About 120 home owners from the tight-knit Queens enclave of Breezy Point that was devastated by fires during Superstorm Sandy are suing two utility companies for negligence.
A lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Queens says the Long Island Power Authority and National Grid failed to stop energy from flowing to their homes despite industry standards during emergency weather events.
The lawsuit says the fires that destroyed about 150 homes were caused because the utilities did not de-energize the system, allowing wires and circuits to come into contact with flood water. It says the utilities knew at least since Hurricane Irene in 2011 to de-energize the system.
Spokeswomen for the two utilities said in separate emails their companies’ responses were appropriate and the lawsuit’s claims were without merit.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Worst Start to Wildfire Season Raises Alarm as El Niño Threatens 
‘Big Tobacco’ Moment for Cannabis: What Insurers Need to Know About Murray v. Cresco 
For Carriers, AI Can Now Mean Hyper-Personalized Customer Service, Leaders Say 
Verisk Report Shows Drop in US Reconstruction Costs in 2Q 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.