SACRAMENTO -  Today, attorneys at Kershaw, Cook & Talley filed a complaint in Sacramento County Superior Court, in what is expected to be the first of many wrongful death lawsuits to be filed on behalf of victims of the Camp Fire that recently struck Paradise, California. At last count, the fire is suspected of causing more than 88 deaths and is one of the deadliest wildfires in United States history.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of family members whose father perished in the fire. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that the Camp Fire was caused by the negligent conduct of Pacific Gas & Electric ("PG&E"). Specifically, it asserts that PG&E failed to sufficiently manage and maintain its power lines and that a downed power line sparked the deadly fire. The lawsuit also asserts that PG&E should have cut power to the Paradise area given the forecasts of extreme fire danger that were received days before the fire was ignited.

Attorney for the plaintiff Stuart Talley states, "PG&E has a long history of being found responsible for causing fires throughout California as a result of its poor maintenance of its power lines. As a result, thousands of have been displaced and lost everything they own. And those are the lucky ones."

The lawsuit asserts claim wrongful death and negligence and seeks recovery for pain and suffering, inconvenience, property damages, and punitive damages. In response to concerns about a potential PG&E bankruptcy, Talley noted that "although PG&E is threatening bankruptcy, we do not believe it is imminent. PG&E has insurance to cover claims and could spread losses among its shareholders and rate payors."