PITTSBURGH – A West Penn Power lineman who allegedly suffered electrical shock and burns while working as part of a mutual assistance agreement to restore power in Florida after Hurricane Irma is claiming the power companies overseeing the repairs were negligent.
According to the Sept. 10 filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, plaintiffs Tracy Slaugenhaupt and his wife, Darlene, filed suit against First Energy Corp. and Florida Power and Light alleging negligence and loss of consortium.
"On Sept. 20, 2017, plaintiff, Tracy Slaugenhaupt, suffered catastrophic electrical contact injuries when Florida Power and Light Co., owners and operators of high voltage lines, energized or re-energized power lines that they had represented to be de-energized while crews were working near or around them, creating an unreasonable hazard," the plaintiffs' complaint states.
Slaugenhaupt claims he and his crew were told by supervisors that the lines owned by Florida Power & Light that First Energy had ordered them to work on had been de-energized. Slaugenhaput alleges he was using a chainsaw to clear downed branches on the lines when he was electrocuted.
In his suit, Slaugenhaput claims he suffered permanent disfigurement and scarring as well as psychological trauma and seeks more than $75,000 in damages.
The plaintiffs are represented by Robert Mongeluzzi, David Kwass and Elizabeth Bailey of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky PC in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania case number 2:19-cv-01151