Ohrstrom v. City of Tacoma

Citations

• 57 Wash. 121
• 106 P. 629
• 1910 Wash. LEXIS 707

Syllabus

<p>Electkicity — Negligence—Evidence—Sufficiency. There is sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of a city in failing to ground secondary circuits connected with its high voltage primary circuits, and in failing to cut off the circuit after notice of danger, where it appears that the city had notice of a ground on the primary circuit which allowed the high voltage to flow into the secondary system, where it was very dangerous to human life, and failed to cut out the 'circuit as it might have done by turning a switch, that its electrical code declared the danger, stating that it could be obviated by grounding the secondary circuits, and that the National Board of Fire Underwriters had called the city’s attention to the dangerous conditions, and recommended grounding the secondary circuits.</p> <p>Same — Evidence of Death. There is sufficient evidence to establish that plaintiff’s decedent met his death by coming in contact with a city electric system, where it appears that he was employed by the company whose circuit was charged with a high voltage by reason of a ground, that deceased was the first to turn on the electric lights in the morning, and was in the habit of doing so at a place where dampness made a good conductor, that he started for such place according to his custom, when he was heard to shout and staggered, 'coming from the electric light and fell near the light and was picked up immediately and found to be dead, his left hand was burned, a physician gave the cause of his death as electric shock, and his body had the appearance produced by death from electric shock; the deceased being in good health, no other cause for death being shown, and others having received shocks the same morning on the same circuit.</p> <p>Same — Evidence of Death — Admissibility. In an action for death caused by contact with an overcharged secondary electric circuit supplying several establishments, it is competent, on the question of the dangerous condition of the cir