January 26, 2007
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Electricity
A family is suing the electric company because a woman died when her electricity was turned off. She was on a oxygen machine.
(The woman who died is in the picture on the table in the above picture).
The woman suffered from chronic pulmonary disease. A spokeswoman said that the power had been disconnected because the bill had not been paid. The family is claiming the electric company knew that she was on oxygen. The electric company is claiming that the woman did not fill out forms correctly given her the right to a 10 day notice. They also claim she was several hundred dollars behind on her bill. Here is the link: Link
Is the electric company responsible for the death of a woman on oxygen who didn’t pay her bill on time?
Comments (132)
Legally, it sounds like the answer is no. Morally… it’s a slippery slope.
NO.
if she is so sick and on oxygen why didn’t her family help out with the electric bill.
the company haas a lot more to worry about that just her.
it’s not their responsibility.
Possibly. I want to think it’s the woman’s fault, but I feel bad for her.
No. And I think blame is a treacherous thing. But there were many avenues the family could have turned down to seek help and it breaks my heart when people don’t know this…
No. Personal responsibility has to start somewhere. Her family is quick to hire a lawyer and start a law suite. They could have been just as quick to pay the bill or let her move in with them.
Legally, it sounds like the answer is no. Morally… it’s a slippery slope.
Posted 1/26/2007 8:15 AM by john
I feel the same.
No. In case they didn’t know about the oxygen thing.
In a legal world, if everything the company says is true, then they have the right to cut off her electricity.
But perhaps better communication would have mended this situation.
No, where would you stop the blame? Pay your bills . . .my grandmother was on oxygen, and she just had a tank that went everywhere with her. I think it is crap that the family is stepping up now when there might be a chance that they will get some money, but didn’t step it up when she needed money. We need to take better care of our elders. . .I think when we stopped listening to their wisdom is when we made some bad choices but that is a whole different blog . .
Trial by jury.
no. it was HER responsibility .
Yes in that they turned off the electricity, no in that she apparently did not notify them of the need for warning.
i’d say no.
Why didn’t her family pay the bill. Or move her somewhere that had electricity. Or for that matter if I was on oxygen and my power got turned off I would call 9-11. Sounds to me like there was plenty of responsibility being dropped along the way here. They shouldn’t have cut off her power without notice, but being disabled doesn’t entitle you to free electricity for the rest of your life either.
No…where was their back up plan???? If someone in my family was on oxygen….I’d make sure to have a generator just in case.
No.
I agree with Building_A_Mystery; where was the family in all this? Why weren’t calls made to prevent this? We’ve been behind on bills due to lack of funds before, and as long as you pay something they will keep your power on; I’m wondering if they tried to do this. It’s easy to point the finger, but no one will really know whose responsibility it was.
I require electricity. Not to the extent that my life depends on it – but my family’s wellbeing requires that I consume more electricity than the average household.
I make sure, even if money is tight, that the power bill gets PAID.
If my life depended on it, I would make even more sure that the power bill gets PAID…..
It isn’t the power companies fault that somebody who needed that power didn’t pay for the power.
No. Her family is so upset that she died because of the result of no electricity, but why weren’t they involved with her before this. Checking in on her and making sure that she had everything that she needed?? I think it’s the fault of the family, maybe if they had been more concerned about her well-being she would still be alive.
How sad.
I don’t think the electric company is responsible, I think the family is to blame. The electric company sent two notices (this would have given a date of disconnection if the bill wasn’t paid), someone knocked at the door prior to shutting it off. Where was the family?? Why wasn’t this bill paid??
The family is responsible for the woman, and thus for her death. Not the electric company.
No, but in my Mindtrap II trivia game a man comitted murder this way.
Why didn’t she call her family or friends and ask if she could move in with them? The article says that disconnect notices were sent, so there is really no fault on the part of the electric company.
I hate to say it, but no, it’s not the electric company’s responsibility to know the needs of their consumers.
For those of you are are solely blaming the family, please read the link Dan added. The family did live with her upstairs. Her daughter had already left for work when the power was turned off. I agree that if you have a problem that requires electricity you should make sure that bill is paid FIRST. Her back up tank should have also been stored where she could get to it! However, I also understand how much money it can cost to have not just 1, but 2 disabled people in your home. With that being said, I work in cable television. You would not believe the lies and BS people come up with to keep their tv on! I can only imagine the kind of crap a utility company that IS a necessity hears on a daily basis. I think in this case I blame a little of both. The customer and the company.
