Glendale to pay resident for claim of home fire caused by street repairs
The city has agreed to pay $80,000 to a Glendale woman who claimed street repair work caused a fire inside her home, leaving her without electricity needed to care for her disabled daughter and niece.
The settlement pays for additional repair work and appliances damaged at Colleen Currie’s home in the 3400 block of Country Club Drive during the Dec. 5, 2011 incident, said Chief Assistant City Atty. Ann Maurer. In exchange for the settlement, Currie reportedly agreed to dismiss her case against the city.
Still, a lawsuit between the city and Belfor Inc., which performed repair work after the electrical surge, is ongoing.
Currie’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Currie filed her lawsuit last May after a city crew reportedly accidently struck an underground duct in the street in front of her home.
She alleged the crew’s actions resulted in an electrical surge that led to a fire inside her home, causing at least $181,000 in damages. The electrical surge damaged multiple appliances, according to her lawsuit.
But she claimed the damages were “further compounded” because she lives and cares for her niece, who is a quadriplegic, and her disabled daughter. Electricity was needed, she alleged, to operate vital medical equipment for her daughter and niece.
Currie was also reportedly unable to refinance her home due to a mechanic’s lien which Belfor filed against the property, according to her lawsuit.
Currie claimed the repair work caused further damage to her home.
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