Victims of California wildfires said some law firms are making it more difficult for them to reject PG&E Corp.’s plan to exit bankruptcy than to accept it, creating a “chilling effect” for those who want to vote against the proposal, Bloomberg News reported. Nearly 80,000 people who lost homes, businesses or loved ones in blazes blamed on the utility’s equipment face a May 15 deadline to vote on a proposal that provides them with $13.5 billion in compensation. PG&E needs the support from two-thirds of wildfire victims who cast a ballot. The bias created by the law firms “erodes confidence in the outcome of the vote,” according to a court filing yesterday by the victims. Lawyers claiming to represent about 1,000 fire victims asked a judge assessing their damages for a “correction of those irregularities for the remainder of the voting period.” One law firm said on its social media platform that it intended to cast “yes” votes for clients and for victims to contact the firm if they disagree, according to the filing.
