Wrongful death lawsuit filed after Ohio woman freezes to death in home

(WKBN) — Dominion Energy Ohio is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after an 81-year-old woman was found frozen to death in her home in Cuyahoga County.

The Supreme Court of Ohio announced on Friday that the estate of Virginia Vigrass of Lakewood has filed a lawsuit against the company . According to a news release, the lawsuit is due to Dominion Energy Ohio shutting off Vigrass’ gas.

Reports said that the lawsuit must go to the state utility regulator before it can go to a common pleas court. The release states that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vigrass refused to allow Dominion inspectors to enter her Lakewood home to inspect the gas meter. Even though she was paying her gas bill, the company shut off her gas in January 2022.

Reports said that pipes in her home burst and flooded the residence, the family says, and she was found dead and frozen on the floor. The company said that the family alleges that they violated state laws by turning off her gas.

The company asserted that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio must determine if any misconduct was committed. If misconduct was committed, the release says the company could have to pay triple the amount in damages.

In October 2021, Dominion asked to enter Vigrass’ home to inspect the meter inside. Reports said that Vigrass did not let them in because she was immunocompromised and susceptible to coronavirus. Dominion said that Vigrass did not respond to letters they said they sent to try to contact her, but the family said that the company did not respond to letters from them.

The press release states that Vigrass’ gas was shut off on Jan. 10, 2022, and she was found dead on Jan. 29 at her Cohassett Avenue home.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner ruled Vigrass’ death was accidental, caused by hypothermia.

Reports said that Vigrass’ brother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dominion in November 2022. The family argued that the case is not about “rates or services” but purely the harm the company caused by failing to acknowledge the dangers of shutting off Vigrass’ gas service during the middle of a Northeast Ohio winter.

Reports said that to go before PUCO, a complaint must require the “administrative expertise” of the commission to resolve the issue, and the complaint must be about an act that “constitutes a practice normally authorized by the utility.”

The release states that the family’s lawsuit repeatedly points to the shut-off of the service as the cause of the property damage and Vigrass’ death.

The family’s lawsuit cited Dominion’s failure to comply with R.C. 4933.12(C) regarding shutting off gas service during the winter months.

According to the press release, the court found that Dominion is authorized under state law to terminate service if it is not granted access to metering equipment.

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