The parents of Tyler Keller, a 29-year-old man who was fatally electrocuted while fishing in central Florida, have filed a lawsuit over their son’s unexpected death. K|U partner Todd Falzone, one of the Keller family’s attorneys, described the incident as a “bizarre” and “terrible tragedy.”
On November 25, 2023, Tyler Keller was fishing at a pond in Orlando when his fishing line caught on broken power lines. Tragically, he was electrocuted and killed. The Keller family is now suing Duke Energy, seeking damages exceeding $50,000.
According to Falzone and the lawsuit, the power lines maintained by Duke Energy Corp. were damaged prior to the incident, with one line hanging significantly lower than it should have been. The lawsuit states that Keller “did not know, and had no reason to know, of the unreasonably dangerous conditions and risk of injury caused by the broken power lines.”
Falzone emphasized the importance of companies like Duke Energy ensuring the safety of their infrastructure. “They have to be really vigilant and careful about the condition of their lines,” he said.
The lawsuit accuses Duke Energy of negligence for failing to maintain its lines, repair the damage, and securing the area where the power lines were located.
“It’s abundantly clear in this case that, for whatever reason, they either didn’t get around to fixing it, delayed fixing it, or didn’t know it was broken,” Falzone said. “But they have a very serious responsibility to make their facilities as safe as possible.”
K|U attorney Joshua Novak, who also represented the Keller family, said that Tyler had previously served in the U.S. Coast Guard. Keller is survived by his parents and five siblings.
Read the full article in the Miami Herald.
