Pre-Trial Conference for Explosion Lawsuits to Take Place Thursday

Pre-trial discussions for for the natural gas pipeline explosion in the Crestmoor neighborhood will take place Thursday in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Lawyers representing the utility and more than 150 victims of the Sept. 9 disaster will convene for a case management conference to be overseen by Judge Steven Dylina.

In February, Judge Mark Forcum pre-trial work would be the most efficient way of moving forward with the multitude of lawsuits filed in the months following the explosion that killed eight people, injured scores, destroyed 38 homes and ravaged an entire community.

Ara Jabagchourian, whose law firm represents more than 50 families seeking to claim damages from PG&E, said Tuesday that the case management conference will be an opportunity to sit down with the judge and attorneys on both sides to figure out how to efficiently navigate the trial proceedings.

The conference will likely coordinate future trial dates and synchronize the scheduling of depositions for PG&E employees, disaster victims and National Transportation Safety Board investigators, Jabagchourian said.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs will also be requesting various records and documents from PG&E and trying to determine how long it will take the utility to hand them over, Jabagchourian said.

Utility spokeswoman Brittany Chord said that PG&E respects the disaster victims' right to file claims and remains committed to helping the San Bruno community to rebuild.

"These people have had their lives tragically altered," Chord said. "We respect the plaintiff's right to sue."

—Bay City News