Home / Crime and Justice / Oregon Court Reverses Wildfire Damages Ruling
Oregon Court Reverses Wildfire Damages Ruling
9 Apr
Summary
- Oregon appeals court sent wildfire class-action case back to lower court.
- A 2023 jury instruction was found legally erroneous by the appellate judges.
- This decision could affect over $1 billion in damages for wildfire victims.
An Oregon appeals court has sent a significant class-action lawsuit concerning the 2020 wildfires back to a lower trial court. This decision potentially jeopardizes over $1 billion in damages awarded to victims of the devastating fires.
The appellate panel found that a jury instruction given during a 2023 trial was legally erroneous. This instruction had allowed jurors to assume evidence from four different wildfires applied to all class members, despite geographical separations exceeding a hundred miles.
The utility, PacifiCorp, stated the ruling validates their concerns about prejudice in the litigation process. They remain open to resolving reasonable claims while contesting unsupported ones.
Plaintiffs' lead counsel described the decision as a "procedural setback" but maintained that the jury's initial findings were not invalidated. They indicated paths forward include rectifying the instruction and retrying the case.
Separately, PacifiCorp faces other lawsuits from the 2020 blazes, having agreed to pay over $2 billion in settlements, including $575 million for damages on federal land. The company is also selling assets to stabilize its finances, influenced by the cash flow crunch from posting bonds for wildfire judgments.
