A Vow to Help

In a city as large as Los Angeles, it’s easy not to think about large-scale environmental impacts: where your waste goes, how climate change and increased infrastructure cause disasters, and more. However, as a community, we depend on proper waste disposal and utility management to maintain a clean, healthy, and balanced society, and when something goes wrong with one of these services, the impact can be monumental.

Late last year, media outlets began reporting that toxins at Chiquita Canyon Landfill had been released into the air and were affecting the health and well-being of several nearby communities including Val Verde and Castaic Junction. Simultaneously, 12 miles to the south, Sunshine Canyon Landfill began to show signs of bacterial growth, released putrid odors that sickened many, and greatly disrupted learning at the nearby Van Gogh Charter School.

In the case of Chiquita Canyon, it was also revealed that mismanagement was causing what the EPA called an “imminent and substantial” danger to nearby communities. But what could be done?

James P. Frantz

There are those who are adamant that this kind of disaster can be minimized or even avoided entirely. One of these people is lawyer James P. Frantz of Frantz Law Group (FLG), a law firm with offices throughout California and in Hawaii that has been dedicated to helping clients for more than four decades.

An attorney with 45 years of legal experience nationwide specializing in the fields of personal injury, crashes involving commercial vehicles, and wildfire damage, Frantz and his team are the ideal candidates to help working-class communities and to take to task companies that might flaunt environmental regulations.

In fact, the legal group is already doing so: They have been fighting a multi-front battle against man-made ecological disasters in Hawaii after the devastating Lahaina wildfires in Maui and working to help those whose lives were upended by utility mismanagement. The firm is seeking compensation for families that lost loved ones in the fire.

Fighting for All

Frantz Law Group has a long history of putting those in power on trial for endangering innocent citizens. For example, they won a record judgment against a commercial trucking operator in a high-profile wrongful death lawsuit in Northern California. The case not only aided the loved ones of the victim, a decorated veteran, but also highlighted glaring holes in California’s road safety regulations and the irresponsibility of companies who flaunt the regulations.

Similarly, the carelessness in essential services, from waste management to public utilities, can take a massive human toll. Frantz is passionate and infuriated by the irresponsible actions and misconduct of companies that lead to disasters and harm in people’s lives.

Trapped in Their Own Homes

For those in the town of Val Verde, the toxic air was having a huge negative effect on their lives: The Chiquita Canyon landfill was creating major health issues for residents, and it seemed there was nothing they could do – after all, the toxic fumes were coming from the very air they breathe. Residents reported that their elderly relatives were suffering and that kids were no longer allowed to go outside, even in their own yards.

Near Sunshine Canyon, schools changed their policy on being outdoors and parents would not walk their kids to class. It seemed like nothing could be done and that the putrid odor, caused by water seepage from massive winter storms, was the “new normal.”

When residents decided that was unacceptable, they turned to Frantz Law Group, who filed suit against the two landfill operators in April.

“We allege that our clients have suffered significant harm due to the inability of Chiquita Canyon/Waste Connections and Browning-Ferris Industries to operate their landfills safely,” said James Frantz in a statement announcing that his firm was bringing a lawsuit against both landfill operators. “We intend to hold the operators of Chiquita Canyon and Sunshine Canyon fully accountable for the damages we contend they caused to the community.”

Among the allegations is that mismanagement has led to elevated and dangerous levels of benzene and hydrogen sulfide. Benzene is a cancer-causing chemical that is being released into the communities’ air. The internal pressure deep within the landfills is creating “geysers” that bring active bacteria – and putrid, intolerable odors – to the surface.

All of this led to what Frantz described as “significant harm” to those living, working, or learning in these communities, many of who are working-class residents living in multi-generational households. Frantz Law Group’s commitment to seeking compensation for them is founded on a long track record of aiding those affected by man-made environmental disasters.

A Ray of Hope Through the Smoke

This is not the first time Frantz Law Group has gone to bat for those hurt by disasters. In August of 2023, Californians began to receive breaking news reports that powerful windstorms had ignited a series of devastating wildfires in Maui, causing widespread damage and loss of life wiping all but the historic village of Lahaina off the map.

The news was tragic and brought a solemn remembrance for many people in California. After all, this state has weathered devastating wildfires caused by utility company negligence, as alleged in lawsuits previously filed by Frantz Law Group. From San Diego County to California’s northernmost reaches, these firestorms have affected so many of the state’s residents that the fires are a significant part for how a disaster is defined in the state. In fact, wildfires have taken the top spot for defining mass disasters supplanting even earthquakes.

