HUNTINGTON — A Branchland man is suing Asplundh Tree Expert claiming he was injured while clearing around power lines.
American Electric Power Company was also named as a defendant in the suit.
Roland Albright was injured on Nov. 3, 2021, while he was working for Asplundh on a contract with AEP to perform clearance work around power lines in Ona, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Albright was an Asplundh crew foreman and was tasked with clearing dead pine trees near AEP power lines carrying 19,900 volts of electricity.
Asplundh and AEP lacked safety policies for grounding the bucket truck during operations near power lines or using personal protective equipment, according to the suit.
Albright claims AEP supposedly had a policy to barricade off the bucket truck to prevent employee proximity due to electrical shock risks, but this was not enforced by AEP inspectors.
Albright, while working near the power lines, experienced a severe electrical shock when a water bottle he tossed near the bucket truck caused an electric charge to flow through the truck to him, according to the suit.
As a result, Albright suffered severe and permanent injuries, including scars, cardiac arrhythmia, neuropathy, muscle spasms, cognitive dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders.
Albright is seeking compensatory damages for pain, suffering, lost enjoyment of life, medical expenses, lost income and other damages resulting from the defendants' alleged negligence and failure to enforce safety measures. He is represented by J. Ryan Stewart ad David A. Bosak of Bailey Javins & Carter in Charleston.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number: 3:23-cv-00707