Examples of Burn Injury Cases

New York Electrician Awarded $4.5 Million after Suffering Electrocution

An East Chatham man severely injured from an electric shock while making a repair at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded $4.5 million in damages after a two-week trial.

Jordan Neissel, an expert high-voltage line splicer, was working in an electric gear box to free a cable on May 27, 2004, when he grabbed a live wire believing the power was off. Instead, 4,160 volts of electricity surged through his body, seriously burning his arms, hands and his chest.

Late Thursday, a state Supreme Court jury found RPI and contractor High Voltage Electric Services Inc. liable and ordered them to pay Neissel $4.5 million.

Neissel, who was 25 at the time of the incident, and his father, Russell Neissel of Old Chatham, were contractors with Mohawk Valley Utility Construction Corp. But that day, they were hired by M. Sher & Son to assist RPI's regular provider, High Voltage Electric Services Inc., in fixing an outage in the Materials Research Center on campus. After Neissel was shocked, his father and a co-worker rushed to his aid. Together, they freed the severely burned and unconscious man from the wire. Neissel spent three weeks at the Westchester Medical Center Burn Unit and had four surgeries.

In taking his case to court, Neissel said no one told him that the electricity in the MRC building had been turned back on before he went down to try to identify the problematic cable. He also claimed the general environment where the electrical outage was based was dangerous and not secure.

RPI spokeswoman Allison Newman said the verdict will be appealed. “Rensselaer always does its best to protect the safety of everyone on campus,” she said.

Attorneys for HVES, which was also found liable for damages, didn't return a call for comment. In court papers filed before the case went to trial, Albany County state Supreme Court Justice John Egan declined to dismiss the lawsuit. He wrote: "Defendants cannot be relieved of liability because the risk of getting electrocuted was obvious or known to plaintiff when it is clear that the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident led him to believe that there was absolutely no risk of being electrocuted at that time.”Whether plaintiff's acts and omissions under the circumstances were reasonable for a high voltage electrician are for a jury to decide," Egan wrote.

When the verdict came in late Thursday, Neissel and his lawyer, Jeffrey Carton, cried with joy. Carton said Neissel had a great reputation as a high-voltage cable splicer. "He excelled at it," Carton said. "And he made a lot of money. Now, no amount of money will ever make up for the physical and psychological losses he has suffered."

Although Neissel wants to return to work in some field, his future is uncertain because of the significant loss of strength in his upper body and post-traumatic stress disorder, Carton said. "His biceps were killed in the electrocution. They were cut away. And muscle doesn't come back," he said.

Burn Injury Lawyers in New York

This website is sponsored by the law firm of Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz, highly experienced New York burn injury attorneys. Specializing in a variety of burn injury cases, the lawyers of Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz have helped many victims obtain fair compensation for their suffering. If you or your loved one has incurred serious burn injuries, contact their offices at (914) 517-5000 to discuss your case and learn if remuneration might be available.