On behalf of Weisman, Kennedy & Berris Co., L.P.A. posted in wrongful death on Friday, November 30, 2012.

Losing a loved one is never easy. It can be especially painful if the person dies because of the negligent actions of another party. Unfortunately, sometimes fatal accidents are not the fault of one person in particular, but rather the fault of a business and its practices. Ohio businesses have a duty to make sure their products or services are safe for public consumption. Failure to do so can result in a fatal accident and having a wrongful death suit levied against them.

Jury screening has begun in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of an out-of-state woman who died after a 7,200-volt power line fell on her. On June 2, 2009, the 39-year-old mother of two was trapped under the power line and incurred burns over 85 percent of her body. She died three days later at a hospital. The accident happened outside of her home in the presence of her two daughters and their grandmother.

The family of the victim contends that the power company, West Penn Power Company at the time, failed to remove rust from the line splices. The rust could have caused the wire to lose tension due to increased temperature and fall. The suit maintains that the utility company should have been aware of that.

FirstEnergy Corp., who is based in Akron and now owns West Penn Power Company, denies the allegations. After jury selection, the trial is expected to last two weeks. If the family’s suit is successful, they will likely collect compensation for the loss of a loved one including funeral expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Source: TribLive.com, “Jurors being screened in suit over North Huntingdon woman’s electrocution death,” Paul Peirce, Nov. 15, 2012