Palm Desert neighborhood ready to sue Edison
Some residents in the Desert Rose neighborhood are seeking legal action against utility giant Southern California Edison because of stray electricity. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a similar case. A Redondo Beach woman repeatedly shocked in her shower was awarded $4 million by a Los Angeles County jury.About 40 of the residents believe that it is making them physically ill with symptoms like headaches, fever, rashes, and others. They believe SCE is to blame because a substation is operated adjacent to the property. Some also say it’s taking a toll on their pets. “She just had 8 masses removed and we have the biopsy in to find out if its cancer,” said Michele Fisher about her dog.
She’s not the only one. Sherry Kelly has lived in the complex since 2000, and says she’s dealt with unexplained illnesses for some time. “The pain, extreme pain, cramping in my toes, pain going up my right leg,” said Kelly. “That’s constant.”
It was unexplained until homeowners received a flyer from law firm, Swanson and Peluso. The flyer says the firm had an electrical engineer test the levels. “He found very high, unsafe levels of milliamps people’s homes,” said Julia Swanson, one of the partners.
Swanson and her firm plan to file a suit against Edison for the leakage of electricity into the ground, which travels into the homes. The letter also says the symptoms are all similar between residents and match those caused by excess electricity.
A representative from SCE told us, the company does not comment on pending litigation. While she waits for the lawsuit to get filed, Fisher has one message for the electric company. “I was told they can fix it,” said Fisher. “So, why not fix it, so other people don’t get sick.”
