PG&E had the perfect opportunity to stand up in court and take responsibility for what it has done to the people of San Bruno. Instead, when it filed its written answer to the victims’ lawsuits, it denied everything, and blamed everyone else, including its victims. PG&E stated that it should not be required to compensate
PG&E Denies Everything
PG&E filed today its answer to the lawsuits brought by the victims of the San Bruno fire. This was PG&E’s first opportunity, legally speaking, to publicly account for itself in court.
PG&E owned up to nothing. Instead, the document lists the 32 reasons why PG&E says it is not responsible for the fire and the
PG&E Criminal Investigation Could Slow Victims’ Lawsuits
The Blue Ribbon panel appointed by the CPUC has blasted PG&E, suggesting that PG&E knew about the weaknesses in its system for years before the explosion but did
essentially nothing. According to Steve Johnson, writing for the San Mateo Times, the panel noted:
that an internal PG&E review three years before the San Bruno explosion had listed the company’s
Parents’ Liability for the Acts of Their Child
A parent can sometimes be liable for the harm his or her minor child causes to others.
Here are some situations in which, in California, a parent is automatically liable:
- When the parent has signed the child’s driver’s license application, and the child’s driving hurts someone (but the parent’s liability is limited to $15,000 per person
FDA Taking Another Look at Dangers of Yaz and Yasmin
The Food and Drug Administration approved Yaz and Yasmin based on research that Bayer provided saying that the drugs were safe. We’ve been saying all along that the research was suspect and that, in fact, the drug is more risky than other birth control pills with no added benefits. The danger, we said, was the
Surprises from Judge Dylina at the First Hearing on the San Bruno Fire Cases
Judge Dylina started out today by explaining that he believes he was selected to be the judge for the San Bruno Fire cases because of his experience with complex cases and also his experience as a settlement judge. No surprise there. But then he made clear that the San Bruno Fire cases are the court’s first
California Supreme Court Hears Argument in Howell v. Hamilton Meats
When a wrongdoer causes injury, he must pay the victim’s hospital bills. If the victim happens to have insurance, the insurance company will often settle those bills before trial. Should the wrongdoer be required to pay the victim for the full amount of the hospital bills? Or only the amount the insurer paid to settle the bills? That was the
The Dangers of PG&E’s Underground Utility Vaults Back in Public Eye
In July 2009 — more than a year before the San Bruno explosion — we warned about the dangers to the public posed by PG&E’s aging underground infrastructure. Back then, we were focusing on the utility vaults hidden beneath the streets and sidewalks of San Francisco and other urban areas. They have a long history
PG&E Says Its Rights Are Being Violated
Without a judge to preside over their claims, the San Bruno fire victims’ lawsuits have, up until now, been in limbo. That will soon change, as Judge Steven Dylina has just been assigned to hear all the suits arising from the PG&E fire, wherever those suits may have been filed. The first hearing in the cases
Judge Orders San Bruno Fire Cases Coordinated
Where will the San Bruno fire cases be heard? This morning, Judge Forcum ruled that all of the cases should be heard by one judge, and that judge should be in San Mateo County. That was no surprise. Now, it’s up to the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court to approve Judge Forcum’s ruling.