Sparks v. Alabama Power Co.

Mary Sparks, as administratrix of the estate of her husband Charles Sparks, deceased, has appealed from the trial court's denial of her motion for a new trial. That motion had followed a judgment entered on a directed verdict and a jury verdict in favor of the defendant Alabama Power Company ("APCo").

I. Facts

Charles Sparks was killed on the evening of November 30, 1991, when he contacted a fallen APCo line that was still energized and was carrying 19,900 volts of electricity. The 40-foot wooden pole suspending the uninsulated electric line was snapped into three pieces and caused to fall when…