Litka v. Connectiv Power Delivery, Inc., N.J., Camden
County Super. Ct., No. L-6180-00, Jan. 17, 2003.
Litka, 42, was standing on a ladder washing a house when he inadvertently touched a bare spot on the house's 120 volt power line. He received an electric shock and fell from the ladder. Litka was rendered paraplegic and suffered multiple broken bones. He was hospitalized for approximately four months, incurring about $250,000 in medical expenses. His future medical expenses are estimated at $3.1 million.
Litka sued the power company that owned the line, alleging negligent maintenance of the line. Defendant argued that a third party was responsible for damage to the line and that plaintiff was contributorily negligent for touching the line. Plaintiff countered that even if a third party had caused damage to the line, defendant had a duty to inspect it and failed to do so.
A housepainter, plaintiff did not claim lost income.
A jury awarded plaintiff $7.23 million. The award was reduced to about $5.06 million because the jury found plaintiff 30 percent at fault.
Plaintiff's experts were Lorraine Buchanan, life care planning, Blue Bell, Pa.; Christopher S. Formal, physical medicine, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Robert E. Nabours, electricity, Tucson, Ariz.
Plaintiff's Counsel
John R. Minnino, Haddonfield, N.J.
*Donald F. Browne Jr., Haddonfield, N.J.
Copyright Association of Trial Lawyers of America May 2003
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