PG&E Lawsuit Tracker: Which Cases and Settlements Are Still Open
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There is no single PG&E lawsuit — there are several, at very different stages. The Fire Victim Trust, which paid survivors of the 2015 Butte, 2017 North Bay and 2018 Camp fires, set October 14, 2026 for its final 1.25% distribution, for a total of 71.25% of each approved award; its claim deadline was February 26, 2021. The $100 million investor settlement was approved on August 25, 2026, after its July 6, 2026 claim deadline. Still in court: the Dixie Fire and Mosquito Fire suits. A class action over the December 20, 2025 San Francisco blackout was reported filed on February 2, 2026; we found no case number or ruling. For a loss you believe PG&E caused, the route open to anyone today is PG&E's own claims process.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
Five Different Fights Under One Name
Wildfires. Most PG&E litigation starts with a fire linked to its equipment. Cal Fire determined that the 2019 Kincade Fire was caused by PG&E equipment and that the 2021 Dixie Fire was caused by a tree contacting PG&E distribution lines. Plaintiffs seek damages for wrongful death, property damage, economic loss and punitive damages. PG&E itself says that, under California's law on inverse condemnation, it expects to incur losses from these fires.
Outages. A fire at a Mission District substation blacked out 130,000 San Francisco customers at its peak on December 20, 2025. The group suing alleges a “systemic failure to provide reliable service” and says PG&E's credits do not cover real losses.
Investors. Shareholders and bondholders alleged misleading statements about vegetation management and wildfire safety before the 2017 North Bay fires and the 2018 Camp Fire.
Insurance premiums and rates. A proposed class action claimed PG&E-caused wildfires pushed up home insurance premiums across California; it was dismissed. Electricity rates are set by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), not in court.
San Bruno. The 2010 gas pipeline explosion is the historical case: a federal criminal conviction and $1.6 billion in CPUC penalties.
Case Details
Fire Victim Trust: created in 2020 under PG&E's confirmed Chapter 11 plan, which took effect July 1, 2020. It files its annual reports in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California. The Trustee stresses it was not a class action: each claim was valued individually. Fire Victim Trust site.
Investors: In re PG&E Corporation Securities Litigation, No. 5:18-cv-03509-EJD, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Lead plaintiff: the Public Employee Retirement Association of New Mexico. official settlement site.
Insurance premiums: Miller v. PG&E, No. 24CV102960, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda.
Dixie, Mosquito and Kincade fires: hundreds of individual complaints brought by thousands of plaintiffs, plus suits by public agencies. Cal Fire's own suit over Dixie Fire costs reached the California Supreme Court, which on April 22, 2026 granted PG&E's petition for review and sent the matter back to the Court of Appeal; the two sides then reached a settlement in principle.
San Francisco blackout: a class action filed on February 2, 2026 by about 40 small business owners and some homeowners, per ABC7. We could not confirm the court or case number.
Status as of September 30, 2026: What Is Still Open
Mosquito Fire (2022) — active. About 28 complaints for at least 2,828 plaintiffs as of July 15, 2026. The next bellwether trial is set for November 30, 2026. The cause is still under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service and the Justice Department. On July 10, 2026 the CPUC's Safety and Enforcement Division published a proposed $22 million consent order to resolve its own investigation.
Dixie Fire (2021) — mostly resolved. About 190 complaints for at least 9,062 plaintiffs; PG&E says “a substantial majority of these claims have been resolved” and no trial is scheduled. A separate medical-monitoring class action was denied class certification on July 20, 2026.
Kincade Fire (2019) — winding down. About 135 complaints for at least 3,014 plaintiffs as of February 4, 2026; of PG&E's $1.325 billion estimate, only $38 million remained unpaid at December 31, 2025.
San Francisco blackout — early stage. PG&E paid automatic credits and opened an expanded claims process for larger losses; we found no ruling in the class action.
Investors — settled. Approved August 25, 2026; the claim window closed July 6, 2026.
Rates — before the CPUC. PG&E's 2027 general rate case (proposed decision expected by March 2027) and its request to recover about $1.9 billion in Kincade and Dixie fire costs (proposed decision expected by November 2026).
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Who Can Still Get Something
Fire Victim Trust claimants. People who filed a Claims Questionnaire by the extended deadline of February 26, 2021 and were found eligible. The final distribution is paid to those claimants. Before it, the Trustee asked claimants to check that their email, mailing address and phone number are current — do that through your attorney or the Trust's own site.
Investors. People who bought PG&E securities from April 29, 2015 through November 15, 2018 and filed a claim form by July 6, 2026 — per the settlement site, “the only way to get a payment.”
San Francisco blackout customers. For the December 20, 2025 outage, PG&E said residential accounts automatically received a $200 bill credit and business accounts about $2,500, shown as “Customer Satisfaction Adjustment.” Larger losses go through PG&E's claims process.
Anyone else. If you believe PG&E caused you a loss, the PG&E claims page takes claims online, one per incident, and aims to decide within 30 days. Statutes of limitations apply to lawsuits, so file early. A claim against PG&E is separate from your own homeowner's insurance claim; for that side, see our fire damage claim calculator.
Not PG&E: the January 2025 Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County involves Southern California Edison — see our SCE Eaton Fire program report.
What the Money Actually Looks Like
Investors. $100 million for the whole class, divided under the settlement's plan of allocation; your share depends on what you bought and when. In July 2026 PG&E put its estimate for all wildfire-related securities claims, including those still in the bankruptcy court, at $300 million.
Dixie and Mosquito fires. PG&E reports paying $2,049 million on Dixie Fire claims and $295 million on Mosquito Fire claims through June 30, 2026, against estimates of $2.25 billion and $400 million. Individual settlements are private.
