Ditloff v. Otto

George E. Ditloff, as personal representative of the estate of Mack J. Ditloff, deceased (Ditloff), brought a wrongful death action against Logan M. Otto, Jr., in the district court for York County. The claim involved Ditloff’s electrocution death, which occurred when a metal grain auger, conveyor, being manually moved by Ditloff and Otto, came in contact with an overhead high-voltage line which delivered electricity to the Otto farmstead.

The negligence claim was based on Otto’s failure to warn Ditloff about the overhead wire and keep a proper lookout for the wire while Ditloff and Otto were…