Palisades fire victims lawsuits allowed to proceed – NBC Los Angeles

Thousands of Palisades fire victims who lost their homes and businesses will be allowed to proceed with lawsuits against the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, and other agencies, alleging the government allowed hazardous conditions to exist, which led to the enormous destruction of the January, 2025 wildfire.

LA Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner’s decision to deny requests for dismissals, brought by the City and the State, was finalized Thursday, clearing the way for fire victims to begin more intensive investigation of their claims that the agencies failed to adequately protect the community and prevent the spread of a wind-driven fire, days after a smaller brush fire threatened some of the same neighborhoods.

“Today’s ruling by the judge marks a huge victory for the victims of the Palisades Fire,” said attorney Alexander Robertson, one of the lead attorneys representing fire victims.

“The Court overruled the claims of immunity by the City and State which allows our case to move forward into the discovery phase,” he said. “The lies, gaslighting, and coverup by both the City and State will be further exposed through the discovery process.”

The fire victims’ lawsuits, coordinated as the “Grigsby” cases, named for one of the original plaintiffs, allege that local and state governments were negligent and should be held financially responsible for the damage caused by the Palisades fire, including claims the government agencies failed to fully extinguish the smaller “Lachman” fire that burned in the Palisades highlands 6 days earlier, and failed to maintain an adequate water supply for firefighting.

Last Fall the Judge allowed the victims to conduct a limited investigation into how the Lachman fire was contained, and depositions of State Parks employees and LA City Fire Department firefighters were conducted.

More recently, Charter Communications, the cable TV and internet company that operates as Spectrum in Southern California filed a lawsuit that alleged similar government negligence, and Wednesday the City of Malibu filed suit making many of the same claims.

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has declined to comment or discuss previous developments in the case, but has denied the allegations in court. The office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the judge’s decision allowing the lawsuits to proceed.

The City Attorney filed a separate motion with the court earlier this month that requested that should the Palisades fire victims succeed in court, that the State of California should have to share the liability.

A spokesperson for the California State Parks Department did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Thursday’s decision, but said previously some of the allegations in the suits were, “ludicrous,” and has filed court documents specifically denying the victims’ claims.

The judge granted the state’s request to dismiss 2 of the causes of action that related to overgrown vegetation on state property but allowed the rest of the case to proceed.

“This ruling represents a major milestone for Palisades fire victims,” said Roger Behle, Jr., another of the lead attorneys representing fire victims.

“The evidence we have uncovered over the last 13 months – with the help of the thousands of Palisades fire victims – proves what we all knew: The Palisades Fire was 100% avoidable. The government failed the people of Pacific Palisades miserably. The public deserves answers and accountability. We are going to see that they get it,” Behle emailed after the judge’s ruling was published.