TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 21, 2024

The U.S 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that insurance companies can sue over the actions of National Park Service's firefighters during the Gatlinburg wildfire of 2016. Federal courts previously held that park service officials were immune from liability for how the wildfire that killed 14 people was fought, according to Knox News. In a 2-1 opinion, a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit disagreed with those rulings. The paper suggests that the decision may provide a new path for an expanded suit from victims' families. That suit originally included similar mismanagement allegations, but those were dropped after a judge found that filings lacked the required information.