$7 Million Settlement Reached for Death of High School Student Electrocuted by Metal Footbridge

Jacob Hourmouzus was a 17-year-old high school student when he attempted to rescue his dog, which had jumped into an irrigation canal under a metal footbridge on private property. As Jacob and the dog began to be swept away in the canal, he grabbed onto the bridge, which was electrically energized with 240 volts of power. Jacob suffered an electrical shock. He was taken to a hospital for treatment but he later died. Jacob was survived by his parents.

Jacob’s parents sued Solano Irrigation District, a public utility, alleging negligence for choosing not to properly ground the metal footbridge, which caused the bridge to become electrically and dangerously energized.

The lawsuit also alleged that the public utility defendant should have placed private property signs on the bridge to warn of its danger.

The defendant argued that the condition that caused the bridge to become energized was unknown to it.

Before trial, the parties settled for $7 million.

The attorney handling this tragic wrongful death lawsuit was Daniel Wilcoxen.

Carrillo v. Solano Irrigation District, No. FCS 053099 (Cal. Super. Ct. Solano County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling wrongful death lawsuits, premises liability lawsuits, catastrophic injury cases, nursing home negligence lawsuits, truck accident cases and work injury lawsuits for individuals, families and loved ones who have been injured, harmed or killed by the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Naperville, Skokie, Wheeling, Highland Park, Hawthorne Woods, Vernon Hills, Schaumburg, Elmhurst, Cicero, Aurora, Geneva, Romeoville, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Harvey, Calumet City, Chicago (Back of the Yards, Near West Side, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, Portage Park, North Park, Rogers Park, Lakeview, Avondale, Jefferson Park, South Loop, Oakland, Kenwood, Wrigleyville, Woodlawn, Chatham, Calumet Heights, South Chicago, Hegewisch, East Side, Washington Heights, Marquette Park), Evergreen Park, Bridgeview, Justice, Chicago Ridge, Country Club Hills, Flossmoor, Chicago Heights, Park Forest, Richton Park, University Park, Steger, Sauk Village, Lynwood and East Hazel Crest, Ill

Robert D. Kreisman has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976.