Paul v. Safley Construction Co.

Darrell Hickman, Justice.

This is a wrongful death case. Gary Paul was an employee of Central Boring Company, which had a subcontract with Safley Construction Company on a sewer construction project in Mayflower, Arkansas. Paul was killed in August, 1982. He was guiding a pipe that was being lowered under a buried telephone cable. The crane holding the pipe touched or came close to a live power line, electrocuting Paul.

His parents and brothers sued Arkansas Power and Light Company and the prime contractor, Safley Construction Company. AP&L was dismissed at the end of the plaintiffs case.…