Unattended Powerline Left by Tree Contractors Leads to Tragedy for Homeowners

A homeowner in Memphis, Tennessee, says a tree trimming company’s negligence led to the tragic death of her daughter’s dog after he was electrocuted by a powerline left unattended by the company. According to a report from WMC-TV, the dog had been let outside by the homeowners, who did not know crews from ABC Professional Tree Trimming had left a live wire in their yard after cutting down branches.

The tree service crew was contracted by utility company Memphis Light, Gas and Water, which issued a statement acknowledging the “unfortunate incident” and a safety stand-down that was put in place to “reinforce existing safety rules” and help prevent future accidents. The homeowner told the news outlet that the tragedy “could happen to anybody” and could have taken the life of her or a family member.

“It is a horrible situation for the dog and for the family,” said Connor Farquharson , Manager, Commercial Insurance, Burns & Wilcox , Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. “Leaving a wire exposed and unattended, and not even saying anything to anyone, is a huge issue. There are also a lot of other things that could have happened from that, from human fatalities to fires getting started. As bad as that situation is, it could have been even worse.”

The electrocution was the third tree-trimming incident to occur that month, WMC-TV reported, and ABC Professional Tree Trimming was expected to launch a full investigation into what happened. Lawsuits are possible after this type of incident and could be covered by a contractor’s Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance, said Kyle Lacertosa , Underwriter, Commercial Insurance, Burns & Wilcox, New York, New York.

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