Family of man electrocuted seeks damages from employers

The family of a man electrocuted while working on a home improvement project has filed a suit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas against the contractors that hired him and the owners of the home where the accident occurred.

Karen Clayton, representing the estate of her deceased son, Andrew Weygand, and Roscoe Weygand, Andrew's father, have charged Sylvestro General Contractors, Dudley Hilton Electric, ATB Electric, Inc., McManus Electric, Inc., Jennifer Jordon and Sylvia White with a total of 20 counts related to Andrew's death, seeking $50,000 in damages for each count.

According to the complaint, on April 27, 2013, Weygand was working as an independent contractor on a property on Juniper Street in Philadelphia co-owned by Jordon and White. Weygand was inside an access panel on the second floor and fishing a wire down to an employee of Dudley Hilton Electric, the suit claims. While handling the wire, Weygand touched a copper pipe that the plaintiffs say was not properly grounded or discharged, electrocuting Weygand.

Clayton holds all parties responsible for allowing Weygand to work on a property that had not been adequately secured from electrical accidents. Sylvestro General Contractos, Dudley Hilton, ATB and McManus allegedly failed to warn Weygand of the potential danger inside the access panel and did not properly train the other workers to de-energize the copper pipes.

Jordon and White have also been accused of allowing the contractors to work on the premises without the proper permits or licenses issued by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections.

Clayton, who lives in Texas, and Roscoe Weygand, who lives in New Jersey, have also sued all defendants for pecuniary losses sustained by the death of their son. Clayton seeks restitution for funeral expenses, and loss of the comfort and care of her son, while Weygand has filed for the loss of contributions the deceased would have made to the family, including food, shelter, companionship, household chores and financial support.

The plaintiffs are represented by James Turner of the Philadelphia-based firm Furia and Turner, L.L.C.

The case ID number is 140503468.