A man is suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and two property managers after he suffered severe injuries while standing on the platform of an electrified metal fire escape in 2023.
Fernando Cristerna’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against the DWP and two companies, DTLA Leasing and Santee Design Center LLC — identified as the entities that controlled and managed the property and fire escape — alleges negligence and premises liability. Cristerna seeks unspecified damages.
Representatives for the City Attorney’s Office and DTLA Leasing did not reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Friday.
Cristerna was standing on the second landing of the metal fire escape on Santee Street on March 17, 2023, when he was shocked by the high-voltage currents from an adjacent DWP light post, the suit states. Cristerna fell to a sidewalk below and suffered two broken arms, a right hand wound and lower back pain that needed surgery, the suit states.
The DWP negligently designed and operated the power pole, exposing Cristerna and members of the public to an unreasonable risk of harm, the suit states.