WutWuzDat
09-30-06, 02:02 PM
notice how the company is now 'gathering facts'. that means "we ain't gonna pay diddly".
Electrical Surge Fries Appliances In Hundreds of Arlington Homes
Dominion Contractor Claims Responsibility
By Leef Smith (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/leef+smith/)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 30, 2006; Page B01
Catherine Jamieson had costly surge protectors safeguarding her most precious electronics. So, she said, she was one of the "lucky ones" when a power surge heaved through her East Falls Church neighborhood this week, frying computers and damaging appliances in hundreds of homes.
Still, Jamieson said her home suffered a stunning amount of trouble, starting with a $1,500 alarm system that was still smoking when the security company arrived, a fried phone line and a busted furnace. Her neighbor discovered her refrigerator aflame, Jamieson said, noting that her own situation "could be worse."
"It makes me want to cry," Jamieson, 57, said. Her home was one of more than 200 affected in the Arlington County neighborhood when Pike Electric, a contractor for Dominion Virginia Power, was doing repairs Tuesday and allowed two power lines to touch, Dominion officials said. The contact sent a rush of power into as many as 600 homes, some of them on Sycamore Street, Washington Street and Lee Highway. It still has not been determined how many homes suffered damage, they said.
Today, many of those homeowners are still waiting to hear from power company officials about whether and when they will be compensated for the damage, residents said.
Although Dominion officials said they and Pike immediately dispatched crews to talk to affected homeowners, many residents said they went days without knowing they had damaged appliances -- such as furnaces that had not yet been switched on and other appliances that weren't in use.
Others thought their home's troubles were isolated. They said they learned of the incident not from the power companies, but from neighborhood word of mouth.
"To leave us hanging, to not contact us, that's just not acceptable," said Elizabeth Yoder, 53, who lost an alarm system and whose circuit breaker that runs her washing machine broke. "We feel like we're at the mercy of a fourth party."
Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson said yesterday that Pike has taken "full responsibility" for the incident and that Pike has 10 adjustors and coordinators in the area assessing damage.
Anderson initially said customers would have their appliances replaced. But later, she said Pike representatives will "look at each claim and determine what they think is fair."
Pike officials said yesterday that they are still waiting for reports to come in from adjustors and have not determined how reimbursement will be handled. They said that it is the first time such an incident has occurred, so they do not have a policy on how to proceed.
"We are in the process of gathering the facts and making a determination about what we're going to do," said James Fox, general counsel for Pike, which is headquartered in Mount Airy, N.C. "What we have is a policy of trying to be fair based on factual information."
Electrical Surge Fries Appliances In Hundreds of Arlington Homes
Dominion Contractor Claims Responsibility
By Leef Smith (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/leef+smith/)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 30, 2006; Page B01
Catherine Jamieson had costly surge protectors safeguarding her most precious electronics. So, she said, she was one of the "lucky ones" when a power surge heaved through her East Falls Church neighborhood this week, frying computers and damaging appliances in hundreds of homes.
Still, Jamieson said her home suffered a stunning amount of trouble, starting with a $1,500 alarm system that was still smoking when the security company arrived, a fried phone line and a busted furnace. Her neighbor discovered her refrigerator aflame, Jamieson said, noting that her own situation "could be worse."
"It makes me want to cry," Jamieson, 57, said. Her home was one of more than 200 affected in the Arlington County neighborhood when Pike Electric, a contractor for Dominion Virginia Power, was doing repairs Tuesday and allowed two power lines to touch, Dominion officials said. The contact sent a rush of power into as many as 600 homes, some of them on Sycamore Street, Washington Street and Lee Highway. It still has not been determined how many homes suffered damage, they said.
Today, many of those homeowners are still waiting to hear from power company officials about whether and when they will be compensated for the damage, residents said.
Although Dominion officials said they and Pike immediately dispatched crews to talk to affected homeowners, many residents said they went days without knowing they had damaged appliances -- such as furnaces that had not yet been switched on and other appliances that weren't in use.
Others thought their home's troubles were isolated. They said they learned of the incident not from the power companies, but from neighborhood word of mouth.
"To leave us hanging, to not contact us, that's just not acceptable," said Elizabeth Yoder, 53, who lost an alarm system and whose circuit breaker that runs her washing machine broke. "We feel like we're at the mercy of a fourth party."
Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson said yesterday that Pike has taken "full responsibility" for the incident and that Pike has 10 adjustors and coordinators in the area assessing damage.
Anderson initially said customers would have their appliances replaced. But later, she said Pike representatives will "look at each claim and determine what they think is fair."
Pike officials said yesterday that they are still waiting for reports to come in from adjustors and have not determined how reimbursement will be handled. They said that it is the first time such an incident has occurred, so they do not have a policy on how to proceed.
"We are in the process of gathering the facts and making a determination about what we're going to do," said James Fox, general counsel for Pike, which is headquartered in Mount Airy, N.C. "What we have is a policy of trying to be fair based on factual information."