A West Virginia jury has awarded $7 million in damages to the family of a worker who was killed in a 2007 explosion at an American Electric Power plant in Ohio. The jury found AEP and subsidiary Ohio Power Co. at fault in the death of Lewis Timmons. Jurors awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and $5 million as punitive damages. The decedent, a truck driver for General Hydrogen, was delivering hydrogen to the Muskingum River Power Plant near Beverly, Ohio, when an explosion occurred in the hydrogen storage area.

The jury found that General Hydrogen had no responsibly for the death. During the trial the evidence revealed safety issues at the plant. Defense lawyers said plant officials were aware of the safety issues, but that they relied on General Hydrogen to maintain the hydrogen storage area. Geoffrey Brown, a lawyer with Bordas & Bordas, a firm located in Wheeling, W. Va., represented the Timmons’ family. Geoff, who is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, did a very good job for the family.

Source: Claims Journal