Jarrett v. E. L. Harper & Son, Inc.

Harshbarger, Justice:

Kenneth and Fonda Jarrett’s water well on their Jackson County, West Virginia property was destroyed by *400Harper & Sons, Inc., a contractor building a sewer for a public service district. The Jarretts were without water for five weeks, when a new well was completed.

They sued Harper & Sons, Inc. for $5,000.00 to recover the new well’s cost of $766.82, expenses for carrying water from a neighbor, and compensation for their inconveniences, hardship, annoyance, and discomfort. They demanded a jury trial.

Pretrial discovery by defendant revealed that in addition to the new well…