Berkshire Unit Fire Suit Heads Toward Multibillion-Dollar Finale
- Oregon jury has already awarded $87 million to 17 victims
- PacifiCorp said it expects to win appeal on 2020 fires verdict
Oregon firefighters put out embers in Mill City, Oregon in September 2020.
Photographer: Kathryn Elsesser/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A Berkshire Hathaway Inc. energy unit’s $87 million hit this week in a first-of-its-kind trial blaming the company for massive wildfires in Oregon is poised to grow into the billions when thousands of additional victims pursue claims for damages.
PacifiCorp was found grossly negligent and reckless by a jury on Monday for failing to prevent four fires that burned about 2,500 properties when power lines toppled during a windstorm on Labor Day in 2020. Jurors in state court in Portland added punitive damages Wednesday after a lawyer for 17 property owners argued that the company destroyed evidence and offered “no accountability” for its actions.