Attorneys with The Animal Law Center of Wheat Ridge, Colorado today are pleased to announce a settlement has been reached between their client, Dr. Scott Evans, and a contractor and sub-contractor over the electrocution death of Dr. Evans dog on October 18, 2009.

The case concerned an incident outside Dr. Evans offices, when Evans and his dog Asha suffered a severe electrical shock while walking through a parking lot located in the vicinity of 4650 West 38th Avenue in Denver.  As a result of coming into contact with approximately 277 volts of electricity flowing to the lot surface, Asha died of her injuries in transit to a nearby veterinarian’s clinic. Evans was also shocked while trying to rescue his dog. While he did not sustain any serious injuries, Evans was traumatized watching Asha die an agonizing death.

During construction of the parking lot where the electrocution occurred, a contractor drove supporting rebar into the ground near an active underground power line. The metal rebar came in contact with the power cable and conducted electricity to the lot surface, which is covered in loose gravel. In a media interview from September 15, 2010, one of the contractors stated that the rebar used was too long and that he held some responsibility for the mistake.

Settlement

The monetary settlement between Dr. Evans and the contractors, Sabell’s Enterprises, LLP and Palace Construction Co., Inc., is for an undisclosed sum.

“Both Dr. Evans and The Animal Law Center are pleased with this settlement,” said Jennifer Edwards, lawyer and founder of The Animal Law Center. “This agreement sends a strong message that care must be taken when working near electrical power supplies. This improperly placed rebar put anyone in the area at risk. However, the one who ultimately paid the price for this mistake was Asha.”