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HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 4Ch. 4§ 7952 Utility Facility Damage Liability

§ 7952 Utility Facility Damage Liability

Public Utilities Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 7952 Utility Facility Damage Liability

Key Takeaways

  • •If you break or damage things like phone lines, power lines, or gas pipes because you weren’t careful, you have to pay for the repairs.
  • •The company you damaged can charge you for all the costs to fix or replace what you broke, including things like labor, materials, and even office expenses.
  • •If a boat drags its anchor and breaks underwater cables or pipes, the boat owner has to pay for the damage.

Example

You’re digging in your backyard and accidentally hit and break a gas pipe.

You didn’t mean to break it, but because you weren’t careful, you have to pay the gas company for all the costs to fix the pipe and any other problems it caused.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 7952 Utility Facility Damage Liability

Any person who injures or destroys, through want of proper care, any necessary or useful facility or equipment of any telegraph, telephone, electrical, or gas corporation, is liable to the corporation for all damages sustained thereby. The measure of damages to the facility or equipment injured or destroyed shall be the cost to repair or replace the property injured or destroyed including direct and allocated costs for labor, materials, supervision, supplies, tools, taxes, transportation, administrative and general expense and other indirect or overhead expenses, less credit, if any, for salvage, as determined by such telegraph, telephone, electrical or gas corporations in conformity with a system of accounts established by the commission. The specifying of the measure of damages for the facility or equipment shall not preclude the recovery of such other damages occasioned thereby as may be authorized by law. Any vessel which, by dragging its anchor, or otherwise, breaks, injures or destroys any underwater cable of a telegraph, telephone or electrical corporation or pipeline of a gas corporation, subjects its owner to liability for the damages sustained thereby. (Amended by Stats. 1969, Ch. 709.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

corporationliabilityequipmentcommissiondamagespropertyvesselport

Related Statutes

  • § 728.1 Utility Property Rate Review
  • § 740.1 Utility Research Program Guidelines
  • § 774 Fire Protection Liability Limits
  • § 842 Rate Reduction Bonds
  • § 890 Natural Gas Surcharge Funding

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 7952.
View Official Source