[BC] Keeping an eye on the ground

[Thomas G. Osenkowsky]

> What burns me up is the utility claims that they are not responsible 
> for replacement of items when this happens.

I like your choice of words, maybe a little bit of me has rubbed
off on you :-) I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on television,
but it seems to me that the utility should operate under tariffs
which specify a range of voltage, etc. Supply outside of that
range means they failed to operate with their tariffs. No doubt
acts of God, etc. are excepted. Would their not be grounds for
claim against the company who felled a tree on the power lines?

I do believe that ConEdison compensated merchants in Astoria,
Queens (NYC) after an extended blackout a few years back. Several
of their underground cables failed, burned and took some time to
replace. An attorney versed in utility law should be a valuable
resource under such situations. Does insurance cover such
damage?

Tom Osenkowsky, CPBE