Outages. $200 per home and about $2,500 per business for the December 2025 blackout. By February 11, 2026, PG&E reported about 2,700 claims, 86% resolved in under 15 days and about 4% denied, mostly as not connected to the outage. Some merchants told KQED in February 2026 that payments and claims were delayed. For ordinary storm outages of 48 hours or more, residential credits run from $25 (48 to 72 hours) to $100 (120 hours or more).
Ratepayers. No settlement, no fund, no claim form.
PG&E Litigation Timeline
- 1
September 9, 2010 — San Bruno Explosion
A PG&E gas transmission line ruptures in San Bruno; eight people die and 38 homes are destroyed. The CPUC later imposes $1.6 billion in fines and remedies, and a federal jury convicts PG&E of pipeline-safety violations and obstruction.
- 2
July 1, 2020 — Bankruptcy Plan Takes Effect
PG&E's Chapter 11 plan becomes effective. Claims from the 2015 Butte, 2017 North Bay and 2018 Camp fires go to the new Fire Victim Trust.
- 3
February 26, 2021 — Trust Claim Deadline
The extended deadline to file a Claims Questionnaire with the Fire Victim Trust. The first pro rata payment, 30%, is announced on March 12, 2021.
- 4
July 13, 2021 — Dixie Fire
A fire starts in the Feather River Canyon and burns 963,309 acres, destroying 1,311 structures. Cal Fire attributes it to a tree contacting PG&E lines; thousands of plaintiffs sue.
- 5
December 20, 2025 — San Francisco Blackout
A Mission District substation fire cuts power to 130,000 customers at its peak. PG&E issues automatic credits; a class action follows on February 2, 2026.
- 6
August–October 2026 — Two Endings
The $100 million investor settlement is approved on August 25, 2026. The Fire Victim Trust sets October 14, 2026 for its final 1.25% distribution — 71.25% in total, with no further payments.
Three Traps Specific to PG&E
A final payout, outage credits and a household name make PG&E claimants easy targets:
“Confirm your bank details for the final Trust payment”
The Fire Victim Trust has already warned of email spoofing and counterfeit checks aimed at claimants and their lawyers, and of scam calls to fire victims. Before the October 14, 2026 distribution the Trustee asked only that contact details be kept current. Update them through your attorney or by typing firevictimtrust.com yourself — never through a link in an unsolicited email.
Fees to “release” your outage credit
PG&E's December 2025 blackout credits were automatic — no claim, no action — and appear on the bill as “Customer Satisfaction Adjustment.” Anyone asking for a fee, a gift card or your account login to unlock a credit is not PG&E.
“Sign up for the PG&E class action” pitches
There is no open PG&E class claim form: the insurance-premium class action, Miller v. PG&E, was dismissed with prejudice on February 4, 2026, and the investor settlement's claim window closed on July 6, 2026. A site that takes your PG&E account number or Social Security number to “register” you is not filing anything on your behalf. Rate increases are fought at the CPUC, not through a sign-up form.
PG&E Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a PG&E settlement I can still file a claim for?
Not a class-wide one. As of September 30, 2026, the Fire Victim Trust's claim deadline (February 26, 2021) and the investor settlement's claim deadline (July 6, 2026) have both passed. If PG&E caused you a loss, file directly with PG&E's claims department — online, one claim per incident. For settlements still taking claims, see our open class action settlements list.
When is the final Fire Victim Trust payment, and how much is it?
On September 10, 2026 the Trustee announced that the final pro rata distribution of 1.25% would be made on October 14, 2026, bringing the total paid to 71.25% of each approved award. The Trust says there will be no additional pro rata distributions after this payment.
Why did fire survivors get only about 71% of their awards?
The Trust paid a pro rata share — the same percentage for everyone — as funds became available, over five years. Its money came through PG&E's bankruptcy plan, partly as PG&E stock that it finished selling in December 2023, while awards reached $19.57 billion. The Trustee has stressed that attorneys were paid under their own fee agreements with clients, not separately by the Trust.
What was the $100 million PG&E investor settlement?
It resolves In re PG&E Corporation Securities Litigation (N.D. Cal., No. 5:18-cv-03509-EJD) for people who bought PG&E securities from April 29, 2015 through November 15, 2018. The court approved it at the August 25, 2026 hearing; no objections were filed, and the claim deadline was July 6, 2026.
My business lost money in the San Francisco blackout. What are my options?
PG&E credited business accounts about $2,500 and residential accounts $200 automatically, and takes larger losses through its claims process. It reported about 2,700 claims by February 11, 2026, with about 4% denied, mostly as unconnected to the Mission Substation outage. A class action filed February 2, 2026 seeks more. If your loss is large, ask a lawyer about the deadline for suing — PG&E notes that statutes of limitations apply.
Does PG&E pay when it shuts off power to prevent wildfires?
Not through its storm credit. PG&E's Safety Net credit ($25–$100) covers residential outages of 48 consecutive hours or more caused by major weather; its rules exclude Public Safety Power Shutoffs and wildfire outages. You can still file a claim if you believe PG&E caused you a loss.
Where do the Dixie Fire and Mosquito Fire lawsuits stand?
Dixie (2021): about 190 complaints for at least 9,062 plaintiffs; PG&E says a substantial majority are resolved and no trial is scheduled. Mosquito (2022): about 28 complaints for at least 2,828 plaintiffs; the next bellwether trial is set for November 30, 2026, and the cause is still under federal investigation.
Can I sue PG&E over higher bills or insurance premiums?
A proposed class action tying PG&E wildfires to higher insurance premiums, Miller v. PG&E, was dismissed with prejudice on February 4, 2026. Rates are decided by the CPUC: PG&E's 2027 general rate case asks for a $16.64 billion revenue requirement, with a proposed decision expected by March 2027. If your insurer is the problem, see insurance bad faith.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.