No; the negligent family might be, though.
No. You don’t pay the bill, you don’t get the service.
I feel sorry that they were going thru a hardship that caused the woman’s death. I’ve been thru bad times and what do you do when you run out of financial resources? It is sad, that’s all.
Nope. We as consumers have a responsibility that we seem to forget in the face of tradegy. Filling out forms, correctly or otherwise, isn’t enough. Paperwork gets filed, forgotten & sometimes….get this….even lost! If her situation was that dire there needed to be communication with the electric company prior to things getting as far as the power being cut off. If she was that far behind so had to know that getting the electricity cut off was a possibility….10 day notice or not. Arrangements could have been made for the bill….and for her oxygen.
No.
naaaw
Truth really is stranger than fiction.
People are so quick to blame others and never take responsibility.
maybe she should have paid the bill.
duh.
I read the article… apparently the necessary papers were never even returned. The family was definitely lax in letting that go. But I know that it can be extremely expensive to have multiple disabeled persons in the house, and it must have been hard for that family to keep up wtih the responsibilities. Yes, that utility company killed her and it does have some responsibility for that (although I’d say it is reduced by the contributory responsibility of the family’s not paying the bills or working out a payment plan when they were given the chance, and not returning the medical forms to the company), because despite not having received those forms, after sending those workers to the house, it was on notice that this woman was on this life preserving equipment and that cutting it off without notice would severely endanger her life.
For those who asked why the woman didn’t call 911, she did (read the article). But since the oxygen machine was cut off by the utility company she did not have enough breath to complete the call.
It’s a sad state of affairs. If the company knew she was on oxygen, they should have given some warning prior to turning off the power. I’d imagine that several hundred dollars does not even meet the standard for materiality on the power company’s financial statements. I know everyone is in business for money, but more compassion and less greed would make the world a much nicer place.
No
Just because you’re on a machine doesn’t mean you get free electricity – if anything, that’d me damn sure I paid the electric bill.
How come the family has money to sue the electric company but didn’t help grandma pay her electric bill?
No, but that reallly is sad…
No. The family could of helped her out with a bill and try to get things figured out.
You question does not accurately represent the situation, and can be considered unfairly worded. To say that the woman “didn’t pay her bill on time,” implies this was a one time mistake. The article states that they had not been paying the bill for months, and accrued hundreds of dollars of debt. Your question should be worded differently.
For example:
Is the electric company responsible for the death of a woman on an oxygen machine, which is dependent on electricity, who hasn’t paid her electric bill for months and owed hundreds of dollars in debt?
After reading the article.
No, I don’t think that the electric company is fully responsible.
They didn’t have the right information, nor is it their complete responsiblity for this woman’s life. Her family has some part in it.
I’m sorry to hear it happened.
I don’t think so. Because it’s not really their responsibility to ensure that she lives! It’s her family’s responsibility. Besides, they’re the ones who didn’t pay the bill. Who’s fault is that?
This is sad. If she was elderly, the forms may have been confusing. I know that my husband’s grandmother gets very confused at simple things, not understanding, and even getting a bit freaked out by having to share so much personal information.
It’s why we need to take better care of our elderly — whether they are family or the neighbor. You know?
And ruralhippie’s question: How come the family has money to sue the electric company but didn’t help grandma pay her electric bill? is a good question.
YES YES YES and more YES!!!
What a sad story. I think the family should have made sure the correct forms were filled out.
No. Pay your bills. That’s like suing the grocery store ’cause you wouldn’t pay for food and starved to death.
No. Sheesh.
… though may God help us all to have compassion on those who suffer for whatever reason, even their own negligence.
Anyone should have the right to a 10 day notice – forms or not.
I’m questioning that if the woman knew it was her lifeline, then why didn’t she pay the bill? Why wasn’t her family looking out for her if she was in such serious condition? Why didn’t she go to Emergency? Lots of questions in my mind.
I know it makes the electric company look like the bad guy, but people really need to start taking responsibility for their own lives and not passing the buck off to someone else – just because they think the companies can afford it. We all pay for these errors in judgment by having higher bills.
