Washington v. Louisiana Power and Light Co.
Louisiana Supreme Court
555 So. 2d 1350
Relevant factsFree
A man was electrocuted when his CB radio antenna touched a power line about 21.5 feet off the ground owned by LP&L (defendant); he had suffered a similar, non-fatal shock before and asked LP&L to move the line, but LP&L said it would only do so if he paid for it, and he never did. His children (plaintiffs) sued for wrongful death; a jury awarded damages, but the appeals court reversed, finding no breach of duty, and the children appealed.
IssueFree
Whether an electric company owes a duty to ensure the public will not come into contact with every electrical line it maintains.