WINFIELD — A man is suing Appalachian Power Company alleging he was injured while working in the boiler room.
Babcock & Wilcox Construction; Enerfab LLC; Enerfab Process & Fabricated Products Inc.; and Enerfab Power & Industrial were also named as defendants in the suit.
Kenneth Eldridge was employed by StructSure Scaffold Solutions, which contracted with the defendants on a power plant bottom ash retrofit project in 2022, according to a complaint filed in Putnam Circuit Court.
Eldridge claims on March 18, 2022, he was inside the boiler working on setting scaffolding located at the bottom of the boiler in conjunction with the project and while he was working the area filled with smoke from welding operations, which resulted in him suffering a severe headache and abdominal pain.
"None of the Defendants provided Plaintiff with any notice or warning that Welding Operations would be conducted on the Boilder doors or that Plaintiff would be exposed to welding fumes," the complaint states.
Eldridge's stomach pain was so severe he eventually had to go to urgent care and then to the emergency department, where it was discovered he had lobar pneumonia of the lower lobe of his left lung. He was later admitted to Southern Ohio Medical Center when he was not improving. He claims the defendants were negligent.
Eldridge is seeking compensatory and punitive damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. He is represented by Scott S. Segal and Jason P. Foster of The Segal Law Firm.
Putnam Circuit Court case number: 23-C-147