Pasadena-based lawyer Todd Becker participated in a public welfare seminar titled “The Road to Rebuilding: Practical Checklist to Help You Quickly Get Out of Troubles” organized by the Southern California branch of the World Chinese Business Women’s Management Association on January 26th. During the seminar, he shared his experiences in assisting disaster victims in seeking compensation and rebuilding their homes.
On January 7th, a massive fire broke out in Eaton Canyon, destroying parts of Pasadena and Altadena. Becker believes that the fire was caused by Southern California Edison (SCE) failing to shut down overhead power lines and not taking measures to bury the wires underground, leading to power lines collapsing in strong winds and triggering the fire.
Southern California Edison recently submitted a report to California regulatory authorities, disclosing a period of suspected ignition of the Eaton fire on January 7th when four power lines in the area experienced a brief surge in current. According to the Los Angeles Times, this anomaly occurred after a fault in the Eagle Rock-Gould line and transmitted to other line systems.
The wildfire has burned more than 14,000 acres of land, destroyed over 9,400 structures, and resulted in 17 fatalities. Southern California Edison’s representatives emphasize that no direct evidence has been found linking the fault to the fire.
Becker stated that this disaster bears many similarities to the Mauna Kea fire in Hawaii, as both fires occurred in rare high winds, with fallen power poles being a key factor. Becker pointed out, “These oversights turned what could have been preventable disasters into tragedies.” He criticized Southern California Edison for failing to anticipate the power of the strong winds and missing the opportunity to cut off power in advance.
Currently, Becker’s law firm, Becker Law Group, has filed lawsuits on behalf of approximately 1,200 affected households, with expectations of the final number of participants exceeding 10,000 to 15,000. The litigation adopts a “Mass Tort” model, where compensation for each affected household is calculated independently based on individual circumstances, rather than the traditional method of average distribution in a Class Action lawsuit.
Becker emphasized, “Our goal with the lawsuits is to tailor compensation plans for each family to maximize meeting their needs.” The proximity of the fire to his own hometown has made Becker even more attentive to the needs of every affected resident.
The fire claimed the lives and properties of many people. Becker mentioned that one of his clients lost their father and brother in the fire due to being unable to evacuate in a wheelchair on time, ultimately perishing in the flames. He believes that such tragedies could have been avoided if power had been cut off in advance.
Becker explained that post-fire compensation mainly comes from insurance claims and legal compensation. However, most affected households’ insurance may not fully cover reconstruction costs, especially with inflated labor and building material prices, where most insurances only cover 25% to 50% of the losses.
Facing insufficient insurance coverage, rising reconstruction costs, and shortages of manpower and resources, Becker encourages affected households to seek rightful legal compensation. By suing Southern California Edison, affected households have the opportunity to receive additional compensation to make up for the insufficient insurance coverage. Becker pledged not to charge fees for insurance or government aid portions, only extracting fees from lawsuit compensations, stating, “Our aim is to complete the compensation process within two to three years and revitalize the community within five years.”
Becker encourages affected households to choose to stay in the community and rebuild their homes. He said, “Pasadena is a melting pot of diverse cultures with a strong sense of community cohesion. We need to work together to restore this unique spirit and character.”