A state panel has determined that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. [ERCOT] and other defendants facing lawsuits over the loss of power and water during February’s fatal winter storm can consolidate 157 related claims in a multidistrict litigation pretrial court. On Thursday, the defendants were granted a request to address the cases together after the defendants requested it due to the comparable circumstances of the lawsuits that arose following Winter Storm Uri.
ERCOT, the state’s main grid operator, first requested the measure filed April 7. Stating that consolidating the cases would benefit “convenience, efficiency, and justice” because the cases all stem from the same incident and allege similar carelessness and gross negligence allegations against the grid operator. During the winter storm, millions of Texans were left without electricity for days due to the frigid temperatures, and more than 100 people perished.
ERCOT, as well as electricity distributors, utility firms, and generators, have been accused of failing to correctly analyze electricity demands before to the February storm, as well as of failing to procure sufficient electricity to satisfy the storm’s increased demand. This need arose as the state faced record-breaking cold temperatures and widespread power outages that left millions without electricity for days.
Wright & Schulte has been involved with these cases from very early on and we will continue to represent those who were caused harm by these negligence.
