Frustrated Residents Claim Negligence Led To Palos Verdes Landslides

PALOS VERDES, CA — Several Palos Verdes residents who are directly impacted by the landslides in the area have filed a lawsuit against the peninsula cities and Los Angeles County among others alleging their negligence led to the accelerating land movement.

According to the complaint, the residents believe the defendants failed to properly act and that led water from several sources to combine, oversaturate and accelerate the landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The defendants of the lawsuit include:

• California Water Service Company
• City of Rancho Palos Verdes
• City of Rolling Hills
• Doty Bros Equipment Co.
• Klondike Canyon Geologic Hazard Abatement District
• Los Angeles County
• Rolling Hills Community Association of Rancho Palos Verdes,

“Every one of these named defendants is aware that an ancient landslide lies below these homes. Indeed, the public entities have commissioned multiple studies over the years, on how to prevent water from entering the hillside, in order to prevent a catastrophic failure. Unfortunately, the defendants have failed to implement any of these proposed mitigation measures. Residents of these communities are now losing their homes due to the failure of these defendants to implement any of the proposed mitigation measures,” said Terry Bailey, partner at ACTS LAW.

In the lawsuit, the residents claimed the private stormwater sewers and drains in the Rolling Hills community do not conform to industry standards and do not manage runoff sufficiently. Residents said the risk of landslide acceleration was so obvious that officials must have known the danger it posed to property and yet did nothing.

Residents also alleged that Doty Bros., a subcontractor for Cal Water in charge of repairing and maintaining the infrastructure, caused excess water from leaks and ruptured pipes to enter the landslide.

"Cal Water and Doty Bros.' actions and failures to act are a substantial factor in causing the landslide to accelerate and are a substantial factor in causing Plaintiffs' damages," the lawsuit read.

Los Angeles County was also included in the lawsuit because residents alleged the county had a duty to warn the public about excess stormwater overwhelming the LA Flood Control System and the possibility of wastewater and sewage from the defective sewer system entering the landslide and causing health hazards as it released in the environment around their homes.

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• SoCalGas Shuts Off Service For 135 Homes In Landslide Area
• Emergency Work In Landslide Area Begins
• Local Emergency Extended Due To 'Unprecedented' Land Movement
• Bicycles And Motorcycles Banned In Palos Verdes Landslide Area
• Disassembly Begins For Wayfarers Chapel To Save It From Destruction
• Electricity Shutoffs In Landslide Area Possible: SCE