PacifiCorp Wins Appeal in Oregon Wildfire Class Action Over 100 Damages Trials  $1B Case Now Paused

PacifiCorp is facing a class action lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Multnomah County, Oregon, alleging the electric utility negligently kept its power lines energized during the deadly 2020 Labor Day wildfires — and for years, juries had been siding with victims. In April 2026, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in favor of PacifiCorp, overturning a 2023 verdict that found the power company liable for many of the wildfires, and a municipal judge has now ruled that over a hundred damages trials set to move forward are effectively paused. Wildfire survivors have since taken the fight to Oregon’s highest court — and the outcome will affect thousands of families still waiting for compensation.

James v. PacifiCorp Wildfire Lawsuit — Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Case Name	James et al. v. PacifiCorp and Pacific Power
Court	Circuit Court of Multnomah County, Oregon
Appeal Decided	Oregon Court of Appeals, April 8, 2026
Defendant	PacifiCorp / Pacific Power (subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy)
Alleged Violation	Negligence, gross negligence, recklessness, and willful misconduct under Oregon tort law
Fires Covered	Santiam Canyon, Echo Mountain Complex, South Obenchain, Two Four Two (242) — all Labor Day 2020
Who Is Affected	Property owners, homeowners, and residents harmed by the four Oregon Labor Day 2020 wildfires
Total Damages Awarded (Before Pause)	Over $1.2 billion across multiple jury verdicts
Current Court Stage	Most proceedings paused; Oregon Supreme Court petition filed May 13, 2026
Class Members	Over 2,000 individuals
Pending Damages Trials (Now Paused)	100+
Last Updated	May 23, 2026

What the PacifiCorp Oregon Wildfire Lawsuit Is About — James et al. v. PacifiCorp

If you lost your home, your land, or someone you love in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires in Oregon, this case is about what PacifiCorp chose to do — and chose not to do — that weekend.

PacifiCorp — the parent company of Pacific Power, Oregon’s second-largest electric utility — kept its lines charged over the 2020 Labor Day weekend despite fire officials’ warnings about hot, windy weather. Five people died in the Santiam Canyon fire alone, and more than 400,000 acres burned across four counties.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that utility executives kept the power on even as the company’s line workers took calls about damaged electrical equipment, and those same executives took no responsibility at trial, saying it was front-line workers who made de-energization decisions. The legal claims rest on negligence and willful misconduct under Oregon tort law — the argument being that PacifiCorp knew the risk, ignored it, and thousands of Oregon families paid the price.

In June 2023, a Multnomah County jury agreed. It found PacifiCorp grossly negligent and reckless, and applied that finding to a class covering thousands of property owners. Judgments so far totaled more than $1.2 billion across multiple damages trials that followed — until April 2026 changed everything.

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Are You Part of the PacifiCorp Oregon Wildfire Class Action?

Here is how to know if this lawsuit includes you.

You may be part of this class if:

• You owned property damaged or destroyed in any of the four 2020 Labor Day fires — the Santiam Canyon, Echo Mountain Complex, South Obenchain, or Two Four Two (242) fires
• You suffered personal injury, property loss, or displacement as a direct result of those fires
• You have not already settled individually with PacifiCorp

You are likely NOT included if:

• Your losses came from a different Oregon wildfire not covered by this class action
• You already resolved your claim through a separate settlement with PacifiCorp outside this case
• Your property was in a region unaffected by the four fires named in the class

The class includes owners of over 2,000 parcels of property damaged by the different fires, certain of which were separated by well over a hundred miles. Because of that geographic and factual spread, PacifiCorp has argued from the beginning that a single class was inappropriate — and that argument is now at the center of everything.

Why the Case Is Paused — The Appeals Court Ruling Explained

This is the part that matters most to anyone waiting for payment right now.

The Oregon Court of Appeals sent the class-action case back to a lower trial court over concerns about a jury instruction given during the 2023 trial. In that trial, jurors found the utility liable for negligently failing to cut power despite warnings from top fire officials. The appellate panel found that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that it could assume the evidence presented at trial regarding four different wildfires applied to all class members.

To be clear: the appeals court did not rule that PacifiCorp did nothing wrong. Lead counsel for the plaintiffs said the decision was a “procedural setback” and that “nothing in this ruling suggests the jury got it wrong,” adding that the court rejected PacifiCorp’s efforts to win the appeal on the merits and instead addressed a single jury instruction, charting several paths forward — including fixing that instruction and trying the case again.

The Oregon Court of Appeals also emphasized that the trial court has the authority on remand to reconsider its class certification decision and reconsider whether a single class is appropriate in this case. That last part is significant — it means the court could potentially break the class into smaller groups, or require separate liability findings for each fire.

The Judge at the Center of the Appeal — And Why It Matters

There is a second issue now running alongside the procedural ruling, and it directly affects whether the appeal court’s decision can stand.

Judge Anna Joyce led the three-judge Oregon Court of Appeals panel that threw out the huge verdict against PacifiCorp on April 8. She wrote the 34-page decision overturning lower court judgments. As a private attorney, Joyce represented PacifiCorp for much of the six years before her appointment to the bench in 2022.

No mention is made of a judicial conflict or Joyce’s prior representation of PacifiCorp in either a transcript of the oral arguments or in the case docket. Experts say she should have disclosed the connection and stepped off the case. James Alfini, a retired law professor and co-author of a landmark book on judicial ethics, said plainly: “There’s no question that she should have recused herself. Any reasonable person under those circumstances would question the judge’s impartiality.”

