Danger Above: A Tragic Death, An Epic Courtroom Battle

What followed was an investigation and civil action against the Goretzkas utility, West Penn Power Company, which the family s lawyer, Shanin Specter, claimed had been not only negligent, but also reckless. The trial was a very difficult challenge for the attorneys representing the family and those defending the utility.

In their efforts to reduce the culpability of their clients, the defense at one point tried to claim that the victim was to blame for her own painful death by electrocution. Robert Zausner s chronicle of the case of Goretzka v. West Penn Power Company is an emotional one, begging the question: will justice be served against a dangerous, negligent corporation, or will the Goretzka family s story be ignored by the law?