coolbabe

During the ice storm that occurred recently, my children were outside playing in the yard when a power line came down and struck my son. Although the power line did not physically hurt my son when it struck him, he suffered a severe shock and burn shortly thereafter.  The burns on his arm did not require any skin grafting, but the doctor said that it was quite severe nevertheless.

 

I feel quite fortunate and I understand that the outcome could have been much worse.  I must admit that I previously noticed that the power lines that ran from the street to my house seemed to sag lower than normal, but I never notified the power company of my concerns.  Is the Power Company nevertheless liable for the injuries to my son?

A: The short answer is probably not. Acts of god like ice storms, earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes, etc., do not give rise to legal responsibility of homeowners or corporations.

 

However, the Power Company could possibly be liable if they knew about the low hanging power lines and failed to properly correct the situation.  Since you indicated that you did not notify the Power Company of the condition, they probably would not be liable – unless they independently learned about the condition and failed to do something to correct it. If you have any Personal Injury questions that have not been answered, contact us today for a free consultation.