The Laguna Beach Landslide

This morning (Friday, January 31, 2025) at around 7:15 am, a landslide happened in Laguna Beach when a portion of a cliff slid down to the beach by the Pacific.  The beach is a favorite tourist destination known as Thousand Steps Beach. Unfortunately, a portion of the famous steps was wiped away.  As a result, the beach has been closed and will remain so until further notice.

As of this writing, it is not yet clear what caused the landslide, but city officials said there is no threat to neighboring properties or safety.

We at Ghassemian Law Group, have dealt with many landslides in the context of lawsuits and they are usually caused by the result of ground.  These are frequent during and after extreme rain events.  In this situation, however, this has been a very dry winter in Southern California so it remains to be seen whether drainage in the hillside was somehow compromised or something else damaged the structural integrity of the cliff.  Geologists will asses the landslide and bluff and we will report on these when scientific testing is done and the results become known.

We have no information that anyone was affected by this particular landslide, however, we found it timely to provide some advice to any possible victims.

What can you do if you are a victim of a landslide?

If your home or property was impacted by a landslide, it is important to know that you can take several legal actions.

1. Government assistance: according to the California Disaster Assistance Act, the state of California can cover up to 100% of the costs of certain disasters, including landslides if the expenses are deemed eligible, if the disaster took place during a specified time, so you should check if your situation qualifies for assistance
2. Insurance Claims: You should file an insurance claim as soon as possible for your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance and any other insurance that can apply, such as your auto or business insurance.
3. Denied Claims: If your insurance claim is denied, you may be able to pursue legal action against the insurance company for a breach of contract or working in bad faith.
4. Declaratory Relief: Insurance companies may argue that they do not cover landslides under your policy. If this happens, you may be able to seek declaratory relief to clarify and better understand your rights under the policies.
5. Liability: If a landslide from a neighboring property damages your property, the neighbor where the landslide came from may be held liable.
6. Government Liability: If it is discovered that the landslide that impacted you and your property was somehow caused, made worse, or intensified by public works, for example, parks and recreation, transportation services, and highways. Then, you may have grounds for a lawsuit against a government entity.

If you need specific advice for your situation or location, we at Ghassemian Law Group have attorneys who focus on construction and have decades of experience in this area of law. We would be happy to help. This post is for informational purposes only, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not take the place of specific advice from an attorney.  You should not rely on this information alone.