Managing Partner Shant Karnikian appeared on CBS Los Angeles with consumer investigative reporter Kristine Lazar to break down the legal protections available to the 50,000 Orange County residents displaced by the Garden Grove chemical tank crisis.
Shant outlined the two main categories of compensation evacuees may be entitled to recover. Economic damages cover loss of property value, hotel costs, meals, and other out-of-pocket expenses tied to the evacuation. Non-economic damages address the emotional distress of fleeing a home in a panic and the loss of use of the property itself. He explained that class actions and mass tort actions can move forward at the same time, and the right path often depends on how individualized each person’s damages are.
On potential exposure for the multinational company behind the operation, Shant pointed to past disasters like the East Palestine train derailment, the Camp Fire in Northern California, and the Maui fires as examples of large-scale settlements that reached hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. With 50,000 people affected, more than the population of the average American city, the case has the potential for substantial resolution if liability is established.
Shant also offered direct guidance for evacuees already being contacted by attorneys. Look closely at a firm’s experience handling mass disaster litigation, be cautious of high-pressure sales tactics and aggressive marketing campaigns, and document everything: receipts, photographs, locations, and dates. That documentation is what ultimately proves what each person is entitled to recover.
Kabateck LLP is investigating the possibility of pursuing a class action on behalf of displaced residents.