Oregon appeals court reverses the James v. PacifiCorp wildfire class verdict and sends it back

The Oregon Court of Appeals on April 8, 2026 reversed the class-action verdict against PacifiCorp, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, over the 2020 Oregon wildfires, and remanded the case. The court found the trial court erred by telling jurors they could assume the trial evidence applied to all class members. The trial court then stayed phase II damages trials and most proceedings on April 9, so future damages exposure is uncertain.

• Ruling date: April 8, 2026; case is James v. PacifiCorp in Multnomah County Circuit Court
• The jury-instruction error was found prejudicial; the trial court may reconsider class certification
• April 9: most proceedings stayed under the case management order, with a May 22, 2026 hearing on the stay
• No dollar amounts are stated in the filing; PacifiCorp is evaluating the opinion