A Cowlitz County Superior Court judge awarded nearly $51,000 Tuesday to a Longview man who sued Cowlitz PUD after being shocked on his roof by a poorly insulated electrical line.

Judge Stephen Warning ruled that Steven Prothero was 60 percent responsible for the incident. But he also said the PUD had a responsibility for properly maintaining the line.

“Was he (shocked) by banging into an unprotected power line?” Warning said. “Yes, he was.”

Prothero had been seeking $2,500 a month for 20 years, or $600,000 total, due to medical ailments.

The case raised questions about the PUD’s willingness to ensure aging power lines are properly inspected and repaired. Duane Crandall, Prothero’s attorney, accused the PUD Monday of deciding “it’s cheaper to pay the Protheros of the world than to make it safe for Cowlitz County electrical customers.”

Following Tuesday’s ruling, PUD attorney Paul Brachvogel said the PUD meets industry standards for maintaining equipment. The PUD, he said, dispatches technicians if customers report problems with power lines.

“We are doing exactly what PUDs and service providers of electricity are doing across the nation,” Brachvogel said. “We meet the standard.”

Prothero said he was on his roof, clearing leaves from gutters, in June of last year when he was shocked and knocked unconscious by the power line connected to his Kelview Drive house. He said he remembered little about the incident.

The PUD’s attorneys questioned whether Prothero ever actually touched the line or whether he was even shocked.

Prothero, who was described as active and constantly traveling and undertaking home-improvement projects, said he has slowed down since the accident, largely because the shock permanently injured his shoulder.

In an interview after Tuesday’s hearing, Crandall said the monetary damages are “pretty inexpensive for a life-changing event.” He also said the amount “does not provide a great deal of incentive” for the PUD to check its lines in the future.

But PUD spokesman Dave Andrew said the incident prompted the PUD to review its practices.

“Any business would take this and learn from it,” he said. “Safety’s a huge deal here.”

Andrew also said the PUD may include a notice in its newsletter offering inspections.

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