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7 January 2019Insurance

Allstate, State Farm, USAA sue PG&E over California wildfire

US insurers Allstate, State Farm and USAA have launched lawsuits that could be worth billions against Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) alleging it is liable for the Camp Fire, California’s most destructive and costly wildfire to date.

The energy company, which is already being sued by victims of the fires, has acknowledged they were issues at one of its transmission towers near where the fire started but the exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

The Camp Fire is expected to result in insured losses of as much as $10 billion. The fire spread across more than 150,000 acres of land, destroying as many as 18,000 buildings, according to the latest update by Cal Fire.

State Farm accuses PG&E in its own lawsuit of “failing to keep the power lines, wires, and any and all associated equipment in a safe condition at all times to prevent fires.”

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