Man vs. Power Line

slacker · May 9, 2006

Irregular News for 05.09.06

Chicago, IL -- The sweat shirt was dangling on power lines overhead as Sean Murray stepped outside the office. The Chicago man says he remembered company e-mails about everyone chipping in for a cleaner workplace, so he went looking for something to knock it down.

He found a metal pole. After a few swings toward that sweat shirt, the metal pole struck the power line -- and Murray was jolted backward and soon on fire.

Though he suffered burns over 25 percent of his body, the company won't be paying for his huge medical bills, as he'd hoped.

The Appellate Court of Illinois ruled last week that Murray isn't entitled to workers compensation.

While admitting Murray, 31, had "an unusual thinking pattern" in swinging a metal pole near power lines, attorney Thomas Paris said his "zealous" client was following work rules and should receive proper compensation for it.

"You can be stupid as a rock and still be able to [be compensated], because there was no personal benefit for him in doing this," Paris said. "It was for the company's benefit that he did this."

But the appellate court, in supporting a decision from the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and Cook County Judge Alexander White, said Murray's injuries weren't consistent with the work he did for Imagesure, a consulting company.

As an office assistant, there was nothing in his job description that dealt with building cleanliness or that would lead him to swing a metal pole at power lines, the court said, so his $195,990 medical bills shouldn't be covered as a workplace injury. The incident occurred in 2003.

The bills stem from the extensive skin grafts Murray endured after suffering burns to his ear, neck, face, chest and arms.

But Murray insists that if not for a rash of vandalism complaints outside the company's headquarters, he wouldn't have even tried to dislodge the sweat shirt. He says he feared a neighborhood kid would try knocking it down with a rock and instead smash a window.

Company attorneys declined comment, while Murray -- who Paris said no longer works for Imagesure, located at 600 W. Chicago Ave. in the city -- couldn't be reached.

source

AR Husker Fan · May 9, 2006

***SNIP***

"You can be stupid as a rock and still be able to [be compensated], because there was no personal benefit for him in doing this," Paris said. "It was for the company's benefit that he did this."

***SNIP***

Trouble is, he's not even as smart as a rock...

chad1971 · May 9, 2006

***SNIP***

"You can be stupid as a rock and still be able to [be compensated], because there was no personal benefit for him in doing this," Paris said. "It was for the company's benefit that he did this."

***SNIP***

Trouble is, he's not even as smart as a rock...

Darwin was right, only the strong survive -He's lucky he's not dead.