The Mountain View Fire burned through 20,385 acres and destroyed or damaged nearly 100 homes and close to 50 other structures.

January 19, 2021 — SAN DIEGO — Today, the nationally recognized attorneys from Baron & Budd and Dixon Diab & Chambers LLP filed a lawsuit against Liberty Utilities, a subsidiary of Algonquin Power, for injuries and damages related to the Mountain View Fire on behalf of Mono County, Antelope Valley Fire Protection District, Toiyabe Indian Health Project, Inc., and Bridgeport Indian Colony. The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, where the courts have recently handled complex wildfire litigation.

The Mountain View Fire burned through 20,385 acres and destroyed or damaged nearly 100 homes and close to 50 other structures. The lawsuit alleges Liberty Utilities negligently managed its utility infrastructure, including failing to upgrade its aging infrastructure and failing to shut off power during known and predicted high wind events. The lawsuit describes legal liability based on negligence, inverse condemnation, nuisance, and other legal and statutory causes of action.

“Utility companies have a duty to properly maintain and operate their equipment in order to safely and responsibly provide their services to California communities,” said Baron & Budd Shareholder, John Fiske. “Unfortunately, we have seen neighborhoods and cities destroyed time and time again because of the negligence of these utility companies. These companies have to be held accountable for the injuries and damages they have caused.”

While the cause and origin of the fire is under an official investigation, Baron & Budd has obtained information and evidence that points to specific Liberty Utility infrastructure as the cause of the fire.

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Baron & Budd, P.C. is among the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs’ law firms in the country. With more than 40 years of experience, Baron &Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, California wildfires and environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.