Electrical company denies allegations in carpenter’s lawsuit over contact with live wire

An electrical contracting company is denying allegations against it in a man’s lawsuit claiming he came into contact with a live electrical wire while doing carpentry work.

Defendant Pyramid Electrical Contractors, Inc. filed an answer to the complaint on Sept. 17 through attorney Amy L. Jackson of Rammelkamp Bradney, PC in Jacksonville, denying the allegations.

According to the complaint filed Aug. 26, Harold Brent Schott claims he was working as a carpenter for Hoelscher Interiors on July 27, 2012, at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville when the incident occurred.

Defendant Williams Brothers was the general contractor for the project and instructed Schott to build a soffit, which required him to work on a scaffold, the suit states.

“While performing the work,” the complaint alleges, “a live wire made contact with plaintiff’s left arm blowing him off the scaffold and onto the ground.”

Schott blames Pyramid Electrical Contractors for creating a condition of live, exposed wires, failing to make other contractors aware of the live wires, failing to warn workers of exposed wires, failing to have exposed wires tied up and out of the way of workers and failing to have proper safety meetings.

Schott blames Williams Brothers for causing the incident, saying it failed to coordinate various trades to prevent live wires from being present in the workplace, failed to be aware of the areas of the job site that contained hot, exposed electrical lines and ordered workers to work in areas that contained exposed lines.

The plaintiff seeks a judgment of more than $100,000.

Williams Brothers Inc. filed a motion for an extension of time on Oct. 1 through attorney William J. Knapp of Knapp, Ohl & Green in Edwardsville, saying that counsel has not had enough time to properly respond to the complaint. Madison County Circuit Judge William Mudge granted the motion and gave Knapp 30 additional days to file an answer.

Mudge scheduled a case management conference for Nov. 20 at 9 a.m.

Jarrod P. Beasley and Matthew P. Young of The Kuehn Law Firm in Belleville represent the plaintiff.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 13-L-1426