Shlap Shlap Pong
I would say no. She should have found some way to pay the bill. Called & got an extension or pleaded the case. I wonder if someone wanted her to die (family?). Then they might have felt guilty (or wanted $).
No…
Seems like her family don’t really care about her and just want to sue the electric company to sue it.
I mean, if the electric company had the proper paperwork and proof she was on oxygen I doubt they would have turned it off or worked something out, you know?
but I wonder how many people use the “HEY don’t turn off my power, I’m on Oxygen excuse!” I don’t blame them for requiring paperwork.
There should be some sort of thing when people are old or disabled and their utilty bills are late the company contacts their family.
Some elderly people don’t like to be a burden on their family and will lie about their financial situation.
It’s a terrible situation.
Knowing that she was on oxygen…
…
…they should have called the police to make her pay the bill or else… not just shut it off and let her die for ‘a few hundred dollars’ american. They make 8 times that much in a minute.
Cheers,
m
Seriously, they didn’t get the forms filled out. I know it’s a real bitch to have forms filled out but…
uhhh
so is dying.
No. Personal responsibilty could have avoided this death.
Perhaps her family was hoping for free electricity by abusing the fact that she needed oxygen
Maybe the power company knew that
So maybe they did the right thing
I do find it odd that they all the sudden have enough money for a lawyer
That confirms my idea of the family hoping for free electricity, thus abusing the system
Screw the system.
In other words, no.
It’s the family that should be sued, not the power company
Negligence, misconduct, and attempted theft.
No, the company wasn’t responsible, although ethically I’m not sure!
How were they supposed to know? They just followed standard procedure, besides why didn’t she call them or 911 when the power got cut off? Why didn’t they think “Maybe since we’ve got someone who will die without electricity we should actually pay our bills on time”.
If anything a prosecutor would have a shot at negligient homicide by the family for not paying the bills (if it was their job and not hers). The power company had no way of knowing what would happen, and besides, were they trying to use her being on oxygen as an excuse for free power? I mean, it said she was several hundred dollars behind, that sounds strange to me.
Unfortunately it’s a slippery slope here where other people who depend on electricity for life could just not pay their bills and demand to get free electricity. I feel bad for the woman, but the rules are you pay your bills, or they get disconnected.
Where was the family when this woman needed help paying her bills, or filling out the extension form?
Umm… they didn’t pay the bill.. what do you expect.. to get your utilities for free just because you’re on oxygen?
Yea.. I’d like my water bill for free please… because taking extra long showers makes me happy… thanks!
right, so, legally, I’d say no
Morally… kinda a slippery slope.
nope
In Washington State if you are on life saving equipment the electric company may NOT shut of your power even if you are a year behind
Looks like Cracker White Trash at it again. Could the sad looking woman with the mini shrine on her table have done the right thing and moved sick family in with them to be cared for?
Naw, goan get my lawsuit. Notice the inbred facial features. Brothers should not have sex with sisters, and then sue when momma dies, but this IS America after all, a truly great nation.
Let’s increase spending for education!
I’m not sure, but they should find a way around it. Maybe a way for oxygen machines to run without electricity so this never happens again.
no…
I feel sorry for her but yeah,no….
it’s terrible that the woman died, but she was in the family’s care. that’s what happens when you do not pay your bill.
No, her family should be responsible.
no. i dont even understand why the family would want to sue the company! money’s not going to bring their loved one back, and having it is certainly not going to make them feel better.
Technically, no… I would like to think that the family would have helped the woman pay her electric bill if it was so important to her health.
Sometimes I wish people would read the link before they comment. The woman did call 911, she did live with the family and she did have a portable oxygen machine! But still, if the forms weren’t filled out and they didn’t arrange for a budget plan then it was probably their fault. Although, the electrical company could have just discarded the slips and stuff. That would be the secretary’s fault…
Definately not.
Why didn’t her family make sure her bill was paid?
nazis
Here’s another question.
Factory farms–indoors–crammed with animals. Very dependent on electricity. Like. . .if it’ll be shut off for a little while a zillion animals can suffer/die. . .
because factory farms aren’t operated by people, really. You have a bunch of animals, and it’s mainly operated by machinery or whatever. . .
