An Oregon state court jury has delivered a massive $305 million verdict in sprawling litigation over Berkshire Hathaway-owned electric utility PacifiCorp’s liability for widespread wildfires in 2020, and the latest trial, along with the 14 other trials to date, were all recorded gavel-to-gavel by Courtroom View Network.
The February 25th verdict pushes the total damages awarded to over 145 homeowners and other property owners over $1 billion, according to court records. An initial 2023 jury trial found PacifiCorp liable for the historic “Labor Day Fire,” and a series of “mini trials” to determine plaintiffs’ damages ensued, with nearly a trial per week scheduled for the rest of 2026.
The February 25 verdict far outpaces the amounts returned in previous trials. To date, individual plaintiffs have received damages awards of roughly $4 to $6 million; however, in the most recent trial, nine plaintiffs received awards of roughly $19 million each.
PacifiCorp has appealed the 2023 liability finding, having argued at trial that it did not have a responsibility to deactivate power lines ahead of a predicted windstorm. Property owners argue that the decision, along with alleged failure to clear brush and vegetation around power lines, caused the out-of-control blazes. However, PacifiCorp maintains that they had to keep certain power lines active to support hospitals and first responders during an emergency.
To date, CVN has been the only news organization to broadcast and record all PacifiCorp trials gavel-to-gavel, including all witness testimony. CVN’s dedicated coverage of these trials will continue throughout 2026, with one trial currently in progress.
