Southern California Edison must pay $4 million to Knob Hill stray voltage victim
Simona Wilson shortly after the verdict was announced in her trial versus Southern California Edison. Photo A Torrance courthouse jury ruled Monday that Southern California Edison must pay Simona Wilson $4 million, including $3 million in punitive damages, for its negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress relating to the stray voltage that escaped its Topaz substation and entered her home on Knob Hill in Redondo Beach. The 9-3 verdict came after an often-emotional, three-week civil trial. SCE employed a series of highly paid expert witnesses, including an electrical engineer who ran current through his own body while on the stand in court. Their experts argued that the levels of electrical current Wilson was subjected to were not harmful. In the end, however, the jury supported all three causes of Wilson’s civil lawsuit, and found SCE liable for each – nuisance, negligence, and infliction of emotional distress. Additionally, punitive damages were awarded based on the jury’s judgment that SCE’s conduct constituted malice, oppression, or fraud. In an interview, Wilson said she hopes her victory will send a strong message to SCE. “It’s a reality check for them,” she…
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