In a tragic case in Carrollton, Georgia, a jury returned a verdict of $670,000 against an employee and the HVAC company that employed him. A gas leak in the home of an elderly couple was improperly handled by two employees. The main issue in the case was the fact that when the homeowner called to say there was a strong gas smell in the house she should have been instructed to vacate the premises and call 911. Instead, the employee she spoke with sent someone out to check on it and the homeowner remained in the house. That employee and the homeowner died in an explosion as the repairman was attempting to fix the gas line.
This is a classic employee/agency case where the actions of an employee caused injury and in this case wrongful death. Employers have a duty to properly train their employees especially when they are dealing with dangerous commodities such as natural gas. Any negligence of the employee is imputed to the employer in a personal injury case where the employee's negligence was the proximate cause of the injury.
The handling of certain products carries a higher duty of an employer to protect innocent clients from the danger which is inherent in the product, such as the explosive quality of natural gas. When this duty is breached causing an injury the company will be held liable by the courts such as in this case.
