Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
A Portland judge has denied a motion by PacifiCorp to have more than 1,500 claims for damages thrown out in a class action lawsuit over the 2020 wildfire fires.
On Wednesday afternoon, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Steffan Alexander signed an order denying a motion in James et al vs. PacifiCorp to have the claims stricken as “sham” filings.
PacifiCorp filed the motion May 10, arguing the claims fail to specify the nature of damages in violation of state standards for legal complaints.
The motion was in response to a mass filing of 1,000 claims on April 29. Since then four additional filings have been submitted with claims totaling 1,536 as of the latest filing on Sept. 11.
Subsequent motions by PacifiCorp incorporated the new filings.
A hearing on the motions was held Sept. 13, during which plaintiffs argued the claims do satisfy state standards, and that PacifiCorp failed to provide any legal justification to have them thrown out. The judge’s order said the denial was based on plaintiffs’ arguments.
A related motion was filed by PacifiCorp Sept. 13, asking the court to have the claims resubmitted to correct what it described as a lack of crucial information. Plaintiffs have pushed back and in a Sept. 27 filing said the company’s arguments about deficient filings in this motion are no more valid than in the motion to strike.
A hearing on this matter is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, at 8:30 a.m. before Alexander.
Plaintiffs are seeking damages for the Santiam, Echo Mountain Complex, South Obenchain and 242 fires, which sparked over Labor Day 2020. PacifiCorp was found liable by a jury in 2023 through gross negligence and willful misconduct.