So for cases where for whatever reason, power and all that is shut off. . .lots of death occur.
Is the electric company responsible for that?
No!
It’s the Factory Farms!
Not having yet looked at the link, here is what I think.
I myself can be really bad about doing something that I really want that should “thereotically” be simple, because I’ve never done it before/feel helpless.
Thoughts can be overwhelming. . .and for some poor old lady. . .
I’m just saying I see how even if you had an idea in advance how bad the outcome would be if electricity was shut off, I can see how it could be!
S h i t happens, ya know?
not the electric company. Tanks can run without electricity. Also why didnt her concerned family help with the bill? ounds like a way for the grieving family to dig up a few dollars.
Not having yet looked at the link, here is what I think.
I myself can be really bad about doing something that I really want that should “thereotically” be simple, because I’ve never done it before/feel helpless.
Thoughts can be overwhelming. . .and for some poor old lady. . .
I’m just saying I see how even if you had an idea in advance how bad the outcome would be if electricity was shut off, I can see how it could be!
S h i t happens, ya know?
lacking the time right now to read the link I would have to say that given what you said I would say that the electric company is not at fault as they cannot be expected to know the conditions of every one of their customers and even if they did the woman had not been paying her bills as she should know that she needs to and the company cannot logically be expected to give people free power, they are a business after all.
No.
I don’t think the electric company should be liable. She was able to get electricity turned on, she was more than capable of keeping it on. If she didn’t pay the house payment and got foreclosed on, should the mortgage company be liable for her homelessness? Of course not. If she doesn’t buy food one month and starves to death, should the grocery store be liable? People need to accept responsibility, however limited they may be. If she was in a position where she was in need of constant care then her caregiver should be liable for nonpayment of the bill.
nope.
No. She should’ve gotten help if she couldn’t pay. She didn’t.
The company is not responsible.
thats a tough one. It would be wrong for them to let her go on unpaying just because she was on an oxygen tank, but to knowingly kill her for money….its iffy
Legally they will be fine, but i dont know if it was morally right…
Derek
No. It was her and her family’s responsibility. Though i feel bad.
Shouldn’t they have a backup generator for something that important……
Nope.
Nope.
I’m sure the electricity company didn’t know she was on an oxygen machine.
If the family cared so much about her, they should have paid her electric bill. The electric company is a business just like any other.
besides, anyone who is dependant on electricity to live should have a generator. What does the lady do during a power outage, sue God?
Legally, it sounds like the answer is no. Morally… it’s a slippery slope.
Posted 1/26/2007 8:15 AM by john
I agree. But firewillconsume makes the best point:
No. Personal responsibility has to start somewhere. Her family is quick to hire a lawyer and start a law suite. They could have been just as quick to pay the bill or let her move in with them.
Posted 1/26/2007 8:18 AM by firewillconsume
No. She’s probably just a white-trashy woman who wanted to sue the company cause she died.
WHITE-TRASH!
No. I heard a similar story about a baby dying because the mom hadn’t paid the gas bill. If you are responsible for a child, if you are responsible for a disabled elder, then you make sure you do whatever you can to pay those bills. NO ONE is exempt. The blame lies entirely with the family. I’ve talked to the electric company before, and in my experience, they really want to help you in any way, as long as you pay -something-.
nope.
Would the family have wanted to hold the electric company responsible if the power had gone off due to a storm, or power lines being down?
the day it went off they could have had her moved to a care facility..
sadly, no. the electric co. is not responsible, and just what took the damned family so long to take action? dont tell me it took her death to do anything about it?
It is the familys fault for neglecting to pay for the bills, but the company should’ve known better.
Oxygen machines should have some type of emergency back up just in case.
No-Even if your on oxygen, you can still pay your bill.
the family should have been more responsible.
Legally, it sounds like the answer is no. Morally… it’s a slippery slope.
Posted 1/26/2007 8:15 AM by john
i agree.
if her famiy cares so much why didnt they pay the bill for her?
No. Where was this caring family who initiated the lawsuit when this woman was needing money to pay her power bill?
It’s not like the company actually knew about her condition..
And.. SHOULDN’T SHE BE IN A HOSPITAL OR SOMETHING?
