The widow of a New Plymouth man who was electrocuted while pruning a hedge in the UK is suing the energy firm she says could've prevented his death.
Blair Campbell was 35 when he accidentally cut through wires on a pole-mounted electrical substation just south of Manchester in October 2022.
He was airlifted to hospital but died soon after, leaving behind now 42-year-old wife Tina Liu-Campbell and their two children.
An inquest in 2022 found Campbell's death was preventable, and that he was unaware of the risks the site presented.
The hedge he had been trimming was on private property that bordered a public lane where the pole-mounted substation was situated. Thick ivy covered warning signs on powerpole, the jury heard at the inquest.
Multiple reports had been made to the company responsible for the substation, ScottishPower's networks business SP Energy Networks, about the risks the ivy created. These weren't acted on, the inquest was told.
Liu-Campbell, who said at the time she had lost her "soulmate", has taken power provider SP Manweb PLC (a subsidiary of SP Energy Networks) to the UK High Court.
SP Energy Networks made changes to its health and safety policy after Campbell's death, but has previously denied liability in a civil claim.
Lawyers have now issued proceedings in the UK High Court on her behalf, arguing the company's health and safety breaches caused Campbell's death.
"The hurt and pain we feel over Blair's death is still as raw now as it was on the day he was taken from us," Liu-Campbell said.
"Even now, I still wake up hoping it's all been a terrible nightmare.
"Taking this case to the High Court is something I never imagined I would have to do, but I feel I owe it to Blair and to our children to make sure what happened to him is fully understood."
Law firm Irwin Mitchell has argued that a number of legal breaches occurred at the site of the fatal accident.
These included that SP Manweb PLC failed to ensure the public weren't exposed to the site's high voltage equipment, and that it neglected to keep the pole, substation and surrounding area in reasonably safe condition, allowing the ivy to cover warning signs which members of the public had previously expressed concerns about.
Devastated
Irwin Mitchell workplace accident lawyer Steve Hill is representing Campbell-Liu. He said she and her two children remained devastated by Campbell's death and the circumstances surrounding it.
"The inquest heard worrying evidence regarding health and safety at the site which we believe played a key role in Blair's unnecessary death. Despite this SP Manweb PLC has denied liability," he said.
"All Tina wants is for all lessons possible to be learned from what happened to improve health and safety for other workers."
Hill said it was regrettable the firm had failed to resolve the claim amicably, and called on it to work with him to put things right quickly so the family could be allowed to start rebuilding their lives.
An SP Energy Networks spokesperson said: "We extend our condolences to Mr Campbell's family and friends.
"As this matter is currently the subject of legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further at this time."
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