp’s Motion to Dismiss the Vineyards’ Smoke Damage Lawsuits
Summary of Filing
PacifiCorp filed the Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit filed by Bridgadoon Vineyards, LLC lawsuit in Lane County Circuit Court. Similar motions to dismiss were filed in the complaints brought by Retraite, LLC; Parlance, LLC ; Vendange, LLC; and Samuel Robert Winery, LLC. PacifiCorp presents the following arguments for the Circuit Courts’ consideration: