In the face of the disaster, the lawyers knew quickly what to do. Even before the deadliest fire in California history, started in local Radio already commercials: “Are you a victim of the Camp Fire? Let us help!” And help, that is, in the United States in such cases: the cause on the payment of a million of sum sue.
That was in November, and what was a suspicion is now certain: Even if the investigations are not yet complete, the evidence suggests that poorly maintained power have triggered lines of the energy group, PG&E, the devastating fire, the small town of Paradise, burned completely, and 86 people a cost of life. Apparently was shortly before the outbreak of the fire broken a bracket in an overhead line and caused a short circuit. A spark that was enough to be in bone-dry California forest to trigger an Inferno.
compensation for thousands
Initially, PG&E fought back against this representation. A Team of experts have found bullet holes in a high-voltage mast, it was called. A convenient explanation, would be PG&E but at least part of the responsibility for the fire. In the meantime, it has been seen in the company that you will not get away with this. Expected PG&E to Thousands of Victims will have to pay damages, the relatives, your house or your business to the fire lost. And also with Mild of the courts or of the policy, the company should not be expected. Finally, PG&E is already under intense scrutiny due to several fires in the year 2017. Also, if you ailing PG&E has been suggested infrastructure as the cause. After all, when a deadly fire from the October 2017, the company was relieved last week by fire experts.
pictures: forest fires California
The allegations have summed however, in such a way that the Survival of the largest energy suppliers in the United States out of the question. In mid-January PG&E’s Director of memoirs of a Geisha, Williams resigned. The native Cuban, the Californians were, up to then, powerful, proud, finally, she was the only Latina, which resulted in one of the 500 largest companies in the country.
in 2017, until you took office, now it’s gone again. Until a successor is found, the PG&E-Manager, John Simon for the shops. To him, it was to evaluate the cost, because of the various fires on the enterprise: He speaks of $ 30 billion, and that seems unlikely. It would be one of the highest compensation payments, the had to ever make a company in the United States. And too much for a company that earned 1.5 billion in the year – and that’s only because it had become, in the opinion of many observers, the infrastructure of their own. Not 24 hours after his arrival, Simon announced, therefore, he is expected to be on 29. January bankruptcy to apply for. PG&E would be protected from the claims of his creditors, and could operate his business.
Erin Brockovich’s biggest hope
For the fire victims that would be bad news: you would be treated like other creditors and, therefore, probably only a fraction of their claims. They now hope for a woman that PG&E is forced in the knee: Erin Brockovich, the paralegal ride in 1996 as more than $ 300 million from the energy provider, because one of its plants had contaminated the drinking water of a southern California place.
A movie with Julia Roberts in the main role made Brockovich famous. Since then, as activist, and consultant throughout the country and is involved from time to time in actions against corporations, which are supposed to bring the health of citizens in danger. Critics accuse her of, you force be alone with your well-known name of fast payments of the companies were afraid of negative headlines.
There is a word already makes the round, which promises a solution to all these problems: nationalisation.
For the victims of the Camp Fire, but Brockovich is now the greatest hope. At a rally in California’s capital, Sacramento, you said a few days ago, PG&E wanted to move in with the insolvency cheap from the affair: “If you can get away with it, get the victims what they are entitled to.” The energy supplier was very probably liquid enough to provide compensation for damages. “PG&E has made a lot of money and pour billions of dollars every year to the shareholders.” Loans, promissory notes, State guarantee – there are many ways to get the money, so Brockovich. The company and the country of California would now need to find the best way to help the Victims.
this occurs Brockovich has increased the pressure on Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California for only three weeks in office. Because he needs to find a solution which is actually impossible: For one thing, he must ensure that the fire victims will be compensated, on the other, this must be done so that at the end of the 16-million PG&E customers will pay with higher electricity prices. And then Newsom really needs a healthy PG&E for the energy revolution, which he wants to drive at least as ambitious as its predecessor. Many already approved projects that contribute to sustainable energy production would be threatened by insolvency.
There is a word already makes the round, which promises a solution to all these problems: nationalisation. (Editorial Tamedia)
Created: 29.01.2019, 11:16 PM
