A major utility company has filed a lawsuit against a construction firm, alleging negligence and seeking substantial damages. On August 27, 2024, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, against Mission Constructors, Inc., accusing the company of damaging its property.
The complaint centers around an incident that occurred on August 15, 2022. According to PG&E, employees of Mission Constructors were operating a saw cutter at an excavation site near 3339 Noriega Street in San Francisco when they accidentally cut into an underground gas service line owned by PG&E. The damage necessitated an emergency response from PG&E personnel to repair or replace the damaged line. PG&E claims that this incident was caused by Mission Constructors' failure to exercise reasonable care while working near their property.
PG&E's lawsuit includes two causes of action: negligence and negligence per se for violating Public Utilities Code Section 7952. The utility company argues that Mission Constructors had a duty to operate their equipment safely and avoid causing damage to PG&E's property. By failing to do so, they breached this duty and caused significant harm. "Defendants owed a duty to Plaintiff to use reasonable care while working at or near the Excavation Site," states the complaint.
In addition to general negligence, PG&E accuses Mission Constructors of violating Public Utilities Code Section 7952, which holds individuals or entities liable for damages caused through lack of proper care to public utility facilities. The complaint asserts that Mission Constructors failed to exercise proper care in managing and operating their equipment, leading directly to the damage sustained by PG&E's gas line.
PG&E is seeking compensatory damages amounting to no less than $34,289.14 for each cause of action, along with interest and litigation costs. They are also asking for any additional relief deemed just and proper by the court.
The case is being handled by Donald S. Urrabazo from Urrabazo Law, P.C., representing PG&E. The filing was electronically submitted on August 27, 2024, with Shenequa Gladney acting as Clerk of the Court under Case No.: CGC-24-617509.