VALPARAISO, Ind. (WISH) — Northwest Indiana residents have filed a class-action lawsuit in Porter Superior Court 1, alleging that Northern Indiana Public Service Co. failed to maintain trees and brush around power lines, leading to a massive power outage this month. The lawsuit, led by Por ter County resident Jack Tipold and more than a dozen other plaintiffs, claims NIPSCO’s mismanagement of tree trimming caused a pattern of service disruptions starting on and after Aug. 17, 2024. The lawsuit says the company reportedly ignored public requests for tree maintenance, used unqualified contractors, and failed to follow industry standards for line inspections. In an alert Friday on Facebook, NIPSCO said it wants to assure customers that they remain a priority. The utility also said parts of Gary and Portage could remain without power through Tuesday. Attorney Andrew T. Tkacs II from Allen Law Group, based in Chesterton, publicly distributed the lawsuit and photos of trees near powerlines on Friday. The lawsuit was filed Monday. The filing alleges this yearslong neglect culminated in a widespread outage on Aug. 11 which left 317,000 customers — roughly 60% of NIPSCO’s electric base — without power. According to the complaint, the lack of power caused significant physical and financial losses. Tipold says he was undergoing oral surgery on Aug. 11, 2026, when the power failed, forcing doctors to stop the procedure. He was discharged without proper pain control and suffered through a delayed recovery. Other plaintiffs reported losing perishable food and suffering emotional distress during the outage. The lawsuit alleges NIPSCO prioritized investor profits over safety and reliability. The plaintiffs asked a judge to certify the case as a class action on behalf of all Indiana residents harmed by the company’s maintenance practices. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. ...read more read less