2007 California Public Utilities Code Chapter 4. Injury To Public Utility Property

CA Codes (puc:7951-7953)

7951.  Any person who wilfully and maliciously does any injury to
telegraph or telephone or electric power or gas property is liable to
the corporation for three times the amount of actual damages
sustained thereby, to be recovered in any court of competent
jurisdiction.



7952.  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.



7953.  No telegraph, telephone, electrical or gas corporation can
recover damages for the breaking, injury or destruction of any
underwater cable or gas pipeline, unless the corporation has
previously placed a marker on the bank of the waters under which the
cable or pipeline is placed, indicating the place where the cable or
pipeline lies.