White v. Reservation Electric Co.

Citations

• 75 Wash. 139
• 134 P. 807
• 1913 Wash. LEXIS 1687

Syllabus

<p>Electeicity — Action for Injuries — Overcharge of Wires — Negligence — Evidence—Sufficiency. The negligence of a power company in allowing its transformer to get out of order and an undue voltage to escape from the primary to the secondary wire supplying customers, is for .the jury, where it appears that plaintiff, in turning a switch, formed a circuit with his arm, which would have been practically harmless with the customary voltage, hut which burned his arm and hand nearly through, and burned off the insulation of the wires for several inches, that on the same day, other persons using the same circuit received shocks in turning on ordinary lights and that the plant was shut down when the defendant was notified of the condition and repairs made.</p> <p>Same — Contributory Negligence. In such a case, the plaintiff is not guilty of contributory negligence, in that he was attempting to adjust an automatic switch device of his own contrivance, which in no way increased the danger; since he had a right to assume that things open to touch were safe; and the overcharge of electricity was the proximate cause.</p>