Krongos
Krongos v. Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Opinion
Opinion
White, J.
On December 7, 1988, Pete Sam Krongos was electrocuted while working in a construction yard when a cable he was holding touched an overhead high voltage line. His widow and children filed suit against Dana L. Whitaker (the lessor of the construction yard) and against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). The complaint alleged that the defendants had negligently strung the high voltage wires. The trial court granted defendants’ separate motions for summary judgment on the ground that neither defendant owed a duty of due care to the decedent. Plaintiffs have appealed from the summary judgments. We reverse the summary judgment in favor of Whitaker and affirm the summary judgment in favor of PG&E.
I
Facts
viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, the record discloses the following facts:
At the time of the accident, Pete Sam Krongos was working for J. D. Griggs Construction. Griggs Construction had a contract with the State of California to build a highway bridge north of the town of Orick in Humboldt County. In connection with that project, Griggs leased a “job yard” in Orick from defendant Whitaker to store materials and equipment.