Energy company will now seek to recoup costs from contractor behind botched implosion.
A Bakersfield man who was badly injured by flying shrapnel during the August 2013 demolition of an old power plant owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has reached a settlement with the utility.
But PG&E has also filed a cross-complaint against the contractor it hired to perform the explosive demolition, which went horribly wrong when chunks of metal were thrown thousands of feet into so-called safe zones following the blast.
In a statement released Monday, PG&E said it “moved quickly to settle” the claim filed by the injured man, Jerry Wood, “because it was the right thing to do.”
“Unfortunately, in this case, the contractor did not fulfill the expectations of the contract to perform the work in a manner that ensured the safety and protection of the public, PG&E employees, and others,” the utility said in the release.
“To that end, PG&E has taken legal action against URS to ensure the contractor lives up to their contractual responsibilities resulting from the incident, including appropriate compensation for Mr. Wood and his family.”
PG&E’s statement did not say how much money Wood is receiving under the settlement.
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