Opinion ID: 1668092
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Directed Verdict For The Cullman Power Board

Text: Chambers claims the Power Board committed actionable negligence in supplying electricity to a defective electrical system. The duty of a supplier of electricity to premises wholly owned and controlled by the recipient of service is well settled. A supplier who merely furnishes electricity is not responsible for defects in the system to which electricity is supplied. It is under no duty to inspect the system to which electricity is supplied. The duty of the supplier ends when the connection is properly made, when the supplier has no control over the premises, and the supplier is without actual knowledge of any defective or dangerous condition. City of Decatur v. Parham, 268 Ala. 585, 109 So.2d 692 (1959). See also Chilton Butane Gas, Inc. v. Marcus, 289 Ala. 292, 267 So.2d 140 (1972). Until notice is brought home to the generating company that the distribution system of its customer is out of repair, so as to endanger life or property, the    [supplier] has the right, reasonably and justly so, to assume that the    customer] will maintain proper equipment to receive and distribute the current. (citation omitted) (emphasis added) Johnson v. Alabama Power Co., 230 Ala. 91, 94, 159 So. 695, 698 (1935) If, on the other hand, the supplier of electricity also undertakes to install wiring, parts of the wiring system, or electrical appliances it is responsible for constructive knowledge of defects or insufficiences which present potential hazards. Alabama Power Co. v. Emens, 228 Ala. 466, 153 So. 729 (1934). Under the facts, disclosed by the evidence, in this case the Power Board could be liable only if it had actual knowledge of any defects in the electrical system to which it supplied electricity. The evidence was that the serviceman of Cullman Power Board who made the service connection to the meter box of the Buettner premises observed the box to be grounded. He was under no duty, under the evidence in this case, to further inspect as to the sufficiency of the grounding. Careful review of the evidence, viewed most favorably to plaintiff Chambers, fails to turn up a scintilla to the effect that any agent of the Power Board had actual knowledge of any defect or insufficiency in the Buettner premises electrical system. Directing verdict for the Power Board was without error.