Anyone who doesn’t pay their electric bill won’t get electricity..
Shouldn’t her family members be helping out by making sure all her bills are payed on time??
=____=
It’s business.
It’s not their fault.
This family is just wasting time.
Aren’t they supposed to be grieving??
aw, thats sad. no.
that’s really sad
but the electric company isn’t really responsible
No. If she cant afford electricity she should move in with her family (they care so much, now that she’s dead, dont they? Millions of dollars are the only comfort)or go to a hospital or something. Electric companies have to treat all customers equally, just like any other company.
no. the law is not responsible for a personal human error. people should realize this by now, based on past cases that are similar or have similar circumstances.
the woman is/was the family’s responsibility; thus, complete human error.
I don’t expect the electric company to make exceptions, and I blame her for not being responsible and getting her bills payed. I’m sad that she died, though.
The woman was old and going to die soon anyways, so what’s the big deal?
“Legally, it sounds like the answer is no. Morally… it’s a slippery slope.”
I agree.
hmm..this is really hard.but shouldnt her she have a back up for the oxygen machine?? and the company should not have just switched off the machine, they knew she was on the oxygen machine! and, dont all late bills come with a notice or a deadline?…i dont really know, but i would really want to blame the electrical company if i was the family.
but having to support 2 disabled ppl is financialy hard, so i think the electrical company has alot of responsibility for this.
My thought… Did the family think the electrity company would just let the debt pile up forever? I mean, a grace period is nice, but eventually bills have to be paid. …or the woman moved to a place where electricty would not be in danger.
would love to say yes. But we live in a beauracratic world. Tragic mistake. How odd and annonymous and common though that they seem not to express their regrets…only woried for own liabiilty. (didn’t read links…maybe they did..hope so.)
No. It is the family’s responsibility to take care of their elderly.
No. because the electric being turned off, they didnt know that somebody was going to DIE from it, they just thought people would be without electric. nothing else.
I think the electric company should be held partly responsible, but I don’t know the laws on this. It should be a given that the basic needs of people are met, regardless of ability to pay. I’m very much for personal responsibility. I’ve never had utilities shut off because I’ve paid the bills and been lucky enough to have been able to do so. But had I not paid the bills for whatever reason, I would not deserve the death penalty.
Money seems to be such a problem…
I don’t think there’s a correct answer here.
The whole situation is rather unfortunate
I can’t really answer this one. It’s a slippery slope.
Heck no. She has a responsibility to pay her bills like everyone else does.
Really, no.
Yes.
As if several hundred dollars is going to impact an electric company severely.
If people can’t pay their electric bill they need to call the electric company and let them know there’s a problem and go from there, not just stop paying.
So, why wasn’t her family helping her with the electric bill if they were so concerned?
dont matter who is the blame someof the responces were mean and vicious in the papper the ad came from wow u should see someof them rude . some ppl are like that sorry hope god is with her may she be in comfort now
> How much did the family know about the dire state of the electric bill? Oh, and her fault not theirs…
Peace
First of all I want to say that this story is very sad and I am sorry the woman passed away.
NO the electric company is NOT at fault legally or morally (if they were not aware). They have hundreds of thousands of customers and cannot know that Mrs Smith is on oxygen make sure she has electicity. Forms are required to “flag” and account or whatever, but I wouldnt just fill out forms and hope for the best. Calling before and after forms are sent to make sure that it was taken care of. I would never assume it was just taken care of, especially when a life is at stake. I would call several times, get a manager on the phone to verify and reverify that the service would not be cut off.
Secondly, there are (at least in NJ, and I am sure elsewhere) state agencies that provide financial subsidies for elderly and disabled. My grandmother would get a credit on Jan 1 of every year paid directly to the electric company that would more than cover her for the year. Each month her bill would be $0 and show what her balance of credit was. My mother took time (no $$ required) to make calls to get to the correct agency that offered this service.
I dont want to jump and say its the families fault, I do not know if plain ignorance was to blame or not, but they cannot blame a business for stopping services when payments were not made. Calling (if not getting any state aid) and getting someone on the phone and explaining the situation and making arrangements could have prevented this tragedy.
Legally, it sounds like the answer is no. Morally… it’s a slippery slope.
Posted 1/26/2007 8:15 AM by john
I agree.