A catastrophic workplace accident has led to a lawsuit against a major energy company. On June 28, 2024, Anthony Henry and Kaydian Henry filed a complaint in the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, accusing Duke Energy Florida, Inc. and Duke Energy Florida, LLC of intentional torts and negligence.

The plaintiffs allege that on February 21, 2022, Anthony Henry was severely injured while executing a planned switching order as part of his employment with Duke Energy. According to the complaint, a distribution switchgear exploded causing an arc flash that resulted in serious and permanent injuries to Mr. Henry. The lawsuit claims that Duke Energy had prior knowledge of similar accidents or explicit warnings about the dangers but failed to act responsibly.

The complaint outlines several failures by Duke Energy including not training employees in safe work practices, not maintaining safe premises or equipment, and not conducting reasonable inspections to identify hazardous conditions. Specifically, it mentions failures such as “failing to prevent contamination of the C-phase termination” and “failing to implement adequate policies and procedures regarding switchgear maintenance.” The plaintiffs argue that these actions were virtually certain to result in injury due to the company’s gross negligence or willful disregard for safety.