Jul. 1, 2026
Who Pays for Boyle Heights? The Legal Battle After the Warehouse Fire | Kabateck & Karnikian: Off the Record, Ep. 6
A Boyle Heights cold storage warehouse burned for eight days, destroying 85 million pounds of frozen food and exposing a working-class neighborhood to toxic smoke. Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian break down who pays -- and who can even sue.
A cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights burned for eight days, destroying 85 million pounds of frozen food and blanketing a working-class neighborhood in toxic smoke. Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian break down the legal story unfolding -- from negligence claims against operator Lineage Logistics and a possible solar panel contractor, to nuisance claims and medical monitoring for residents concerned about long-term exposure.
They cover whether a company this size carries enough liability coverage for a mass tort, why the McDonald's across the freeway can't sue but the shut-down neighborhood bodega can, zoning questions about industrial facilities in residential communities, and the lawyers already circling for clients -- including one firm under state bar investigation.
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