Injured Maine Man Wins $5M Award for Electrical Accident

A Maine man has been awarded nearly $5 million in damages for injuries he sustained six years ago in an electrical accident at a Penobscot boatyard.

Bryan Smith, now 24 and formerly from Bucksport, was operating a crane to move a sailboat when the mast hit a high-voltage power line.

Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy found that Central Maine Power caused the accident because the power line was more than 15 feet closer to the ground than it should have been. The judge awarded Smith $3 million in damages for loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, more than $1 million in lost earnings, and $783,000 for past and future medical and rehabilitation expenses.

A spokeswoman for CMP declined to comment on the decision.

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Information from: Bangor Daily News

Latest Comments

• November 19, 2008 at 2:49 am

  wudchuck says:

  i agree....think about it this way as well, if he was on the ground during the event, was he not the safety eyes! was he not holding the mast during the transfer? makes you ... read more
• November 19, 2008 at 2:44 am

  Filthy McNasty says:

  Not only was apportionment ignored, so too was comparative negligence. This guy should have LOOKED AROUND before he operated the crane. Only a blind person would miss a powe... read more
• November 19, 2008 at 2:11 am

  Mongoose says:

  Excellent cross reference. Based upon the facts stated at trail, the power line was put up AFTER the baot yard was opened. It was rigged below state requirements. Employee sta... read more