Whittier Man Dies After Being Shocked by Downed Power Line

November 14, 2011

November 14, 2011 Personal Injury Electrical Accidents

Joel Ramirez, a 24-year old male died after being shocked by downed power lines in his Whittier home. The accident happened on Saturday along the 8100 block of Friends Avenue. Investigators have reported that a fire was started on the roof of the victim’s home, when a downed power line caught fire. The 24-year old man quickly rushed to put out the fire when he came in contact with the current.

The cause of the downed power line is under investigation, David Song; a Southern California Edison spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times. Nineteen homes lost power early Sunday morning when the line went down.

The victim was said to have been electrocuted and pinned to the ground. A 46-year old woman, the victim’s mother, came to his aid but was thrown from her son as she tried to help. She was shocked but her injuries were not life threatening; no word whether or not she was hospitalized. As her son began to catch fire, an arriving police officer doused him with a fire extinguisher. He was quickly rushed to the hospital but did not survive his injuries.

“This tragedy is reflective of a growing belief that the transmission systems of Southern California Edison are being neglected and are endangering the general public” according to Wylie Aitken of Aitken * Aitken * Cohn, a prominent Southern California law firm. The Aitken firm represents the young children of the Steven and Sharon Vego, who along with their eldest son loss their lives on January 14, 2011, when a downed power line fell into the backyard of their San Bernardino home. Sadly, their death also occurred when they were attempting to put out the fires.

Electrocution deaths are the fifth leading cause of death in work-related incidents and the second leading cause of death on construction sites. Electrocution deaths result in over 400 deaths per year. Falling power lines, exposing residents to serious injury or death, are on the rise. Southern California residents continue to be at risk, as reflected in these two incidents involving Southern California Edison.

Wylie A. Aitken, Esq.