The speed of the internet: we were preparing a post on Pacific Bell Tel. Co. v. S. Cal. Edison Co., No. B-230470 (Aug. 30, 2012), when the good folks over at Murphy & Evertz beat us to it. In a post entitled Pacific Bell Telephone Company v. Southern California Edison: Spiderman And Inverse Condemnation, they write:
Pacific Bell held that a privately owned public utility may be strictly liable in an inverse condemnation action for damage to private property. Why? Because privately owned public utilities and publicly owned public utilities both provide a vital governmental service: providing power to the people. And with that power comes great responsibility.
We recommend you read their entire analysis.
Pacific Bell Telephone Co. v. S. California Edison Co., No. B-230470 (Cal. Ct. App. Aug. 30, 2012)
