Monday, December 22, 2025

Eaton Fire Lawsuits Return to Court Monday as Altadena Plaintiffs Press Case Against Edison

The next case management conference in the consolidated litigation over the Eaton Fire is set for Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, marking another step in the long legal process for hundreds of Altadena residents seeking accountability from Southern California Edison Company (SCE).

The hearing is listed for Department 17 at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. The user-provided courtroom information contains a jurisdictional discrepancy, as Department 17 is traditionally located at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, while the Eaton Fire cases are confirmed to be assigned to Judge Laura A. Seigle at Spring Street. The consolidated action is proceeding under Gursey v. Southern California Edison Co., case number 25STCV00731.

Altadena resident Jeremy Gursey, whose Lake Avenue property was destroyed in the Jan. 7 fire, filed the first lawsuit on Jan. 13, 2025. His case now anchors more than 130 lawsuits brought by homeowners, renters, businesses, and wrongful death families, along with separate filings by Los Angeles County, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and the U.S. federal government.

Case management conferences are used to coordinate discovery, address procedural disputes, and maintain schedules across the large group of plaintiffs. Judge Seigle previously appointed liaison counsel — including Amanda Riddle, Rahul Ravipudi, and Gerald Singleton — to streamline communication among the many firms involved.

The lawsuits allege that SCE’s transmission equipment ignited the Eaton Fire and that the utility failed to de-energize lines during extreme fire weather. Plaintiffs also assert negligent maintenance and inverse condemnation. In filings to state regulators, SCE has said the cause of the fire “has not been determined” and that its investigation continues.

The court has already set the first bellwether trial for Jan. 25, 2027, with all pre-trial filings due Jan. 4, 2027. Monday’s conference is expected to address ongoing discovery coordination and compliance with earlier orders.

For Altadena residents still navigating recovery nearly a year after the fire, the Dec. 22 hearing represents another incremental but significant step toward eventual trial.