Electrocution surely isn’t a pleasant subject. But our injury attorneys find that by raising awareness of the serious safety hazards power lines and other electrical outlets pose, accidents and deaths can be prevented.
Some common victims of electrocution, who are often left out of the headlines, are pets.
Recently, a dog named after star running back LaDainian Tomlinson lost his life to electrocution on a Chicago sidewalk in Old Town. The dog’s owner, Brian Malone, is pursuing legal action, stating the city’s investigation has been inadequate.
According to an article on DNAinfo.com, Malone was out walking his mixed breed dog, when the dog got too close to an orange construction cone near a puddle of water. The dog then began to spasm and yelp. Malone, believing his dog was having a seizure, tried to administer CPR, but felt an electric shock in his hands and legs that forced him to jump away. The dog then died after biting his owner and several failed attempts to revive him.
Turns out the cone the dog bumped into was covering a copper grounding rod, a very serious hazard. Yet authorities have not explained who or what company is responsible for the electrified copper rod, which was attached to a metal fence.
While the dog’s violent death in this case was tragic and preventable, our attorneys know that the upside is that the owner wasn’t electrocuted himself as he was trying to save his dog, or an unsuspecting pedestrian, bicyclist or child.
It seems the cause of this electrocution accident is “stray voltage,” which is is the occurrence of electrical potential between two objects that ideally should not have any voltage difference between them. Small voltages often exist between two grounded objects in separate locations, due to normal current flow in the power system.
In other cities like Boston and Brooklyn, there have been efforts to eliminate stray voltage. A 2006 Chicago Reader piece explained that Chicago officials had not put forth the same effort after other dogs were injured by stray voltage.
Legal remedies if your pet has been electrocuted
Malone is seeking an electrocution lawsuit for his dog in this case.
But according to the law, there are unfortunately a lack of legal remedies for owners of pets who have been electrocuted or shocked. In most jurisdictions, pets are considered to be “personal property,” not people; despite the relationships we have with them, and our tendency to “personify” them! That means, even if pets are electrocuted (i.e. killed by electricity), due to the negligence of another, the damages recoverable are limited to the pet’s “fair market value” at the time of death.
In this case, the value of the loss of Malone’s pet is likely negligible, although its value to Malone was priceless.
To help prevent these pet electrocution accidents, our lawyers would like to share some simple safety tips.
Safety tips to keep in mind while walking your dog
- Watch the sidewalk: Avoid walking on anything metal, including metal grating on the sidewalk, manhole covers, any metal bars/rods near the sidewalk, and decorative/draining metal blocks around city trees.
- Watch your dog: Don’t allow your dog to urinate on anything metal any other upright metal object, like lampposts, as these objects may be conducting stray electricity and could shock your dog.
- Know when to retreat: If you suspect your dog has been shocked, don’t progress further, as it’s likely the electricity may get dangerously stronger the farther you walk.
- Use the leash if you suspect an electric shock: Pull your dog away from the area by the leash, as reaching down to pick up your dog could result in you being shocked.
- Alert the proper authorities: Call the police if you see or come into contact with an electrical hazard.
As Malone said in a social media post, “… by simply taking these precautions, you mitigate anything from small shocks to fatal electrocution for your pets who don’t have the rubber soles we do to insulate them from any of the precarious conditions that may be present….”
Pet-proof your house from electrical hazards
Similar to child-proofing a home, it’s important to ensure that all safety hazards are addressed around the house before allowing your pet to roam around.
- Gather and bunch exposed wires: Gather all loose, exposed wires together with a twist tie so that they aren’t as tempting to play with. After they’ve been gathered, exposed cords, cables and wires can be placed inside a fitted piece of PVC pipe.
- Check for bite marks: Frequently check for bite marks on all cables, wires and power cords around the house so that damaged ones can be discarded and replaced before they create a further hazard.
- Consider a cable organization system: For example, banana plugs are a great way to make sure your speaker wire is terminated and securely connected to your speakers and receiver equipment.
- Train your pet to avoid wires: For instance, positive reinforcement training can be effective. In addition, bitter sprays (e.g. bitter apple) and deterrents can be applied to the surfaces that you want your pet to avoid.
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