Dive Summary:
- Wednesday, a Queens, New York family filed suit in the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan against Consolidated Edison Inc. (Con Ed) over the death of Lauren Abraham, who was electrocuted by a downed wire outsider of her Queens home during Hurricane Sandy.
- The family of the 23-year-old argues that Con Ed should have de-energized the wire before the storm hit New York City. The lawsuit says Con Ed “prioritized its bottom line over human life and failed to implement the proper technology to detect downed power lines and de-energize them when they are severed. [...] Con Ed also failed to maintain its extensive system of power lines properly, and failed to prepare for the storm adequately.”
- In a telephone interview with Bloomberg, Con Ed spokesman Robert McGee said, “We have yet to be served with a filed copy of the complaint. This was a tragedy caused by Superstorm Sandy. We will address the matter in court.”
From the article:
Lauren Abraham, a 23-year-old makeup artist and teacher-in-training, was electrocuted outside her home in the Richmond Hill section of Queens on the night of Oct. 29 as Sandy tore through New York City, according to the family. The suit was filed today in state Supreme Court in Manhattan by attorneys with Thompson Wigdor LLP and the Cochran Firm.
Abraham “burst into flames” and burned in the street, “writhing and screaming” while neighbors and friends looked on, according to the complaint. The family is seeking unspecified damages and an order either blocking Con Ed from continuing to operate New York’s power lines or appointing an independent expert to monitor and review its operation.