Attorneys representing wildfire survivors have petitioned the Oregon Supreme Court to reverse the panel’s opinion, raising “appearance-of-justice” concerns based on Joyce’s history. This is not a minor technicality — if the Supreme Court agrees that the panel was compromised, the entire April 8 ruling could be thrown out and the case returned to where it was before the appeal.

What Wildfire Victims Should Do Right Now

If you are a class member waiting on a payment, here is exactly where you stand and what your options are.

Step 1 — Do not assume your claim is gone. The appeal court’s ruling did not exonerate PacifiCorp. It sent the case back on a procedural issue. The trial court ordered a stay of scheduled Phase II damage trials on April 9, 2026, with ongoing damage trial No. 22 and mandatory mediation still proceeding.

Step 2 — Watch the Oregon Supreme Court. If the Oregon Supreme Court does not take up the petition, last month’s decision will stand, and all wildfire survivors in the 2023 class action lawsuit, including the initial 17 plaintiffs, would have to go back to court to prove PacifiCorp’s liability. If the Supreme Court does accept the petition, it could decide the fate of this entire lawsuit.

Step 3 — Save all documentation. Records of property damage, insurance filings, displacement costs, medical expenses from smoke inhalation or injury, and any communication from PacifiCorp or your insurer are critical evidence if the case goes back to trial.

Step 4 — Consider consulting a consumer rights lawyer separately. Outside of the class-action lawsuit, PacifiCorp continues to settle claims with other agencies and businesses. An individual environmental damage claim may be a path worth exploring with a class action lawsuit attorney who handles property damage compensation cases — particularly if your individual losses were significant.

Step 5 — Do not opt out without legal advice. If you are formally inside the class, opting out to pursue an individual claim is a one-way door. Get qualified guidance first.

PacifiCorp Wildfire Lawsuit Timeline

Milestone	Date
2020 Labor Day wildfires burn across Oregon	September 7–8, 2020
James class action filed in Multnomah County	2022
Jury finds PacifiCorp grossly negligent — liability phase verdict	June 2023
PacifiCorp files notice of appeal	January 2024
PacifiCorp files appellate brief with Oregon Court of Appeals	April 2025
Oral argument before Oregon Court of Appeals	February 4, 2026
Santiam Canyon verdict — $305M to 16 survivors (total liability exceeds $1B)	February 26, 2026
Oregon Court of Appeals reverses and remands James class action	April 8, 2026
Trial court orders stay of 100+ scheduled damages trials	April 9, 2026
Oregon Journalism Project reveals Judge Anna Joyce’s prior PacifiCorp ties	May 4, 2026
Wildfire survivors petition Oregon Supreme Court	May 13, 2026
Municipal judge confirms 100+ damages trials remain paused	May 23, 2026
Oregon Supreme Court decision on petition	TBD — petition under review as of May 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action lawsuit against PacifiCorp for the Oregon wildfires?

 Yes. The case involves a class of more than 2,000 individuals who suffered losses in four Labor Day 2020 fires, with judgments so far totaling more than $1.2 billion. The case is currently paused at the damages trial stage while the Oregon Supreme Court considers a petition from wildfire survivors.

Do I need to do anything right now to stay in the class?

 Most class members are automatically included and do not need to act immediately. However, with the case in flux, consulting a consumer rights lawyer now — rather than waiting — gives you the clearest picture of where your individual claim stands and whether your options have changed.

When will a settlement be reached in the PacifiCorp wildfire case?

 No global settlement has been reached. PacifiCorp said in a statement it “remains open to resolving reasonable claims.” Whether the Oregon Supreme Court accepts the petition will significantly shape whether and when any broader resolution becomes possible. This is TBD — pending the Supreme Court’s decision.

Can I file my own lawsuit against PacifiCorp instead?

 Yes, individual environmental damage lawsuits and property damage claims are possible outside the class action. If you were affected by one of the four fires and have not yet filed any claim, speak with an attorney about your options — statutes of limitations vary and time matters here.

How will I know if the PacifiCorp case settles or moves forward?

 The Oregon Supreme Court’s decision on the pending petition will be the next major signal. You can monitor the Multnomah County Circuit Court docket directly through Oregon’s eCourt public access portal. Any class settlement would require direct notice to class members.

Why does the judge issue matter so much?

 Oregon judicial code suggests Judge Anna Joyce should have recused herself because she represented PacifiCorp as a private attorney for much of the six years before her appointment to the bench in 2022. If the Supreme Court finds that her involvement tainted the April 8 ruling, the entire appeals court decision could be vacated — potentially restoring the original verdicts and the over $1 billion in damages.

What were the original 2023 verdicts, and are they still valid?

 The Oregon Court of Appeals ruling does not mean PacifiCorp was cleared on the merits. The court rejected PacifiCorp’s efforts to win on the underlying facts and instead addressed only a single jury instruction, leaving open the possibility of re-trial or retrial with a corrected instruction. The liability finding against PacifiCorp has not been permanently erased — it has been sent back for the lower court to reconsider.

Sources & References

• Berkshire Hathaway Energy / PacifiCorp SEC Form 8-K filing, April 8, 2026: sec.gov
• PacifiCorp official wildfire litigation page: pacificorp.com
• OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting), May 14, 2026: opb.org

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against the PacifiCorp SEC Form 8-K filing (April 8, 2026), Oregon Court of Appeals opinion (April 8, 2026), and OPB reporting (May 14, 2026). Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.