By Erik Cooper
No one who has ever suffered a loss wishes to extend their suffering from that loss any longer than absolutely necessary. While the wheels of justice sometimes turn painfully slow, for victims of the Woolsey Fire, the wheels of justice may actually come off.
On November 9th, 2018, Malibu suffered one of the worst wildfires in our community’s history. Millions of dollars of destroyed properties were left in its wake, and countless lives have been affected by the federally-declared disaster.
Shortly after the smoke cleared, Woolsey victims assessed damages and hired lawyers to pursue recovery from their losses. Lawsuits flooded the courthouse with more to follow. The court coordinated all of the cases into one action.
for determination of liability against the defendants, in this case, Southern California Edison Company (SoCal Edison). Judge William F. Highberger was assigned to the coordinated case.
Since coordination, our wheels of justice have been turning at an expedient rate. Attorneys have been disqualified , attorneys have bargained for positions to drive the train (as lead counsel), a trial date is set for February 2020, and now, victims face a deadline to submit their claims for damages — AUGUST 25th!
The ashes are barely collected. Our recovery from this catastrophe has barely begun. And even though our damages are not yet fully calculated, we are placed on a track to dispose of our claims hardly before the ink has dried on our legal complaints.
What’s the rush? Sure, Malibu and its residents would like to move on. But the extraordinary rush to force claims through the judicial system and resolve them, yesterday, seems outrageous. Expediency has replaced efficiency. It seems Woolsey Fire victims may soon be railroaded into rushed judgments and forced settlements to move this thing along for…what good reason?
No after-action reports have been prepared. Investigations are not yet complete. The facts remain undetermined. But here we go! So hold on.
Continue to follow our FireWire coverage of up to the minute news and information to help Woolsey Fire victims recover from this tragic event.
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