SAN FRANCISCO — As Oakland prosecutors conduct a criminal probe into the tragic warehouse fire that killed at least 36 people last Friday, lawyers are predicting a long stretch of civil legal battles ahead for the bereaved families and say that securing damages will be difficult.
There are a number of parties that could share civil liability over the blaze, according to attorneys specializing in accidents, dangerous premises and landlord-tenant law. But whether those accountable can pay any amount—let alone damages that would deliver some semblance of justice—is a question mark at this point.
