The Oregon Supreme Court is reviewing a case that could hold Berkshire Hathaway utility PacifiCorp liable for damages tied to the destructive Labor Day wildfires in 2020. Potential damages amount to billions of dollars.
The court’s decision will determine the fate of more than $1.25 billion already awarded to victims. An appeals court set those awards aside because of a procedural error in the jury instructions.
At issue is whether a lower court’s negligence finding against PacifiCorp will be reinstated. The finding concerned the company’s failure to shut down power lines during a major windstorm.
If the Supreme Court sides with victims, it could reaffirm the damages and open the door to claims from more than 1,000 additional plaintiffs. That could expose PacifiCorp to tens of billions of dollars in total liabilities.