While some argue wildfires are unavoidable, those affected are not just victims of an act of God, said Frantz. “The bottom line here, we have repeatedly alleged, is that wildfires are too often caused by public utilities not doing their job, period – we feel they place profit ahead of safety,” says Frantz.

“Our clients have either lost everything they owned or a loved one, and sometimes both,” said Frantz of wildfire victims. “They’re displaced and they don’t know when they will ever get back to rebuilding. It’s a horrible and tear-jerking experience for people who have literally just run for their lives.”

Frantz Law Group is a team of veteran litigation and trial attorneys with offices in 12 California cities and two branches in Hawaii (the most recent of which was in response to the Lahaina wildfire). The firm’s legal experience with wildfire litigation began with the 2007 San Diego wildfires, eventually recovering over $2 billion (FLG represented 1,500 clients) for victims against San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). But beyond victims’ financial compensation, said Frantz, an important policy was implemented – money was spent to try to prevent these disasters in the future.

“As a result of the fire litigation of 2007 in San Diego County, SDG&E built over two hundred weather stations throughout the county. Each little weather station detects high heat, low humidity, and high wind. And if you have the combination of those three things at an extremely dangerous level, there’s an automatic shutdown in that area – not the whole grid, just of that area, with the goal of avoiding a fire,” said Frantz.

These safety weather stations are a direct result of this litigation, he said. “The utilities must be taught a lesson. If you engage in unsafe conduct and destroy property, you will be held accountable. And that’s what we’re seeking to do in Hawaii.”

A Righteous Anger and a Need to Make Victims Whole

When Frantz speaks about the Maui wildfires and similar disasters, he’s unable to mask the passion he feels for the victims and his indignation at how a utility in charge of power management failed their ratepayers. “The Hawaii Electric Light Company (HECO) never deactivated their grid,” said Frantz. “They could have, but they failed to. Then, afterwards, they tried to point fingers at everyone else. The bottom line here is that the lines remained energized, and HECO didn’t maintain its equipment.”

The Maui fire is similar to the wildfires that swept across Northern California and destroyed the city of Paradise for which Frantz laid the blame on the inaction of PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric). In the case of the Camp Fire, another California fire, Frantz Law Group represented thousands of displaced victims, and the lawsuits of all the victims, including the clients of other firms, led to a stunning $13.5-billion settlement against PG&E. It was determined that faulty power lines caused the devastation.

“It makes me very angry,” said Frantz about the Maui fire. “We must get full accountability from HECO, any landowners that may be responsible, and/or governmental entities to the extent they are also responsible. They are not immune, and they need to be held responsible. Everyone that’s caused this havoc and death and destruction needs to be held accountable. From that, we will bring about safety change.”

Frantz’s experience is full of stories of individuals blindsided by disasters and reeling for months or years after they occur, often after losing loved ones, their life’s possessions, or both. Frantz says he has seen firsthand how difficult it can be to rebuild after such unimaginable circumstances – both in material items like a home, cars, and personal possessions and also in healing the physical and emotional damage.

While these disasters can quickly disappear from the headlines, the path to recovery for victims is just beginning. “We try to get our clients to be made whole again as much as we can. We know we can’t bring back the lost lives, but we can certainly make it better to the extent the law allows,” said Frantz.

Rebuilding Lives and Creating Lasting Relationships

In Lahaina, the continuing issues with recovery are what Frantz calls a “monster problem.” His team is working diligently to create better outcomes for victims while litigation continues, including creating more permanent housing for those who have been relegated to hotels, family friends, or other temporary solutions after losing homes and livelihoods. In early January, the first housing solutions were launched.

In creating these solutions and offering hope to victims, Frantz and his entire legal team find a dual sense of pride and responsibility. The protracted length of cases creates long-standing relationships with the victims. He underscores the firm’s mission to be a champion of victim’s rights, be it in a disaster situation, accident, or any other circumstances that cause a significant disruption in their lives.

“I always tell our clients that we’re a family, and they’re part of our family once they rewtain us,” said Frantz. “We’re going to look out for them, and we’re going to do everything within our power to make it better for them at the end of the day. We’re going to try to keep them out of harm’s way the best we can.”